10-1-653. Sale of dealership franchise; notice to franchisor.

If a new motor vehicle dealer desires to make a change in its executive management or ownership or to sell its principal assets, the new motor vehicle dealer will give the franchisor prior written notice of the proposed change or sale. The franchisor shall not arbitrarily refuse to agree to such proposed change or sale and may not disapprove or withhold approval of such change or sale unless the franchisor can prove that its decision is not arbitrary and that the new management, owner, or transferee is unfit or unqualified to be a dealer based on the franchisor’s prior written, reasonable, objective, and uniformly applied, within reasonable classifications, standards or qualifications which directly relate to the prospective transferee’s business experience, moral character, and financial qualifications. A franchisor may not disapprove or withhold approval of a change or sale if the new management, owner, or transferee is an owner of a dealership in the State of Georgia which sells the same line-make motor vehicle as the dealership being transferred unless such management, owner, or transferee is not in substantial compliance with its existing franchise agreement relating to performance in the areas of customer satisfaction or sales or unless such management, owner, or transferee does not meet the franchisor’s prior written, reasonable, objective, and uniformly applied standards or qualifications relating to its financial qualifications or moral character. Where the franchisor rejects a proposed change or sale, the franchisor shall give written notice of his reasons to the new motor vehicle dealer within 60 days. If no such notice is given to the new motor vehicle dealer, the change or sale shall be deemed approved.