South Carolina Code 56-16-60. Manufacturer’s compensation of dealer for rental value or rental expense with respect to dealership facilities upon termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of dealership
(a) Subject to paragraph (c), if the new motorcycle dealer is leasing the dealership facilities from a lessor other than the manufacturer, the manufacturer shall pay the new motorcycle dealer a sum equivalent to the rent for the unexpired term of the lease or one year’s rent, whichever is less, or such longer term as is provided in the franchise agreement between the dealer and manufacturer; or
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 56-16-60
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Dealership facilities: means the real estate, buildings, fixtures, and improvements devoted to the conduct of business under the franchise by the new motorcycle dealer. See South Carolina Code 56-16-10
- Distributor: means any person who sells or distributes new motorcycles to motorcycle dealers or who maintains distributor representatives within the State. See South Carolina Code 56-16-10
- Franchise: means the written agreement or contract between any new motorcycle manufacturer, and any new motorcycle dealer which purports to fix the legal rights and liabilities of the parties to such agreement or contract, and pursuant to which the dealer purchases and resells the franchised product or leases or rents the dealership premises. See South Carolina Code 56-16-10
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Manufacturer: means any person, resident, or nonresident who manufacturers or assembles new motorcycles, or imports for distribution through distributors of motor vehicles, including any person, partnership, or corporation which acts for and is under the control of a manufacturer or assembler in connection with the distribution of motorcycles and includes distributor and factory branch. See South Carolina Code 56-16-10
- motorcycle dealer: means any person who sells or attempts to effect the sale of any motorcycle. See South Carolina Code 56-16-10
- New motorcycle: means a motorcycle which has not been previously sold to any person except a distributor or wholesaler or motorcycle dealer for resale. See South Carolina Code 56-16-10
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
(b) Subject to paragraph (c), if the new motorcycle dealer owns the dealership facilities, the manufacturer shall pay the new motorcycle dealers a sum equivalent to the reasonable rental value of the dealership facilities for one year.
(c) Nothing in this section shall relieve a lessee or owner, from the obligation to mitigate damages under the lease, nor prevent a manufacturer from occupying and using the dealership facilities while paying rent under subsections (a) and (b), nor prevent a manufacturer from obligations by negotiating a lease termination, a sublease, or a new lease. Any amounts recovered by the lessee or owner resulting from mitigation of damages must be deducted from the amount due from the manufacturer.