The Florida Senate

320.64  Denial, suspension, or revocation of license; grounds.--A license of a licensee under s. 320.61 may be denied, suspended, or revoked within the entire state or at any specific location or locations within the state at which the applicant or licensee engages or proposes to engage in business, upon proof that the section was violated with sufficient frequency to establish a pattern of wrongdoing, and a licensee or applicant shall be liable for claims and remedies provided in ss. 320.695 and 320.697 for any violation of any of the following provisions. A licensee is prohibited from committing the following acts:

(1)  The applicant or licensee is determined to be unable to carry out contractual obligations with its motor vehicle dealers.

(2)  The applicant or licensee has knowingly made a material misstatement in its application for a license.

(3)  The applicant or licensee willfully has failed to comply with significant provisions of ss. 320.60-320.70 or with any lawful rule or regulation adopted or promulgated by the department.

(4)  The applicant or licensee has indulged in any illegal act relating to his or her business.

(5)  The applicant or licensee has coerced or attempted to coerce any motor vehicle dealer into accepting delivery of any motor vehicle or vehicles or parts or accessories therefor or any other commodities which have not been ordered by the dealer.

(6)  The applicant or licensee has coerced or attempted to coerce any motor vehicle dealer to enter into any agreement with the licensee.

(7)  The applicant or licensee has threatened to discontinue, cancel, or not to renew a franchise agreement of a licensed motor vehicle dealer, where the threatened discontinuation, cancellation, or nonrenewal, if implemented, would be in violation of any of the provisions of s. 320.641

(8)  The applicant or licensee discontinued, canceled, or failed to renew, a franchise agreement of a licensed motor vehicle dealer in violation of any of the provisions of s. 320.641

(9)  The applicant or licensee has threatened to modify or replace, or has modified or replaced, a franchise agreement with a succeeding franchise agreement which would adversely alter the rights or obligations of a motor vehicle dealer under an existing franchise agreement or which substantially impairs the sales, service obligations, or investment of the motor vehicle dealer.

(10)  The applicant or licensee has attempted to enter, or has entered, into a franchise agreement with a motor vehicle dealer who does not, at the time of the franchise agreement, have proper facilities to provide the services to his or her purchasers of new motor vehicles which are covered by the new motor vehicle warranty issued by the applicant or licensee.

(11)  The applicant or licensee has coerced a motor vehicle dealer to provide installment financing for the motor vehicle dealer's purchasers with a specified financial institution.

(12)  The applicant or licensee has advertised, printed, displayed, published, distributed, broadcast, or televised, or caused or permitted to be advertised, printed, displayed, published, distributed, broadcast, or televised, in any manner whatsoever, any statement or representation with regard to the sale or financing of motor vehicles which is false, deceptive, or misleading.

(13)  The applicant or licensee has sold, exchanged, or rented a motorcycle which produces in excess of 5 brake horsepower, knowing the use thereof to be by, or intended for, the holder of a restricted Florida driver's license.

(14)  The applicant or licensee has engaged in previous conduct which would have been a ground for revocation or suspension of a license if the applicant or licensee had been licensed.

(15)  The applicant or licensee, directly or indirectly, through the actions of any parent of the licensee, subsidiary of the licensee, or common entity causes a termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of a franchise agreement by a present or previous distributor or importer unless, by the effective date of such action, the applicant or licensee offers the motor vehicle dealer whose franchise agreement is terminated, canceled, or not renewed a franchise agreement containing substantially the same provisions contained in the previous franchise agreement or files an affidavit with the department acknowledging its undertaking to assume and fulfill the rights, duties, and obligations of its predecessor distributor or importer under the terminated, canceled, or nonrenewed franchise agreement and the same is reinstated.

(16)  Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, the applicant or licensee prevents or refuses to accept the succession to any interest in a franchise agreement by any legal heir or devisee under the will of a motor vehicle dealer or under the laws of descent and distribution of this state; provided, the applicant or licensee is not required to accept a succession where such heir or devisee does not meet licensee's written, reasonable, and uniformly applied minimal standard qualifications for dealer applicants or which, after notice and administrative hearing pursuant to chapter 120, is demonstrated to be detrimental to the public interest or to the representation of the applicant or licensee. Nothing contained herein, however, shall prevent a motor vehicle dealer, during his or her lifetime, from designating any person as his or her successor in interest by written instrument filed with and accepted by the applicant or licensee. A licensee who rejects the successor transferee under this subsection shall have the burden of establishing in any proceeding where such rejection is in issue that the rejection of the successor transferee complies with this subsection.

(17)  The applicant or licensee has included in any franchise agreement with a motor vehicle dealer terms or provisions that are contrary to, prohibited by, or otherwise inconsistent with the provisions contained in ss. 320.60-320.70, or has failed to include in such franchise agreement a provision conforming to the requirements of s. 320.63(3).

(18)  The applicant or licensee has established a system of motor vehicle allocation or distribution or has implemented a system of allocation or distribution of motor vehicles to one or more of its franchised motor vehicle dealers which is unfair, inequitable, unreasonably discriminatory, or not supportable by reason and good cause after considering the equities of the affected motor vehicles dealer or dealers. An applicant or licensee shall maintain for 3 years records that describe its methods or formula of allocation and distribution of its motor vehicles and records of its actual allocation and distribution of motor vehicles to its motor vehicle dealers in this state.

(19)  The applicant or licensee, without good and fair cause, has delayed, refused, or failed to provide a supply of motor vehicles by series in reasonable quantities, including the models publicly advertised by the applicant or licensee as being available, or has delayed, refused, or failed to deliver motor vehicle parts and accessories within a reasonable time after receipt of an order by a franchised dealer. However, this subsection is not violated if such failure is caused by acts or causes beyond the control of the applicant or licensee.

(20)  The applicant or licensee has required, or threatened to require, a motor vehicle dealer to prospectively assent to a release, assignment, novation, waiver, or estoppel, which instrument or document operates, or is intended by the applicant or licensee to operate, to relieve any person from any liability or obligation under the provisions of ss. 320.60-320.70.

(21)  The applicant or licensee has threatened or coerced a motor vehicle dealer toward conduct or action whereby the dealer would waive or forego its right to protest the establishment or relocation of a motor vehicle dealer in the community or territory serviced by the threatened or coerced dealer.

(22)  The applicant or licensee has refused to deliver, in reasonable quantities and within a reasonable time, to any duly licensed motor vehicle dealer who has an agreement with such applicant or licensee for the retail sale of new motor vehicles and parts for motor vehicles sold or distributed by the applicant or licensee, any such motor vehicles or parts as are covered by such agreement. Such refusal includes the failure to offer to its same line-make franchised motor vehicle dealers all models manufactured for that line-make, or requiring a dealer to pay any extra fee, require a dealer to execute a separate franchise agreement, purchase unreasonable advertising displays or other materials, or remodel, renovate, or recondition the dealer's existing facilities, or provide exclusive facilities as a prerequisite to receiving a model or series of vehicles. However, the failure to deliver any motor vehicle or part will not be considered a violation of this section if the failure is due to an act of God, work stoppage, or delay due to a strike or labor difficulty, a freight embargo, product shortage, or other cause over which the applicant or licensee has no control. An applicant or licensee may impose reasonable requirements on the motor vehicle dealer, other than the items listed above, including, but not limited to, the purchase of special tools required to properly service a motor vehicle and the undertaking of sales person or service person training related to the motor vehicle.

(23)  The applicant or licensee has competed or is competing with respect to any activity covered by the franchise agreement with a motor vehicle dealer of the same line-make located in this state with whom the applicant or licensee has entered into a franchise agreement, except as permitted in s. 320.645

(24)  The applicant or licensee has sold a motor vehicle to any retail consumer in the state except through a motor vehicle dealer holding a franchise agreement for the line-make that includes the motor vehicle. This section does not apply to sales by the applicant or licensee of motor vehicles to its current employees, employees of companies affiliated by common ownership, charitable not-for-profit-organizations, and the federal government.

(25)  The applicant or licensee has undertaken an audit of warranty payments or incentive payment previously paid to a motor vehicle dealer in violation of this section or has failed to comply with s. 320.696 An applicant or licensee may reasonably and periodically audit a motor vehicle dealer to determine the validity of paid claims. Audit of warranty payments shall only be for the 1-year period immediately following the date the claim was paid. Audit of incentive payments shall only be for an 18-month period immediately following the date the incentive was paid. An applicant or licensee shall not deny a claim or charge a motor vehicle dealer back subsequent to the payment of the claim unless the applicant or licensee can show that the claim was false or fraudulent or that the motor vehicle dealer failed to substantially comply with the reasonable written and uniformly applied procedures of the applicant or licensee for such repairs or incentives. An applicant or licensee may not charge a motor vehicle dealer back subsequent to the payment of a claim unless a representative of the applicant or licensee first meets in person, by telephone, or by video teleconference with an officer or employee of the dealer designated by the motor vehicle dealer. At such meeting the applicant or licensee must provide a detailed explanation, with supporting documentation, as to the basis for each of the claims for which the applicant or licensee proposed a charge-back to the dealer and a written statement containing the basis upon which the motor vehicle dealer was selected for audit or review. Thereafter, the applicant or licensee must provide the motor vehicle dealer's representative a reasonable period after the meeting within which to respond to the proposed charge-backs, with such period to be commensurate with the volume of claims under consideration, but in no case less than 45 days after the meeting. The applicant or licensee is prohibited from changing or altering the basis for each of the proposed charge-backs as presented to the motor vehicle dealer's representative following the conclusion of the audit unless the applicant or licensee receives new information affecting the basis for one or more charge-backs. If the applicant or licensee claims the existence of new information, the dealer must be given the same right to a meeting and right to respond as when the charge-back was originally presented.

(26)  Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, the applicant or licensee has refused to allocate, sell, or deliver motor vehicles; charged back or withheld payments or other things of value for which the dealer is otherwise eligible under a sales promotion, program, or contest; or prevented the motor vehicle dealer from participating in any promotion, program, or contest for selling a motor vehicle to a customer who was present at the dealership and the motor vehicle dealer did not know or should not have reasonably known that the vehicle would be shipped to a foreign country. There will be a rebuttable presumption that the dealer did not know or should not have reasonably known that the vehicle would be shipped to a foreign country if the vehicle is titled in one of the 50 United States.

(27)  Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, the applicant or licensee has failed or refused to indemnify and hold harmless any motor vehicle dealer against any judgment for damages, or settlements agreed to by the applicant or licensee, including, without limitation, court costs and reasonable attorneys fees, arising out of complaints, claims, or lawsuits, including, without limitation, strict liability, negligence, misrepresentation, express or implied warranty, or revocation or rescission of acceptance of the sale of a motor vehicle, to the extent the judgment or settlement relates to the alleged negligent manufacture, design, or assembly of motor vehicles, parts, or accessories. Nothing herein shall obviate the licensee's obligations pursuant to chapter 681.

(28)  The applicant or licensee has published, disclosed, or otherwise made available in any form information provided by a motor vehicle dealer with respect to sales prices of motor vehicles or profit per motor vehicle sold. Other confidential financial information provided by motor vehicle dealers shall not be published, disclosed, or otherwise made publicly available except in composite form. However, this information may be disclosed with the written consent of the dealer or in response to a subpoena or order of the department, a court or a lawful tribunal, or introduced into evidence in such a proceeding, after timely notice to an affected dealer.

(29)  The applicant or licensee has failed to reimburse a motor vehicle dealer in full for the reasonable cost of providing a loaner vehicle to any customer who is having a vehicle serviced at the motor vehicle dealer, if a loaner is required by the applicant or licensee, or a loaner is expressly part of an applicant or licensee's customer satisfaction index or computation.

(30)  The applicant or licensee has conducted or threatened to conduct any audit of a motor vehicle dealer in order to coerce or attempt to coerce the dealer to forego any rights granted to the dealer under ss. 320.60-320.70 or under the agreement between the licensee and the motor vehicle dealer. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an applicant or licensee from reasonably and periodically auditing a dealer to determine the validity of paid claims.

(31)  From and after the effective date of enactment of this provision, the applicant or licensee has offered to any motor vehicle dealer a franchise agreement that:

(a)  Requires that a motor vehicle dealer bring an administrative or legal action in a venue outside of this state;

(b)  Requires that any arbitration, mediation, or other legal proceeding be conducted outside of this state; or

(c)  Requires that a law of a state other than Florida be applied to any legal proceeding between a motor vehicle dealer and a licensee.

(32)  Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, the applicant or licensee has rejected or withheld approval of any proposed transfer in violation of s. 320.643 or a proposed change of executive management in violation of s. 320.644

(33)  The applicant or licensee has attempted to sell or lease, or has sold or leased, used motor vehicles at retail of a line-make that is the subject of any franchise agreement with a motor vehicle dealer in this state, other than trucks with a net weight of more than 8,000 pounds.

(34)  The applicant or licensee, after the effective date of this subsection, has included in any franchise agreement with a motor vehicle dealer a mandatory obligation or requirement of the motor vehicle dealer to purchase, sell, or lease, or offer for purchase, sale, or lease, any quantity of used motor vehicles.

(35)  The applicant or licensee has refused to assign allocation earned by a motor vehicle dealer, or has refused to sell motor vehicles to a motor vehicle dealer, because the motor vehicle dealer has failed or refused to purchase, sell, lease, or certify a certain quantity of used motor vehicles prescribed by the licensee.

(36)(a)  Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, in addition to any other statutory or contractual rights of recovery after the voluntary or involuntary termination of a franchise, failing to pay the motor vehicle dealer, within 90 days after the effective date of the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal, the following amounts:

1.  The net cost paid by the dealer for each new car or truck in the dealer's inventory with mileage of 2,000 miles or less, or a motorcycle with mileage of 100 miles or less, exclusive of mileage placed on the vehicle before it was delivered to the dealer.

2.  The current price charged for each new, unused, undamaged, or unsold part or accessory that:

a.  Is in the current parts catalogue and is still in the original, resalable merchandising package and in an unbroken lot, except that sheet metal may be in a comparable substitute for the original package; and

b.  Was purchased by the dealer directly from the manufacturer or distributor or from an outgoing authorized dealer as a part of the dealer's initial inventory.

3.  The fair market value of each undamaged sign owned by the dealer which bears a trademark or trade name used or claimed by the applicant or licensee or its representative which was purchased from or at the request of the applicant or licensee or its representative.

4.  The fair market value of all special tools, data processing equipment, and automotive service equipment owned by the dealer which:

a.  Were recommended in writing by the applicant or licensee or its representative and designated as special tools and equipment;

b.  Were purchased from or at the request of the applicant or licensee or its representative; and

c.  Are in usable and good condition except for reasonable wear and tear.

5.  The cost of transporting, handling, packing, storing, and loading any property subject to repurchase under this section.

(b)  This subsection does not apply to a termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal that is implemented as a result of the sale of the assets or stock of the dealer. The dealer shall return the property listed in this subsection to the licensee within 90 days after the effective date of the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal. The licensee shall supply the dealer with reasonable instructions regarding the method by which the dealer must return the property. The compensation for the property shall be paid by the licensee within 60 days after the tender of inventory and other items, if the dealer has clear title to the inventory and other items and is in a position to convey that title to the manufacturer or distributor. If the inventory or other items are subject to a security interest, the licensee may make payment jointly to the dealer and the holder of the security interest.

(37)  Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, the applicant or licensee has refused to allow or has limited or restricted a motor vehicle dealer from acquiring or adding a sales or service operation for another line-make of motor vehicles at the same or expanded facility at which the motor vehicle dealer currently operates a dealership unless the applicant or licensee can demonstrate that such refusal, limitation, or restriction is justified by consideration of reasonable facility and financial requirements and the dealer's performance for the existing line-make.

A motor vehicle dealer who can demonstrate that a violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the preceding provisions by an applicant or licensee will or can adversely and pecuniarily affect the complaining dealer, shall be entitled to pursue all of the remedies, procedures, and rights of recovery available under ss. 320.695 and 320.697

History.--s. 5, ch. 20236, 1941; s. 4, ch. 59-351; s. 9, ch. 70-424; s. 1, ch. 70-439; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 16, 17, ch. 80-217; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 1, ch. 83-105; s. 5, ch. 84-69; s. 15, ch. 87-161; ss. 8, 20, 21, ch. 88-395; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 371, ch. 95-148; s. 21, ch. 2001-196; s. 45, ch. 2002-1; s. 2, ch. 2003-269; s. 3, ch. 2006-183; s. 1, ch. 2007-195.