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I. To prevent or attempt to prevent by contract or otherwise | a motor vehicle dealer or an officer, partner or stockholder | of a motor vehicle dealer from selling or transferring any | part of the interest of any of them to any other person or | persons or party or parties, except that a dealer, officer, | partner or stockholder does not have the right to sell, | transfer or assign the franchise or power of management or | control under that franchise without the consent of the | manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler, which may not be | unreasonably withheld. |
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| A franchisor may not exercise a right of first refusal or | other right to acquire a motor vehicle franchise from a | franchisee as a means to influence the consideration or | other terms offered by a person in connection with the | acquisition of the franchise or to influence a person to | refrain from entering into, or to withdraw from, | negotiations for the acquisition of the franchise. |
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| A franchisor may exercise a right of first refusal or other | right to acquire a franchise from a franchisee if all of the | following requirements are met. |
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| (1) At the election of the franchisee, the franchisor | assumes the lease for or acquires the real property on | which the franchise is conducted on the same terms as | those on which the real property or lease was to be | sold or transferred to the acquiring transferee in | connection with the sale of the franchise, unless | otherwise agreed to by the franchisee and the | franchisor;. |
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| (2) The franchisor assumes all of the obligations of | the underlying agreement or proposal that entitles the | franchisor to exercise the right of first refusal; and. |
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| (3) The franchisor reimburses the acquiring transferee of the | motor vehicle franchise for the reasonable expenses paid or | incurred by the transferee in evaluating and investigating the | franchise and negotiating and pursuing the acquisition of the | franchise prior to the franchisor's exercise of the right of | first refusal or other right to acquire the franchise. For | purposes of this subsection, expenses to evaluate and investigate | the franchise include, in addition to any other expenses | associated with the evaluation and investigation of the | franchise, legal and accounting expenses and expenses associated | with the evaluation and investigation of any real property |
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