§ 87-707. Termination of dealer agreement; supplier and dealer; rights and duties; liability.

(1) Whenever any dealer enters into a dealer agreement with a supplier in which the dealer agrees to maintain an inventory of equipment, attachments, or repair parts and the dealer agreement is subsequently terminated, the supplier shall: (a) Repurchase the inventory by: (i) Paying one hundred percent of the net cost of all new, undamaged, and complete equipment which was purchased from the supplier no more than twenty-four months prior to the date of termination and which is resalable; (ii) Paying eighty-five percent of the current price of all new, unused, and undamaged attachments and repair parts, including superseded repair parts, which are listed in the price lists or catalogs in use by the supplier on the date of termination; and (iii) Either (A) paying five percent of the current price on all new, unused, and undamaged attachments and repair parts returned to cover the cost of handling, packing, and loading the attachments and repair parts or (B) performing the handling, packing, and loading; and (b) Repurchase at fair market value specialized repair tools purchased by the dealer pursuant to requirements of the supplier from the supplier or an approved vendor of the supplier within three years prior to the date of termination and held by the dealer on the date of termination. (2) For purposes of this section: (a) Current price shall mean the price for the attachments, repair parts, or tools listed in the supplier's effective price list or catalog or, if there is no effective price list or catalog, in the supplier's invoices; and (b) Net cost shall mean the price the dealer paid to the supplier for the equipment less all discounts previously allowed by the supplier to the dealer. (3) Upon payment of the repurchase amount to the dealer, the title and right to possession of the inventory or tools shall transfer to the supplier. Notwithstanding the requirements of article 9, Uniform Commercial Code, on filing notice of a security interest, the dealer shall have a continuing security interest in the inventory or tools until payment by the supplier and shall be treated the same as if the dealer still had possession of the inventory or tools. (4) This section shall not require the supplier to repurchase from the dealer: (a) Any repair part or attachment which has a limited storage life or is otherwise subject to deterioration; (b) Any repair part or attachment which is priced as a set of two or more items if the set is incomplete; (c) Any repair part or attachment which because of its condition is not resalable as a new part or attachment without repairing or reconditioning; (d) Any repair part or attachment which is not in new, unused, and undamaged condition; (e) Any equipment which is not in new, unused, undamaged, and complete condition; (f) Any inventory for which the dealer is unable to furnish evidence, reasonably satisfactory to the supplier, of good title free and clear of all claims, liens, and encumbrances; (g) Any inventory which was ordered by the dealer on or after the date of receipt of the notification of termination of the dealer agreement; or (h) Any inventory which was acquired by the dealer from any source other than the supplier or the supplier's predecessor in interest. (5) If any supplier fails or refuses to repurchase any inventory or specialized repair tools subject to this section within ninety days after the date the supplier takes possession, the supplier shall be civilly liable for (a) one hundred percent of the net cost of the equipment and of the current price of the attachments, repair parts, and tools, (b) any freight charges paid by the dealer, and (c) all costs of financing such repurchase, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. (6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the existence or enforcement of a security interest which any person may have in the inventory or tools of the dealer. History: Laws 1991, LB 123, § 7; Laws 1999, LB 550, § 50.