# Title 51 — Sales and Exchanges

## Chapter 51-20 — Recreation Vehicle Franchises

### § 51-20-01. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:
1. "Contractual arrangement" means a written franchise or other written agreement, by
whatever name such agreement may be called, between a distributor and a dealer by
which the dealer agrees to sell at retail and service the distributor's recreation vehicles
in a given location or locations, whether or not exclusively with respect to a given
geographic area, and the distributor authorizes the dealer to sell, or sell and service,
and agrees to supply an inventory of recreation vehicles, and, if the dealer is to
perform service, an inventory of parts for those vehicles.
2. "Dealer" means a person, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or other
business entity which sells at retail and services new recreation vehicles.
3. "Distributor" means any manufacturer, wholesaler, or distributor of recreation vehicles
who has a contractual arrangement with a dealer in such vehicles.
4. "Recreation vehicle" includes snowmobiles as defined in section 39-24-01, plus trailers
for transporting same when those trailers are furnished by the same distributor who
furnishes the snowmobiles; off-highway vehicles as defined in section 39-29-01;
motorcycles as defined in section 39-01-01; travel trailers, which term means vehicles
without motive power designed for recreational use as living or sleeping quarters for
people and which do not exceed forty feet [12.19 meters] in length; and motorboats,
whether propelled by an inboard or outboard marine engine, plus any outboard marine
engines and boat trailers.
5. "Repair parts" includes accessories.
### § 51-20-02. Recreation vehicle dealers may recover value of vehicles or parts from

distributor in certain cases.
1. If a dealer has entered a written contract with a distributor in which the dealer agrees
to maintain a stock of recreation vehicles, repair parts, or both recreation vehicles and
repair parts, and either the dealer or the distributor desires to cancel or discontinue the
contract, the distributor shall pay to the dealer, unless the dealer desires to keep the
recreation vehicles or repair parts, the following amounts:
a. A sum equal to one hundred percent of the net cost of all current year, unused,
and complete recreation vehicles;
b. Eighty-five percent of the current net prices on repair parts, including the
superseded parts listed in current price lists or catalogs, if the superseded parts
have previously been purchased from the distributor and were in the dealer's
inventory on the date of cancellation or discontinuance of the contract or were
thereafter received by the dealer from the distributor;
c. A sum equal to five percent of the current net price of all parts returned as
reimbursement for handling, packing, and loading of those parts; and
d. Any freight charges on the equipment or repair parts paid by the dealer.
2. When a distributor has made payment in accordance with this section, title to the
recreation vehicles and repair parts must pass to the distributor and the distributor is
entitled to possession of the recreation vehicles and repair parts. The provisions of this
section are supplemental to any contractual rights which the dealer may have with
respect to reimbursement for recreation vehicles and parts inventory held by the
dealer at cancellation or discontinuance of a contractual arrangement. The dealer may
elect to pursue the dealer's rights under the contractual arrangement and under this
section. An election by a dealer to pursue a contractual remedy does not bar the
dealer's right to the remedy provided by this section with respect to those pieces of
recreation vehicles and repair parts not affected by the contract remedy.
3. This section applies to every contract now in effect which has no stated expiration date
and to all other contracts entered after July 31, 2001. Contracts in force and effect on

July 31, 2001, which by their terms will terminate on a date subsequent to July 31,
2001, are governed by the law existing before August 1, 2001.
