I. Once annually, a dealer may request to obtain a copy of (i) reports created in the regular course of business about the dealer, (ii) written correspondence with the dealer, and (iii) written reports prepared by a representative of the manufacturer or distributor documenting or memorializing any contact with a dealer or any employee or agent of the dealer, collectively known as “the documentation.” The documentation required to be produced shall be limited to documentation created in the 12 months preceding the dealer’s request. The manufacturer or distributor shall provide the documentation to the dealer within 30 days of the dealer’s written request. The manufacturer shall certify that the documentation it produces is complete as of the date of the request. The manufacturer or distributor may charge the dealer a reasonable per page fee for reproduction, provided that such fee shall not exceed the usual and customary fee charged by copy centers in the immediate vicinity of the location of the documentation. No other fees or charges shall be permitted.
II. Any documents or portions of documents that are required to be produced pursuant to this section, which are not produced by the manufacturer or distributor in response to a dealer’s request and that the manufacturer or distributor did not make a written, good faith objection to producing shall be excluded and not admissible as evidence or used in any manner at any proceeding at the motor vehicle industry board or any other state agency or any court proceeding. This paragraph shall not apply to any documents that document, evidence, or demonstrate insolvency, or alleged criminal, unlawful, or fraudulent activity by the dealer. At any proceeding before the motor vehicle industry board, any state agency, or any court, the presiding hearing officer, judge, board, or agency, may admit documents otherwise inadmissible under this paragraph if it is found that the documents were withheld in good faith or by accident or mistake.
III. A complete copy of any written report of any nature prepared by a representative of the manufacturer or distributor after any contact with a dealer or any employee or agent of the dealer shall be provided to the dealer within 60 days of the report’s creation.
IV. Nothing in the section shall require a manufacturer to disclose privileged, confidential, proprietary, or private third party information or information about another dealer or dealers and this includes but is not limited to names, addresses, financial data, and any other information relating to other dealers that may otherwise be referenced in the supporting documentation, except for specific information which is used by the manufacturer to compare the requesting dealer’s performance with other dealers.