Section 45.25.180 - New dealerships(a) Before a manufacturer or distributor enters into a franchise establishing or relocating a new motor vehicle dealer within a relevant market area where the same line make is represented, the manufacturer or distributor shall give 90 days' written notice to each new motor vehicle dealer of the same line make in the relevant market area of the intention to establish an additional new motor vehicle dealer or to relocate an existing new motor vehicle dealer within that relevant market area.(b) Within 30 days after receiving the notice required under (a) of this section or within 30 days after the end of any appeal procedure provided by the manufacturer or distributor, a new motor vehicle dealer may bring a declaratory judgment action in the superior court of this state to determine whether good cause exists for the establishment or relocation of a proposed new motor vehicle dealer. If an action is filed, the manufacturer or distributor may not establish or relocate the proposed new motor vehicle dealer until the court has rendered a decision on the matter.(c) This section does not prohibit(1) the relocation of an existing new motor vehicle dealer to a new location not within four miles of an existing new motor vehicle dealer;(2) the appointment of a successor new motor vehicle dealer at the same location as its predecessor or within a two-mile radius from any boundary of the predecessor's former location within two years from the date when the predecessor ceased operations or was terminated, whichever occurred later; or(3) the entering into of a renewal of, replacement of, or succeeding franchise agreement with an existing new motor vehicle dealer whose operations will continue at the existing new motor vehicle dealer's current location.(d) When determining whether good cause exists for establishing or relocating an additional new motor vehicle dealer for the same line make, the superior court shall consider the existing circumstances, including(1) whether the establishment of an additional franchise or relocation of the existing new motor vehicle dealer appears to be warranted by economic and marketing conditions, including anticipated future changes;(2) the retail sales and service business transacted by the protesting new motor vehicle dealer and other new motor vehicle dealers of the same line make with a place of business in the relevant market area to be served by the additional franchise or proposed new location of an existing new motor vehicle dealer during the three-year period immediately preceding the notice;(3) the investment necessarily made and obligations incurred by the protesting new motor vehicle dealer to perform the protesting new motor vehicle dealer's obligations under existing franchise agreements;(4) the permanency of the investment of the protesting new motor vehicle dealer;(5) whether it is beneficial or injurious to the public welfare for an additional franchise to be established or for the existing new motor vehicle dealer to be relocated;(6) whether the manufacturer has denied the manufacturer's existing new motor vehicle dealer of the same line make the opportunity for reasonable growth, market expansion, or relocation; and(7) whether the proposed relocation is farther away from the protesting new motor vehicle dealer.(e) Under this section, a manufacturer has the burden of proving that good cause exists for permitting the proposed establishment or relocation of a new motor vehicle dealer that the manufacturer has proposed, and the new motor vehicle dealer has the burden of proving that good cause exists for permitting the proposed establishment or relocation of a new motor vehicle dealer that the new motor vehicle dealer has proposed.(f) In this section,(1) "relevant market area" means the greater of the area(A) within a radius of 14 miles around an existing new motor vehicle dealer; or(B) of responsibility defined in a governing franchise agreement;(2) "relocate" and "relocation" do not include the relocation of a new motor vehicle dealer within two miles of the new motor vehicle dealer's established place of business.Amended by SLA 2018, ch. 50,§§sec.9, sec.10 eff. 9/30/2018.