Source: http://jurris.com/california/vehicle-code/11700-11740/
Timestamp: 2019-03-22 12:40:02
Document Index: 768202063

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 4', 'art 4', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 1', 'art 455', 'art 4']

Article 1. Issuance Of Licenses And Certificates To Manufacturers, Transporters, And Dealers | California Vehicle Code >> Division 5. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.
Taxonomy: CaliforniaVehicle CodeDivision 5.Chapter 4.Article 1.
Article 1. Issuance Of Licenses And Certificates To Manufacturers, Transporters, And Dealers of California Vehicle Code >> Division 5. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.
No person shall act as a dealer, remanufacturer, manufacturer, or transporter, or as a manufacturer branch, remanufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, without having first been issued a license as required in Section 11701 or temporary permit issued by the department, except that, when the license or temporary permit has been canceled, suspended, or revoked or has expired, any vehicle in the dealer's inventory and owned by the dealer when the dealer ceased to be licensed may be sold at wholesale to a licensed dealer. The former licensee shall give the purchasing dealer a statement of facts stating that the seller is not a licensed dealer. Any vehicle on consignment with the dealer when the dealer ceased to be licensed shall be returned to the consignor. Any vehicle in the dealer's possession, but not owned by the dealer and not on consignment when the dealer ceased to be licensed, shall be returned to the owner of the vehicle.
11700.1.
A dealer who does not have an established place of business in this state but who is currently authorized to do business as, and who has an established place of business as, a vehicle dealer in another state is not subject to licensure under this article if the business transacted in California is limited to the importation of vehicles for sale to, or the export of vehicles purchased from, persons licensed in California under this chapter.
11700.2.
A dealer who obtains an autobroker's endorsement to his or her dealer's license is subject to all of the licensing, advertising, and other statutory and regulatory requirements and prohibitions applicable to a dealer, regardless of whether that dealer acts as the buyer of a vehicle, the seller of a vehicle, or provides brokering services on behalf of another or others for the purpose of arranging, negotiating, assisting, or effectuating the sale of a vehicle not owned by that dealer.
11700.3.
No person may aid and abet a person in the performance of any act in violation of this chapter.
Every manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, transporter, or dealer of vehicles of a type subject to registration, or snowmobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, or trailers of a type subject to identification, shall make application to the department for a license containing a general distinguishing number. The applicant shall submit proof of his or her status as a bona fide manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, transporter, or dealer as may reasonably be required by the department.
The department may issue, or for reasonable cause shown, refuse to issue a license to any applicant applying for a manufacturer's, manufacturer's branch, remanufacturer's, remanufacturer's branch, distributor's, distributor's branch, transporter's, or dealer's license.
11703.1.
Any of the causes specified in this chapter as a cause to suspend or revoke the license issued to a dealer, manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, or transporter, is cause to refuse to issue a license to a dealer, manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, or transporter.
11703.2.
The department may refuse to issue a license to a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, transporter, or dealer, when the department determines that either of the following apply to the applicant:
(a) An outstanding and unsatisfied final judgment rendered against the applicant exists in connection with the purchase, sale, or lease of any vehicle.
(b) An outstanding and unsatisfied restitution order issued against the applicant under subdivision (a) of Section 11519.1 of the Government Code exists.
11703.3.
A person whose license has been revoked or whose application for a license has been denied may reapply for a license after a period of not less than one year has elapsed from the effective date of the decision revoking the license or denying the application; except that if the decision was entered under the authority of subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (g) of Section 11703, or 11703.2, or paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 11705, a reapplication accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the department that such grounds no longer exist may be made earlier than such one-year period.
11703.4.
The department may refuse to issue a license to a dealer when it determines that an applicant for a dealer's license has failed to effectively endorse an authorization for disclosure of an account or accounts relating to the operation of the dealership as provided for in Section 7473 of the Government Code.
(a) Every applicant who applies for a license pursuant to Section 11701 shall submit an application to the department on the forms prescribed by the department. Such applicant shall provide the department with information as to the applicant's character, honesty, integrity, and reputation, as the department may consider necessary. The department, by regulation, shall prescribe what information is required of such an applicant for the purposes of this subdivision.
(b) Upon receipt of an application for a license which is accompanied by the appropriate fee, the department shall, within 120 days, make a thorough investigation of the information contained in the application.
(c) Every person holding a license issued pursuant to Section 11701 shall notify the department, within 10 days, of any change in the ownership or corporate structure of the licensee.
11704.5.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (e), every person who applies for a dealer's license pursuant to Section 11701 for the purpose of transacting sales of used vehicles on a retail or wholesale basis only shall be required to take and successfully complete a written examination prepared and administered by the department before a license may be issued. The examination shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the following laws and subjects:
(1) Division 12 (commencing with Section 24000), relating to equipment of vehicles.
(3) Odometers.
(4) Vehicle licensing and registration.
(5) Branch locations.
(6) Offsite sales.
(7) Unlawful dealer activities.
(8) Handling, completion, and disposition of departmental forms.
(b) Prior to the first taking of an examination under subdivision (a), every applicant shall successfully complete a preliminary educational program of not less than four hours. The program shall address, but not be limited to, all of the following topics:
(1) Chapter 2B (commencing with Section 2981) of Title 14 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, relating to motor vehicle sales finance.
(2) Motor vehicle financing.
(3) Truth in lending.
(4) Sales and use taxes.
(5) Division 12 (commencing with Section 24000), relating to equipment of vehicles.
(6) Advertising.
(7) Odometers.
(8) Vehicle licensing and registration.
(9) Branch locations.
(10) Offsite sales.
(11) Unlawful dealer activities.
(12) Air pollution control requirements.
(13) Regulations of the Bureau of Automotive Repair.
(14) Handling, completion, and disposition of departmental forms.
(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) or (3), every dealer who is required to complete a written examination and an educational program pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) and who is thereafter issued a dealer's license shall successfully complete, every two years after issuance of that license, an educational program of not less than four hours that offers instruction in the subjects listed under subdivision (a) and the topics listed under subdivision (b), in order to maintain or renew that license.
(2) A dealer is not required to complete the educational program set forth in paragraph (1) if the educational program is completed by a managerial employee employed by the dealer.
(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply to dealers who sell vehicles on a wholesale basis only and who, in a one-year period, deal with less than 50 vehicles that are subject to registration.
(d) Instruction described in subdivisions (b) and (c) may be provided by generally accredited educational institutions, private vocational schools, and educational programs and seminars offered by professional societies, organizations, trade associations, and other educational and technical programs that meet the requirements of this section or by the department.
(1) An applicant for a new vehicle dealer's license or any employee of that dealer.
(2) A person who holds a valid license as an automobile dismantler, an employee of that dismantler, or an applicant for an automobile dismantler's license.
(3) An applicant for a motorcycle only dealer's license or any employee of that dealer.
(4) An applicant for a trailer only dealer's license or any employee of that dealer.
(5) An applicant for an all-terrain only dealer's license or any employee of that dealer.
11704.7.
Every person who applies to the department to take or retake the examination required under Section 11704.5 shall pay to the department a fee of sixteen dollars ($16).
(14) Has caused any person to suffer any loss or damage by reason of any fraud or deceit practiced on that person or fraudulent representations made to that person in the course of the licensed activity. For purposes of this paragraph, "fraud" includes any act or omission which is included within the definition of either "actual fraud" or "constructive fraud" as defined in Sections 1572 and 1573 of the Civil Code, and "deceit" has the same meaning as defined in Section 1710 of the Civil Code. In addition, "fraud" and "deceit" include, but are not limited to, a misrepresentation in any manner, whether intentionally false or due to gross negligence, of a material fact; a promise or representation not made honestly and in good faith; an intentional failure to disclose a material fact; and any act within Section 484 of the Penal Code. For purposes of this paragraph, "person" also includes a governmental entity.
11705.4.
(a) The department, after notice and hearing, may suspend or revoke the license issued to a dealer, transporter, manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch upon determining that the person to whom the license was issued is not lawfully entitled thereto or has willfully violated the terms and conditions of any warranty responsibilities as set forth in Title 1.7 (commencing with Section 1790) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code.
(b) Every hearing as provided for in this section shall be pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
The department may, pending a hearing, temporarily suspend the license and special plates issued to a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, transporter, or dealer, for a period not to exceed 30 days, if the director finds that such action is required in the public interest. In any such case, a hearing shall be held and a decision thereon issued within 30 days after notice of the temporary suspension. Every hearing, as provided for in this section, shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(a) After the filing of an accusation under this article, the director may enter into a stipulated compromise settlement agreement with the consent of the licensee on terms and conditions mutually agreeable to the director, the respondent licensee, and the accuser without further hearing or appeal. The agreement may include, but is not limited to, a period of probation or monetary penalties, or both. Except as provided in Section 11728, the monetary penalty shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation, and it shall be based on the nature of the violation and the effect of the violation on the purposes of this article.
(a) Upon refusal of the department to issue a license and special plates to a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, transporter, or dealer, the applicant shall be entitled to demand, in writing, a hearing before the director or his or her representative within 60 days after notice of refusal.
(b) The hearing shall be conducted pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(a) A dealer's established place of business, and other sites or locations as may be operated and maintained by the dealer in conjunction with his or her established place of business, shall have posted, in a place conspicuous to the public in each and every location, the license, or a true and exact copy of the license, issued by the department to the dealer and to each salesperson employed by the dealer and shall have erected or posted thereon signs or devices providing information relating to the dealer's name and the location and address of the dealer's established place of business to enable any person doing business with the dealer to identify him or her properly. A sign erected or posted pursuant to this subdivision, on an established place of business, shall have an area of not less than two square feet per side displayed and shall contain lettering of sufficient size to enable the sign to be read from a distance of at least 50 feet. This section shall not apply to a dealer who is a wholesaler involved for profit only in the sale of vehicles between licensed dealers.
(c) A vehicle displayed pursuant to subdivision (b) or (e) shall be identified by a sign or device providing information relating to the dealer's name and the location and address of the dealer's established place of business.
11709.1.
Every dealer who displays or offers one or more used vehicles for sale at retail shall post a notice not less than 8 inches high and 10 inches wide, in a place conspicuous to the public, which states the following: "The prospective purchaser of a vehicle may, at his or her own expense and with the approval of the dealer, have the vehicle inspected by an independent third party either on or off these premises."
Every dealer shall conspicuously display a notice, not less than eight inches high and 10 inches wide, in each sales office and sales cubicle of a dealer's established place of business where written terms of specific sale or lease transactions are discussed with prospective purchasers or lessees, and in each room of a dealer' s established place of business where sale and lease contracts are regularly executed, which states the following: "THERE IS NO COOLING-OFF PERIOD UNLESS YOU OBTAIN A CONTRACT CANCELLATION OPTION California law does not provide for a "cooling-off" or other cancellation period for vehicle lease or purchase contracts. Therefore, you cannot later cancel such a contract simply because you change your mind, decide the vehicle costs too much, or wish you had acquired a different vehicle. After you sign a motor vehicle purchase or lease contract, it may only be canceled with the agreement of the seller or lessor or for legal cause, such as fraud. However, California law does require a seller to offer a 2-day contract cancellation option on used vehicles with a purchase price of less than $40,000, subject to certain statutory conditions. This contract cancellation option requirement does not apply to the sale of a recreational vehicle, a motorcycle, or an off-highway motor vehicle subject to identification under California law. See the vehicle contract cancellation option agreement for details."
11709.3.
(a) Every dealer shall clearly and conspicuously display in its showroom at its established place of business, in a place that is easily accessible to prospective purchasers, a clear and conspicuous listing of each vehicle that the dealer has advertised for sale if the vehicle meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The vehicle is advertised for sale in a newspaper or other publication of general circulation, or in any other advertising medium that is disseminated to the public generally, including, but not limited to, radio, television, or the Internet.
(2) The vehicle is advertised at a specific price and is required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11713.1 to be identified in the advertisement by its vehicle identification number or license number.
(3) The vehicle has not been sold or leased during the time that the advertised price is valid.
(4) The vehicle does not clearly and conspicuously have displayed on or in it the advertised price.
(b) The listing required by subdivision (a) may be satisfied by clearly and conspicuously posting in the showroom a complete copy of any print advertisement that includes vehicles currently advertised for sale or by clearly and conspicuously displaying in the showroom a list of currently advertised vehicles described by make, model, model-year, vehicle identification number, or license number, and the advertised price.
11709.4.
(3) The time period specified in paragraph (1) or (2) may be shortened if the dealer and consumer agree, in writing, to a shorter time period.
(4) A dealer shall not sell, consign for sale, or transfer any ownership interest in the vehicle purchased or obtained in trade until an amount necessary to discharge the prior credit or lease balance owing on the vehicle has been tendered to the lessor registered in accordance with Section 4453.5, or to the legal owner reflected on the ownership certificate, or to the designee of that lessor or legal owner of the vehicle purchased or obtained in trade.
(a) Before any dealer's or remanufacturer's license is issued or renewed by the department to any applicant therefor, the applicant shall procure and file with the department a bond executed by an admitted surety insurer, approved as to form by the Attorney General, and conditioned that the applicant shall not practice any fraud or make any fraudulent representation which will cause a monetary loss to a purchaser, seller, financing agency, or governmental agency.
(b) A dealer's bond shall be in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), except the bond of a dealer who deals exclusively in motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles shall be in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Before the license is renewed by the department, the dealer, other than a dealer who deals exclusively in motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles, shall procure and file a bond in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). A remanufacturer bond shall be in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
(c) Liability under the bond is to remain at full value. If the amount of liability under the bond is decreased or there is outstanding a final court judgment for which the dealer or remanufacturer and sureties are liable, the dealer's or remanufacturer's license shall be automatically suspended. In order to reinstate the license and special plates, the licensee shall either file an additional bond or restore the bond on file to the original amount, or shall terminate the outstanding judgment for which the dealer or remanufacturer and sureties are liable.
(d) A dealer's or remanufacturer's license, or renewal of the license, shall not be issued to any applicant therefor, unless and until the applicant files with the department a good and sufficient instrument, in writing, in which the applicant appoints the director as the true and lawful agent of the applicant upon whom all process may be served in any action, or actions, which may thereafter be commenced against the applicant, arising out of any claim for damages suffered by any firm, person, association, or corporation, by reason of the violation of the applicant of any of the terms and provisions of this code or any condition of the dealer's or remanufacturer's bond. The applicant shall stipulate and agree in the appointment that any process directed to the applicant, when personal service of process upon the applicant cannot be made in this state after due diligence and, in that case, is served upon the director or, in the event of the director's absence from the office, upon any employee in charge of the office of the director, shall be of the same legal force and effect as if served upon the applicant personally. The applicant shall further stipulate and agree, in writing, that the agency created by the appointment shall continue for and during the period covered by any license that may be issued and so long thereafter as the applicant may be made to answer in damages for a violation of this code or any condition of the bond. The instrument appointing the director as the agent for the applicant for service of process shall be acknowledged by the applicant before a notary public. In any case where the licensee is served with process by service upon the director, one copy of the summons and complaint shall be left with the director or in the director's office in Sacramento or mailed to the office of the director in Sacramento. A fee of five dollars ($5) shall also be paid to the director at the time of service of the copy of the summons and complaint. Service on the director shall be a sufficient service on the licensee if a notice of service and a copy of the summons and complaint are immediately sent by registered mail by the plaintiff or the plaintiff' s attorney to the licensee. A copy of the summons and complaint shall also be mailed by the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney to the surety on the applicant's bond at the address of the surety given in the bond, postpaid and registered with request for return receipt. The director shall keep a record of all process so served upon the director, which record shall show the day and hour of service and shall retain the summons and complaint so served on file. Where the licensee is served with process by service upon the director, the licensee shall have and be allowed 30 days from and after the service within which to answer any complaint or other pleading which may be filed in the cause. However, for purposes of venue, where the licensee is served with process by service upon the director, the service is deemed to have been made upon the licensee in the county in which the licensee has or last had an established place of business.
11710.1.
Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 11710, the bond amount of a dealer who sells vehicles on a wholesale basis only, and who sells fewer than 25 vehicles per year, shall be ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
11710.2.
(a) (1) The director may order the deposit returned at the expiration of any of the following dates:
(a) If any person (1) shall suffer any loss or damage by reason of any fraud practiced on him or fraudulent representation made to him by a licensed dealer or one of such dealer's salesmen acting for the dealer, in his behalf, or within the scope of the employment of such salesman and such person has possession of a written instrument furnished by the licensee, containing stipulated provisions and guarantees which the person believes have been violated by the licensee, or (2) if any person shall suffer any loss or damage by reason of the violation by such dealer or salesman of any of the provisions of Division 3 (commencing with Section 4000) of this code, or (3) if any person is not paid for a vehicle sold to and purchased by a licensee, then any such person shall have a right of action against such dealer, his salesman, and the surety upon the dealer's bond, in an amount not to exceed the value of the vehicle purchased from or sold to the dealer.
(b) If the state or any political subdivision thereof shall suffer any loss or damage by reason of any fraud practiced on the state or fraudulent representation made to the state by a licensed dealer, or one of such dealer's representatives acting for the dealer, in his behalf, or within the scope of employment of such representatives, or shall suffer any loss or damage by reason of the violation of such dealer or representative of any of the provisions of Division 3 (commencing with Section 4000) of this code, or Part 5 (commencing with Section 10701), Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the state or any political subdivision thereof, through the department, shall have a right of action against such dealer, his representative, and the surety upon the dealer's bond in an amount not to exceed the value of the vehicles involved.
(c) The failure of a dealer upon demand to pay the fees and penalties determined to be due as provided in Section 4456 hereof is declared to be a violation of Division 3 (commencing with Section 4000) of this code, and Part 5 (commencing with Section 10701), Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and to constitute loss or damage to the state in the amounts of such fees and penalties determined to be due and not paid.
(d) The claims of the state under subdivision (b) shall be satisfied first and entitled to preference over all claims under subdivision (a).
(e) The claims of any person under subdivision (a) who is not a licensee shall be satisfied first and entitled to preference over all other claims under subdivision (a).
11711.3.
A person acting as a dealer, who was not licensed as a dealer as required by this article, or a person acting as a lessor-retailer, who was not licensed as a lessor-retailer as required by Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11600), may not enforce any security interest or bring or maintain any action in law or equity to recover any money or property or obtain other relief from the purchaser or lessee of a vehicle in connection with a transaction in which the person was, at the time of the transaction, required to be licensed as a dealer or a lessor-retailer.
(a) The department shall not issue a dealer's license to any applicant therefor who has not an established place of business as defined in this code. Should the dealer change the site or location of his established place of business, he or she shall, immediately upon making that change, so notify the department. Should a dealer for any reason whatsoever, cease to be in possession of an established place of business from and on which he or she conducts the business for which he or she is licensed, he or she shall immediately notify the department and, upon demand by the department, shall deliver to the department the dealer's license, dealer's special plate or plates, and all report of sale books in his or her possession.
(b) Should the dealer change to, or add another franchise for the sale of new vehicles, or cancel or, for any cause whatever, otherwise lose a franchise for the sale of new vehicles, he or she shall immediately so notify the department.
(c) Any person licensed under this article who has closed his or her established place of business may be served with process issued pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code by registered mail at that place of business or at the mailing address of record if different from the established place of business, unless the person has notified the department in writing of another address where service may be made.
11712.5.
It is unlawful and a violation of this code for a dealer issued a license pursuant to this article to sell, offer for sale, or display any new vehicle, as follows:
(a) A new motorcycle unless there is securely attached thereto a statement as required by Section 24014.
(b) A new light duty truck with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or less unless there is affixed to the light duty truck the label required by Section 24013.5.
(b) (1) (A) Advertise or offer for sale or exchange in any manner, a vehicle not actually for sale at the premises of the dealer or available to the dealer directly from the manufacturer or distributor of the vehicle at the time of the advertisement or offer. However, a dealer who has been issued an autobroker's endorsement to his or her dealer's license may advertise his or her service of arranging or negotiating the purchase of a new motor vehicle from a franchised new motor vehicle dealer and may specify the line-makes and models of those new vehicles. Autobrokering service advertisements may not advertise the price or payment terms of a vehicle and shall disclose that the advertiser is an autobroker or auto buying service, and shall clearly and conspicuously state the following: "All new cars arranged for sale are subject to price and availability from the selling franchised new car dealer."
(k) Advertise or otherwise represent, or knowingly allow to be advertised or represented on behalf of, or at the place of business of, the licenseholder that no downpayment is required in connection with the sale of a vehicle when a downpayment is in fact required and the buyer is advised or induced to finance the downpayment by a loan in addition to any other loan financing the remainder of the purchase price of the vehicle. The terms "no downpayment," "zero down delivers," or similar terms shall not be advertised unless the vehicle will be sold to a qualified purchaser without a prior payment of any kind or trade-in.
(m) Permit the use of the dealer's license, supplies, or books by any other person for the purpose of permitting that person to engage in the purchase or sale of vehicles required to be registered under this code, or permit the use of the dealer's license, supplies, or books to operate a branch location to be used by any other person, whether or not the licensee has any financial or equitable interest or investment in the vehicles purchased or sold by, or the business of, or branch location used by, the other person.
(o) Sell a previously unregistered vehicle without disclosing in writing to the purchaser the date on which a manufacturer's or distributor's warranty commenced.
(t) Advertise for sale a vehicle that was used by the selling licensee in its business as a demonstrator, executive vehicle, service vehicle, rental, loaner, or lease vehicle, unless the advertisement clearly and conspicuously discloses the previous use made by that licensee of the vehicle. An advertisement shall not describe any of those vehicles as "new."
It is a violation of this code for the holder of a dealer' s license issued under this article to do any of the following:
(a) Advertise a specific vehicle for sale without identifying the vehicle by its model, model-year, and either its license number or that portion of the vehicle identification number that distinguishes the vehicle from all other vehicles of the same make, model, and model-year. Model-year is not required to be advertised for current model-year vehicles. Year models are no longer current when ensuing year models are available for purchase at retail in California. An advertisement that offers for sale a class of new vehicles in a dealer's inventory, consisting of five or more vehicles, that are all of the same make, model, and model-year is not required to include in the advertisement the vehicle identification numbers or license numbers of those vehicles.
(3) For purposes of paragraph (1), "advertisement" means an advertisement in a newspaper, magazine, or direct mail publication that is two or more columns in width or one column in width and more than seven inches in length, or on a Web page of a dealer's Internet Web site that displays the price of a vehicle offered for sale on the Internet, as that term is defined in paragraph (6) of subdivision (f) of Section 17538 of the Business and Professions Code.
(ii) The franchise agreement of the dealer is terminated, canceled, or rejected by the manufacturer or distributor as part of the bankruptcy proceedings and the termination, cancellation, or rejection is not a result of the revocation by the department of the dealer's license or the dealer's conviction of a crime.
(h) Advertise free merchandise, gifts, or services provided by a dealer contingent on the purchase of a vehicle. "Free" includes merchandise or services offered for sale at a price less than the seller's cost of the merchandise or services.
(j) Use "rebate" or similar words, including, but not limited to, "cash back," in advertising the sale of a vehicle unless the rebate is expressed in a specific dollar amount and is in fact a rebate offered by the vehicle manufacturer or distributor, a finance company affiliated with a vehicle manufacturer or distributor, a regulated utility, or a governmental entity directly to the retail purchaser of the vehicle or to the assignee of the retail purchaser.
(k) Require a person to pay a higher price for a vehicle and related goods or services for receiving advertised credit terms than the cash price the same person would have to pay to purchase the same vehicle and related goods or services. For the purpose of this subdivision, "cash price" has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 2981 of the Civil Code.
(n) (1) Use "invoice," "dealer's invoice," "wholesale price," or similar terms that refer to a dealer's cost for a vehicle in an advertisement for the sale of a vehicle or advertise that the selling price of a vehicle is above, below, or at either of the following:
(A) The manufacturer's or distributor's invoice price to a dealer.
(A) A communication occurring during face-to-face negotiations for the purchase of a specific vehicle if the prospective purchaser initiates a discussion of the vehicle's invoice price or the dealer's cost for that vehicle.
(q) Affix on a new vehicle a supplemental price sticker containing a price that represents the dealer's asking price that exceeds the manufacturer's suggested retail price unless all of the following occur:
(1) The supplemental sticker clearly and conspicuously discloses in the largest print appearing on the sticker, other than the print size used for the dealer's name, that the supplemental sticker price is the dealer's asking price, or words of similar import, and that it is not the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
(2) The supplemental sticker clearly and conspicuously discloses the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
(3) The supplemental sticker lists each item that is not included in the manufacturer's suggested retail price, and discloses the additional price of each item. If the supplemental sticker price is greater than the sum of the manufacturer's suggested retail price and the price of the items added by the dealer, the supplemental sticker price shall set forth that difference and describe it as "added mark-up."
(r) Advertise an underselling claim, including, but not limited to, "we have the lowest prices" or "we will beat any dealer's price," unless the dealer has conducted a recent survey showing that the dealer sells its vehicles at lower prices than another licensee in its trade area and maintains records to adequately substantiate the claims. The substantiating records shall be made available to the department upon request.
(t) Display or offer for sale a used vehicle unless there is affixed to the vehicle the Federal Trade Commission's Buyer's Guide as required by Part 455 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(z) As used in this section, "make" and "model" have the same meaning as is provided in Section 565.12 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
11713.2.
It shall be unlawful and a violation of this code for any manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch licensed under this code to coerce or attempt to coerce any dealer in this state:
(a) To order or accept delivery of any motor vehicle, part or accessory thereof, appliance, equipment or any other commodity not required by law which shall not have been voluntarily ordered by the dealer.
(b) To order or accept delivery of any motor vehicle with special features, appliances, accessories or equipment not included in the list price of such motor vehicles as publicly advertised by the manufacturer or distributor.
(c) To order for any person any parts, accessories, equipment, machinery, tools, appliances, or any commodity whatsoever.
(d) To participate in an advertising campaign or contest, any promotional campaign, promotional materials, training materials, showroom or other display decorations or materials at the expense of the dealer.
(e) To enter into any agreement with the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, or to do any other act prejudicial to the dealer by threatening to cancel a franchise or any contractual agreement existing between the dealer and manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch. Notice in good faith to any dealer of the dealer's violation of any terms or provisions of such franchise or contractual agreement shall not constitute a violation of this article.
(2) (A) For the transferring franchisee to fail, prior to the sale, transfer, or assignment of a franchisee or the sale, assignment, or transfer of all, or substantially all, of the assets of the franchised business or a controlling interest in the franchised business to another person, to notify the manufacturer or distributor of the franchisee's decision to sell, transfer, or assign the franchise. The notice shall be in writing and shall include all of the following:
(i) The proposed transferee's name and address.
(iii) The proposed transferee's application for approval to become the successor franchisee. The application shall include forms and related information generally utilized by the manufacturer or distributor in reviewing prospective franchisees, if those forms are readily made available to existing franchisees. As soon as practicable after receipt of the proposed transferee's application, the manufacturer or distributor shall notify the franchisee and the proposed transferee of information needed to make the application complete.
(3) In an action in which the manufacturer's or distributor's withholding of consent under this subdivision or subdivision (e) is an issue, whether the withholding of consent was unreasonable is a question of fact requiring consideration of all the existing circumstances.
(e) To prevent, or attempt to prevent, a dealer from receiving fair and reasonable compensation for the value of the franchised business. There shall not be a transfer or assignment of the dealer's franchise without the consent of the manufacturer or distributor. The manufacturer or distributor shall not unreasonably withhold consent or condition consent upon the release, assignment, novation, waiver, estoppel, or modification of a claim or defense by the dealer.
(D) Requires a controversy between a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, or representative and a dealer to be referred to a person for a binding determination. However, this subparagraph does not prohibit arbitration before an independent arbitrator, provided that whenever a motor vehicle franchise contract provides for the use of arbitration to resolve a controversy arising out of, or relating to, that contract, arbitration may be used to settle the controversy only if, after the controversy arises, all parties to the controversy consent in writing to use arbitration to settle the controversy. For the purpose of this subparagraph, the terms "motor vehicle" and "motor vehicle franchise contract" shall have the same meaning as defined in Section 1226 of Title 15 of the United States Code. If arbitration is elected to settle a dispute under a motor vehicle franchise contract, the arbitrator shall provide the parties to the arbitration with a written explanation of the factual and legal basis for the award.
(G) Prohibit an agreement separate from the franchise agreement that implements a dealer's election to terminate the franchise if the agreement is conditioned only on a specified time for termination or payment of consideration to the dealer.
(II) The planning potential used to establish the proposed dealership's facility, personnel, and capital requirements.
(h) To increase prices of motor vehicles that the dealer had ordered for private retail consumers prior to the dealer's receipt of the written official price increase notification. A sales contract signed by a private retail consumer is evidence of the order. In the event of manufacturer price reductions, the amount of the reduction received by a dealer shall be passed on to the private retail consumer by the dealer if the retail price was negotiated on the basis of the previous higher price to the dealer. Price reductions apply to all vehicles in the dealer's inventory that were subject to the price reduction. Price differences applicable to new model or series motor vehicles at the time of the introduction of new models or series shall not be considered a price increase or price decrease. This subdivision does not apply to price changes caused by either of the following:
(i) To fail to pay to a dealer, within a reasonable time following receipt of a valid claim by a dealer thereof, a payment agreed to be made by the manufacturer or distributor to the dealer by reason of the fact that a new vehicle of a prior year model is in the dealer's inventory at the time of introduction of new model vehicles.
(5) Upon the franchisor's exercise of the right of first refusal, the consideration paid by the franchisor to the franchisee and owners of the franchised business shall equal or exceed all consideration that each of them were to have received under the terms of, or in connection with, the proposed sale, assignment, or transfer, and the franchisor shall comply with all the terms and conditions of the agreement or agreements to sell, transfer, or assign the franchised business.
(6) The franchisor shall reimburse the proposed transferee for expenses paid or incurred by the proposed transferee in evaluating, investigating, and negotiating the proposed transfer to the extent those expenses do not exceed the usual, customary, and reasonable fees charged for similar work done in the area in which the franchised business is located. These expenses include, but are not limited to, legal and accounting expenses, and expenses incurred for title reports and environmental or other investigations of real property on which the franchisee's operations are conducted. The proposed transferee shall provide the franchisor a written itemization of those expenses, and a copy of all nonprivileged reports and studies for which expenses were incurred, if any, within 30 days of the proposed transferee's receipt of a written request from the franchisor for that accounting. The franchisor shall make payment within 30 days of exercising the right of first refusal.
(i) Ensure that specific data accessed from the dealer's computer system is within the scope of consent specified in subdivision (v).
(ii) Monitor specific data accessed from or written to the dealer' s computer system.
(A) Express or implied statements that the dealer is under an obligation to exclusively sell or offer to sell service contracts, debt cancellation agreements, or similar products approved, endorsed, sponsored, or offered by the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch or affiliate.
(C) Measuring a dealer's performance under a franchise agreement based upon the sale of service contracts, debt cancellation agreements, or similar products approved, endorsed, sponsored, or offered by the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch or affiliate.
(3) This subdivision does not prohibit a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch from requiring a franchisee that sells a used vehicle as "certified" under a certified used vehicle
program established by the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch to provide a service contract approved, endorsed, sponsored, or offered by the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch.
"Service Contract Disclosure The service contract you are purchasing is not provided or backed by the manufacturer of the vehicle you are purchasing. The manufacturer of the vehicle is not responsible for claims or repairs under this service contract. _____________________ Signature of Purchaser"
(y) (1) To take or threaten to take any adverse action against a dealer pursuant to an export or sale-for-resale prohibition because the dealer sold or leased a vehicle to a customer who either exported the vehicle to a foreign country or resold the vehicle in violation of the prohibition, unless the export or sale-for-resale prohibition policy was provided to the dealer in writing at least 48 hours before the sale or lease of the vehicle, and the dealer knew or reasonably should have known of the customer's intent to export or resell the vehicle in violation of the prohibition. If the dealer causes the vehicle to be registered in this or any other state, and collects or causes to be collected any applicable sales or use tax due to this state, a rebuttable presumption is established that the dealer did not have reason to know of the customer's intent to export or resell the vehicle. In a proceeding in which a challenge to an adverse action is at issue, the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall have the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to show that the vehicle was exported or resold in violation of an export or sale-for-resale prohibition policy, that the prohibition policy was provided to the dealer in writing at least 48 hours prior to the sale or lease, and that the dealer knew or reasonably should have known of the customer's intent to export the vehicle to a foreign country at the time of the sale or lease.
(2) An export or sale-for-resale prohibition policy shall not include a provision that expressly or implicitly requires a dealer to make further inquiries into a customer's intent, identity, or financial ability to purchase or lease a vehicle based on any of the customer's characteristics listed or defined in Section 51 of the Civil Code. A policy that is in violation of this paragraph is void and unenforceable.
(3) An export or sale-for-resale prohibition policy shall expressly include a provision stating the dealer's rebuttable presumption if the dealer causes the vehicle to be registered in this or any other state and collects or causes to be collected any applicable sales or use tax. A policy that is in violation of this paragraph is void and unenforceable.
(z) As used in this section, "area of responsibility" means a geographic area specified in a franchise that is used by the franchisor for the purpose of evaluating the franchisee's performance of its sales and service obligations.
11713.4.
If a purchaser of a vehicle pays to the dealer an amount for the licensing or transfer of title of the vehicle, which amount is in excess of the actual fees due for such licensing or transfer, or which amount is in excess of the amount which has been paid, prior to the sale, by the dealer to the state in order to avoid penalties that would have accrued because of late payment of such fees, the dealer shall return such excess amount to the purchaser, whether or not such purchaser requests the return of the excess amount.
11713.5.
(a) It is unlawful and a violation of this code for the holder of any license issued under this article to display for sale, offer for sale, or sell, a motor vehicle, representing the motor vehicle to be of a year model different from the year model designated at the time of manufacture or first assembly as a completed vehicle.
(b) It is unlawful and a violation of this code for the holder of any license issued under this article to directly or indirectly authorize or advise another holder of a license issued under this article to change the year model of a motor vehicle in the inventory of the other holder.
(c) It is unlawful and a violation of this code for the holder of any license issued under this article to display for sale, offer for sale, or sell, a housecar which has been manufactured in two or more stages, unless the licensee informs the buyer that the housecar has been so manufactured and the licensee provides the buyer with a form, approved by the department, which sets forth the date of chassis and engine manufacture and the date and model year of the other stages of the vehicle. The licensee shall retain a copy of the form, which shall be signed by the purchaser prior to entering into any sales contract, indicating that the purchaser has received a copy of the form.
(d) This section does not apply to the displaying or offering for sale, or selling, of any new motortruck or truck tractor weighing over 10,000 pounds.
(e) This section does not apply to a vehicle which has been remanufactured by a licensed remanufacturer. The year model of a remanufactured vehicle will be the year the vehicle was remanufactured.
11713.6.
(a) It is unlawful and a violation of this code for the holder of any dealer's license issued under this article to fail to disclose in writing to the buyer or lessee of a new motor vehicle, that the vehicle, as equipped, may not be operated on a highway signed for the requirement of tire chains if the owner's manual or other material provided by the manufacturer states that the vehicle, as equipped, may not be operated with tire chains.
(2) The disclosure shall include the following language in capital letters: "AS EQUIPPED, THIS VEHICLE MAY NOT BE OPERATED WITH TIRE CHAINS BUT MAY ACCOMMODATE SOME OTHER TYPE OF TIRE TRACTION DEVICE. SEE THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR DETAILS."
(c) Prior to the sale or lease, the dealer shall present the disclosure statement for the buyer's or lessee's signature and then shall provide the buyer or lessee with a copy of the signed disclosure.
11713.7.
Disclosure to a buyer that a vehicle has been remanufactured is required. Disclosure shall be accomplished by all of the following:
(a) Oral notification to the buyer.
(b) The statement "THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN REMANUFACTURED AND CONTAINS USED OR RECONDITIONED PARTS" shall appear in a type size at least the same as the bulk of the text on the purchase order or conditional sales contract signed by the buyer.
(c) The statement that the vehicle is remanufactured and contains used or reconditioned parts shall appear in any advertisement pertaining to remanufactured vehicles.
(d) Remanufactured vehicles displayed for retail purposes shall be clearly designated as remanufactured. The disclosure statement required in subdivision (b) shall appear on the vehicle or at the location where the vehicles are displayed.
11713.8.
It is unlawful and a violation of this code for a remanufacturer licensed under this code to fail to do any of the following:
(a) Report to the department an existing vehicle identification number when a used frame is utilized.
(b) Die stamp the vehicle identification number to the frame of the vehicle when a new vehicle identification number is assigned.
(c) Disclose that a vehicle is remanufactured and contains used or reconditioned parts as required by Section 11713.7.
(d) Remove the trade name of the original manufacturer from the vehicle, unless the remanufacturer and the original manufacturer are same.
(e) Maintain for three years bills of sale or invoices for used parts utilized in a remanufactured vehicle.
(f) Maintain for three years proof that the vehicle was reported dismantled, as required by Section 5500 or 11520, when a used frame is utilized in a remanufactured vehicle.
(g) Disclose, on the vehicle identification number plate or label, that the vehicle is remanufactured and includes used parts.
(h) Disclose to the dealer on a document signed by the dealer that the vehicle is remanufactured and contains used parts.
11713.9.
(a) It is unlawful and a violation of this code for the holder of a dealer's license to knowingly display for sale or offer for sale any new motor vehicle specified in subdivision (b) with an engine manufactured by a manufacturer that is not the same as the vehicle manufacturer, as defined in Section 9980, unless the vehicle is prominently labeled as specified in Section 9981.
(b) This section applies only to new passenger vehicles and to new motortrucks with an unladen weight under 6,000 pounds, except housecars.
11713.10.
It is unlawful and a violation of this code to sell a low-speed vehicle, as defined in Section 385.5, without disclosing to the buyer the vehicle's maximum speed and the potential risks of driving a low-speed vehicle.
11713.11.
No holder of a dealer's license shall do any of the following when conducting an auction of vehicles to the public:
(a) Advertise that a vehicle will be auctioned to the public unless all of the following information is clearly and conspicuously disclosed in the advertisement:
(1) The date or the day of the week of the public auction, or if subdivision (b) applies to the auction, the date of the public auction.
(2) The location of the public auction.
(3) Whether a fee will be charged to attend the auction and the amount of that fee.
(4) The name and dealer number of the auctioning dealer.
(5) Whether a buyer's fee will be charged to a purchaser, in addition to the accepted auction bid price, and, if the fee is a set amount, the dollar amount of that fee. If the buyer's fee is not a set amount, the advertisement shall state the formula or percentage used to calculate the fee.
(b) If vehicles seized by a federal, state, or local public agency or authority are being advertised, advertise that a vehicle will be auctioned to the public unless, in addition to the information required by subdivision (a), the following information is clearly and conspicuously disclosed in the advertisement:
(1) A good faith estimate of the number of vehicles to be auctioned at that date.
(2) A good faith estimate of the number of vehicles seized by a federal, state, or local public agency or authority to be auctioned at that date.
(c) Fail, on the day of auction, to identify each vehicle seized by a federal, state, or local public agency or authority, either in a printed catalog or orally, before bidding begins on the vehicle.
(d) Include in the total price of an auctioned vehicle any costs to the purchaser at the completion of the sale, except the accepted auction bid price, taxes, vehicle registration fees, any charge for emission testing, not to exceed fifty dollars ($50), plus the actual fees charged to a consumer for a certificate pursuant to Section 44060 of the Health and Safety Code, any dealer document preparation charge not exceeding forty-five dollars ($45), and any buyer's fee.
(e) Charge a buyer's fee, unless the dealer conducting the auction delivers to any person permitted to submit bids, and at a time prior to accepting any bids from that person, a disclosure statement required by this subdivision and signed by that person. The disclosure statement, if the buyer's fee is a set amount, shall disclose the amount of the fee, or if the buyer's fee is not a set amount, disclose the formula or percentage used to calculate the fee. The disclosure statement shall be on a separate 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper. Except for the information set forth in this subdivision, the disclosure statement shall not contain any other text, except as necessary to identify the dealer conducting the auction sale and to disclose the amount, percentage, or formula used to calculate the buyer's fee, and to provide for the date and the person's acknowledgment of receipt. The heading shall be printed in no smaller than 24-point bold type and the text of the statement shall be printed in no smaller than 12-point type and shall read substantially as follows:
BUYER'S FEE REQUIRED A buyer's fee is an amount charged by the auctioning dealer for conducting the auction sale. If your bid price is accepted as the winning bid on any vehicle, you will be charged a buyer's fee in addition to the accepted bid price. The buyer's fee that will be added to your accepted bid price is $ ________________________________. OR The buyer's fee that will be added to your accepted bid price will be calculated as follows (insert percentage or other formula for calculating the buyer's fee): The buyer's fee is part of the purchase price and is subject to sales tax. Date: ______________ Signature of Bidder ________________________
(f) Fail to comply with or violate this chapter, Title 2.95 (commencing with Section 1812.600) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, Section 2328 of the Commercial Code, or Section 535 of the Penal Code, or any law administered by the State Board of Equalization, relating to the auctioneering business, including, but not limited to, sales and the transfer of title of goods.
(g) For purposes of this section, a "buyer's fee" is any amount that is in addition to the accepted auction bid price, taxes, vehicle registration fees, certificate of compliance or noncompliance fee, or any dealer document preparation charge, which is charged to a purchaser by an auctioning dealer.
11713.12.
(a) The decal required by subdivision (c) of Section 1793.23 of the Civil Code to be affixed by a manufacturer to a motor vehicle, shall be affixed to the left front doorframe of the vehicle, or, if the vehicle does not have a left front doorframe, it shall be affixed in a location designated by the department. The decal shall specify that title to the motor vehicle has been inscribed with the notation "Lemon Law Buyback" and shall be affixed to the vehicle in a manner prescribed by the department.
(b) No person shall knowingly remove or alter any decal affixed to a vehicle pursuant to subdivision (a), whether or not licensed under this code.
(1) A required facility alteration, expansion, or addition shall not be deemed reasonable if it requires that the dealer purchase goods or services from a specific vendor when goods or services of substantially similar kind, quality, and general design concept are available from another vendor. Notwithstanding the prohibitions in this paragraph, a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch may require the dealer to request approval for the use of alternative goods or services in writing. Approval for these requests shall not be unreasonably withheld, and the request shall be deemed approved if not specifically denied in writing within 20 business days of receipt of the dealer's written request. This paragraph does not authorize a dealer to impair or eliminate the intellectual property or trademark rights of the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, or to permit a dealer to erect or maintain signs that do not conform to the intellectual property usage guidelines of the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch. This paragraph shall not apply to a specific good or service if the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch provides the dealer with a lump-sum payment or series of payments of a substantial portion of the cost of that good or service, if the payment is intended solely to reimburse the dealer for the purchase of the specified good or service.
(A) The dealer cost, plus any charges made by the manufacturer or distributor for vehicle distribution or delivery and the cost of any dealer-installed original equipment accessories, less any amount invoiced to the vehicle and paid by the manufacturer or distributor to the dealer, for all new and undamaged vehicles with less than 500 miles in the dealer's inventory that were acquired by the dealer from the manufacturer, distributor, or another new motor vehicle dealer franchised to sell vehicles of the same line-make, in the ordinary course of business, within 18 months of termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of the franchise.
(B) The dealer cost for all unused and undamaged supplies, parts, and accessories listed in the manufacturer's current parts catalog and in their original packaging, except that sheet metal may be packaged in a comparable substitute for the original package.
(B) For those recreational vehicles with odometers, paragraph (1) shall apply to only those vehicles that have no more than 1,500 miles on the odometer, in addition to the number of miles incurred while delivering the vehicle from the manufacturer's facility that produced the vehicle for delivery to the dealer's retail location.
(C) Damaged recreational vehicles shall be repurchased by the manufacturer provided there is an offset in value for damages, except recreational vehicles that have or had material damage, as defined in Section 9990, may be repurchased at the manufacturer's option provided there is an offset in value for damages.
(A) The dealer cost for all unused and undamaged supplies, parts, and accessories listed in the manufacturer's current parts catalog and in their original packaging, except that sheet metal may be packaged in a comparable substitute for the original package.
(f) (1) Fail, upon demand, to indemnify any existing or former franchisee and the franchisee's successors and assigns from any and all damages sustained and attorney's fees and other expenses reasonably incurred by the franchisee that result from or relate to any claim made or asserted by a third party against the franchisee to the extent the claim results from any of the following:
(g) (1) Establish or maintain a performance standard, sales objective, or program for measuring a dealer's sales, service, or customer service performance that may materially affect the dealer, including, but not limited to, the dealer's right to payment under any incentive or reimbursement program or establishment of working capital requirements, unless both of the following requirements are satisfied:
(i) Demographics in the dealer's area of responsibility.
(ii) Geographical and market characteristics in the dealer's area of responsibility.
(v) Historical sales, service, and customer service performance of the line-make within the dealer's area of responsibility, including vehicle brand preferences of consumers in the dealer's area of responsibility.
11713.14.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who purchases a vehicle that is sold through a dealer at an auction of vehicles open to the general public shall have the same rights and remedies against the dealer who conducts the auction sale as if that dealer were the owner and seller of the auctioned vehicle. The purchaser's rights and remedies are in addition to any right or remedy he or she may have against an owner of a vehicle sold at a public auto auction.
(b) If any claim or action is filed against a dealer pursuant to subdivision (a) and the vehicle that is the subject of the claim or action was owned by a person other than the dealer at the time of sale by auction, the owner of the vehicle that consigned it to the dealer shall indemnify the dealer for any liability resulting from misrepresentations or other misconduct by the consignor.
(c) A purchaser's rights and remedies under this section may not be waived or modified by an agreement or by a recharacterization of the sales transaction.
(a) (1) Prior to being issued a temporary branch license for selling new recreational vehicles, as defined in Section 18010 of the Health and Safety Code, at a show, a dealer shall submit to the department a manufacturer's written authorization for the sale specifying the dates of the show, the location of the show, and the makes of those new recreational vehicles being offered for sale.
(2) If nine or fewer dealers are participating in the show, a temporary branch license may only be issued to a dealer under this subdivision if the location of the show is 50 miles or less from that dealer's established place of business or permanent branch location. Each dealer described in this paragraph shall certify in his or her application for a temporary branch license that the show location is 50 miles or less from his or her established place of business or permanent branch location.
(A) The location of the show is 50 miles or more from the dealer's place of business or that dealer's branch locations, or both.
(C) Not less than 10 days prior to the conduct of the show, the department receives at least 10 applications for temporary branch licenses together at one of the department's field offices.
(b) (1) Any advertising and promotional materials designed to attract the public to attend a show of recreational vehicles where there are nine or fewer dealers participating shall include the business name of each participating dealer and that dealer's established place of business in a type size that is equivalent to the second largest type used in the advertisement or promotional materials. This information shall be placed at the top of any advertisement or promotional materials.
(2) If the recreational vehicles being offered for sale are used, the word "used" shall immediately precede the identification of the make of the vehicle or be immediately adjacent to the depiction of any used vehicles.
(d) Paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) and subdivision (b) do not apply to a dealer participating in an annual show sponsored by a national trade association of recreational vehicle manufacturers, the show is located in a county with a population of 6,000,000 or more persons, and at least 25 manufacturers are participating in the show, and, if the dealer is otherwise eligible to participate in the show, the department shall issue a temporary branch license if all the following occur:
(2) Upon receipt of the letter from a national trade association described in paragraph (1) notifying the department of the dates and location of the show, the department provides written acknowledgement to the national trade association submitting the letter.
It is a violation of this code for the holder of any dealer's license issued under this article to do any of the following:
(a) Advertise any used vehicle of the current or prior model-year without expressly disclosing the vehicle as "used," "previously owned," or a similar term that indicates that the vehicle is used, as defined in this code.
(b) Use the terms "on approved credit" or "on credit approval" in an advertisement for the sale of a vehicle unless those terms are clearly and conspicuously disclosed and unabbreviated.
(c) Advertise an amount described by terms such as "unpaid balance" or "balance can be financed" unless the total sale price is clearly and conspicuously disclosed and in close proximity to the advertised balance.
(f) Advertise claims such as "everyone financed," "no credit rejected," or similar claims unless the dealer is willing to extend credit to any person under any and all circumstances.
(g) Advertise the amount of any downpayment unless it represents the total payment required of a purchaser prior to delivery of the vehicle, including any payment for sales tax or license. Statements such as "$_____ delivers," "$____ puts you in a new car" are examples of advertised downpayments.
(a) It is unlawful and a violation of this code for the holder of any dealer's license issued under this article to do any of the following:
(a) A dealer that obtains a consumer credit score, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1785.15.1 of the Civil Code, from a consumer credit reporting agency, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 1785.3 of the Civil Code, for use in connection with an application for credit initiated by a consumer for the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle for personal, family, or household use, shall provide, prior to the sale or lease of the vehicle, the following information to the consumer in at least 10-point type on a document separate from the sale or lease contract:
(1) Each credit score obtained and used by the dealer.
(2) A statement that a consumer report, or a credit report, is a record of the consumer's credit history and includes information about whether the consumer pays his or her obligations on time and how much the consumer owes to creditors.
(3) A statement that a credit score is a number that takes into account information in a consumer report and that a credit score can change over time to reflect changes in the consumer's credit history.
(4) A statement that the consumer's credit score can affect whether the consumer can obtain credit and what the cost of that credit will be.
(6) The distribution of credit scores among consumers who are scored under the same scoring model that is used to generate the consumer's credit score using the same scale as that of the credit score that is provided to the consumer, presented in the form of a bar graph containing a minimum of six bars that illustrates the percentage of consumers with credit scores within the range of scores reflected in each bar, or by other clear and readily understandable graphical means, or a clear and readily understandable statement informing the consumer how his or her credit score compares to the scores of other consumers. Use of a graph or statement obtained from the person providing the credit score that meets the requirements of this paragraph is deemed to comply with this requirement.
(d) This section does not limit or restrict any rights or remedies otherwise available under existing law.
(D) One percent of the purchase price for a vehicle with a cash price of more than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), but less than forty thousand dollars ($40,000). The term "cash price" as used in this paragraph has the same meaning as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 2982 of the Civil Code. "Cash price" also excludes registration, transfer, titling, and license fees, the California tire fee, and any charge to electronically register or transfer the vehicle.
(8) At the bottom of the contract cancellation option agreement, a statement that may be signed by the buyer to indicate the buyer's election to exercise the right to cancel the purchase under the terms of the contract cancellation option agreement, and the last date and time by which the option to cancel may be exercised, followed by a line for the buyer's signature. A particular form of statement is not required, but the following statement is sufficient: "By signing below, I elect to exercise my right to cancel the purchase of the vehicle described in this agreement." The buyer's delivery of the purchase cancellation agreement to the dealer with the buyer's signature following this statement shall constitute sufficient written notice exercising the right to cancel the purchase pursuant to paragraph (6). The dealer shall provide the buyer with the statement required by this paragraph in duplicate to enable the buyer to return the signed cancellation notice and retain a copy of the cancellation agreement.
11713.22.
(a) Upon mutual agreement of the parties to enter into a recreational vehicle franchise, it is unlawful and a violation of this code for a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch licensed under this code to fail or refuse to provide a recreational vehicle dealer with a written recreational vehicle franchise that complies with the requirements of Section 331.3.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 331.3, a recreational vehicle franchise described in this section shall include, but not be limited to, provisions regarding dealership transfer, dealership termination, sales territory, and reimbursement for costs incurred by the dealer for work related to the manufacturer's warranty for each line-make of recreational vehicle covered by the agreement.
(c) This section applies only to a dealer and manufacturer agreement involving recreational vehicles, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 18010 of the Health and Safety Code, but does not include an agreement with a dealer who deals exclusively in truck campers.
(a) A recreational vehicle manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch licensed under this code shall not sell a new recreational vehicle in this state to or through a recreational vehicle dealer without having first entered into a written recreational vehicle franchise with that recreational vehicle dealer, that complies with the requirements of Section 331.3 and that has been signed by both parties.
(b) A recreational vehicle dealer shall not sell a new recreational vehicle in this state without having first entered into a written recreational vehicle franchise, that complies with the requirements of Section 331.3, with a recreational vehicle manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch licensed under this code, that has been signed by both parties.
(c) (1) A recreational vehicle manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall not ship a new recreational vehicle to a recreational dealer on or after January 1, 2009, without a recreational vehicle franchise that has been signed by both parties.
(2) A recreational vehicle dealer shall not receive a new recreational vehicle from a recreational vehicle manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch on or after January 1, 2009, without a recreational vehicle franchise that has been signed by both parties.
(d) Any new recreational vehicle inventory that has been purchased by a recreational vehicle dealer, or shipped by a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, before January 1, 2009, may be sold at any time without a recreational vehicle franchise.
(e) Following the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of a recreational vehicle franchise, any new recreational vehicle inventory that was purchased by the recreational vehicle dealer, or shipped by a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, during the period that the written recreational vehicle franchise was in effect, may be sold by that recreational vehicle dealer at any time.
(f) This section applies only to a dealer and manufacturer agreement involving recreational vehicles, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 18010 of the Health and Safety Code, but does not include an agreement with a dealer who deals exclusively in truck campers.
(1) "Confidential dealer computer record" means a computer record residing on the dealer's computer system that contains, in whole or in part, any personally identifiable consumer data, or the dealer's financial or other proprietary data.
(2) "Computer vendor" means a person, other than a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, who in the ordinary course of that person's business configured, sold, leased, licensed, maintained, or otherwise made available to a dealer, a dealer computer system.
(3) "Dealer computer system" means a computer system or computerized application primarily designed for use by and sold to a motor vehicle dealer that, by ownership, lease, license, or otherwise, is used by and in the ordinary course of business of a dealer.
(4) "Express consent" means the unrevoked written consent signed by a dealer that specifically describes the data that may be accessed, the means by which it may be accessed, the purpose for which it may be used, and the person or class of persons to whom it may be disclosed.
(5) "Personally identifiable consumer data" means information that is any of the following:
(1) Post the following disclosure on the vehicle while it is displayed for sale at retail in at least 14-point bold black type, except for the title "Warning" which shall be in at least 18-point bold black type, on at least a 4 x 5.5 inch red background in close proximity to the Federal Trade Commission's Buyer's Guide:
"WARNING According to a vehicle history report issued by the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), this vehicle has been reported as a total-loss vehicle by an insurance company, has been reported into NMVTIS by a junk or salvage reporting entity, or has a title brand which may materially affect the value, safety, and/or condition of the vehicle. Because of its history as a junk, salvage, or title-branded vehicle, the manufacturer's warranty or service contract on this vehicle may be affected. Ask the dealer to see a copy of the NMVTIS vehicle history report. You may independently obtain the report by checking NMVTIS online at www.vehiclehistory.gov."
(3) "Junk automobile," "operator," and "salvage automobile" shall have the same meanings as defined in Section 25.52 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(a) The department, upon granting a license, shall issue to the applicant a license containing the applicant's name and address and the general distinguishing number assigned to the applicant.
(e) The department shall also furnish books and forms as it may determine necessary. Such books and forms are and shall remain the property of the department and may be taken up at any time for inspection.
A manufacturer, remanufacturer, transporter, distributor, or dealer, in the course of business, may operate or move any vehicle of a type otherwise required to be registered under this code without registering the vehicle, and without license or special plates attached thereto, from a vessel, railroad depot, or warehouse over the highways to a warehouse or salesroom upon first having obtained a written permit from the department authorizing that operation.
(a) Every occupational license and special plate issued under this article shall be valid for a period of one year from midnight of the last day of the month of issuance. Except as provided in subdivision (c), renewal of the occupational license and special plates for the ensuing year may be obtained by the person to whom the occupational license and special plates were issued upon application to the department and payment of the fee provided in this code.
(b) Every application for the renewal of an occupational license and special plates which expire pursuant to this section shall be made by the person to whom issued not more than 90 days prior to the expiration date, and shall be made by presenting the completed application form provided by the department and by payment of the full annual renewal fee for the occupational license and special plates.
Pending the satisfaction of the department that the applicant has met the requirements under this article, it may issue a temporary permit to any person applying for a manufacturer's, manufacturer's branch, remanufacturer's, remanufacturer's branch, distributor's, distributor's branch, transporter's, or dealer's license and special plates. The temporary permit shall permit the operation by the manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, transporter, or dealer for a period not to exceed 120 days while the department is completing its investigation and determination of all facts relative to the qualifications of the applicant to the license and special plates. The department may cancel the temporary permit when it has determined, or has reasonable cause to believe, that the application is incorrect or incomplete or the temporary permit was issued in error. The temporary permit is invalid when canceled or when the applicant's license has been issued or refused.
The department may issue a certificate of convenience to the executor, executrix, administrator or administratrix of the estate of a deceased holder of validly outstanding special plates and license issued under this article, or if no executor, executrix, administrator or administratrix has been appointed, and until a certified copy of an order making such appointment is filed with the department, to the surviving spouse or other heir otherwise entitled to conduct the business of the deceased, permitting such person to exercise the privileges granted by such special plates and license for a period of one year from and after the date of death and necessary one-year renewals thereafter, pending, but not later than, disposal of the business and qualification of the vendee of the business or such surviving spouse, heir or other persons for such special plates and license under the provisions of this article. The department may restrict or condition the license and attach to the exercise of the privileges thereunder such terms and conditions as in its judgment the protection of the public requires.
The special plates and licenses provided for in this article shall be automatically canceled upon the happening of any of the following:
(a) The abandonment of the established place of business of the dealer or the change thereof without notice to the department as provided in Section 11712.
(b) The failure of the licensee to maintain an adequate bond or to procure and file another bond as provided in Section 11710 prior to the effective date of the termination by the surety of any existing bond.
(c) The voluntary or involuntary surrender for any cause by the licensee of the special plates and license, except that the surrender of the special plates and license, the cessation of business by the licensee, or the suspension or revocation of the corporate status of the licensee, does not preclude the filing of an accusation for revocation or suspension of the surrendered license as provided in Section 11705, does not affect the department's decision to suspend or revoke the license. The department's determination to suspend or revoke the license may be considered in issuing or refusing to issue any subsequent license authorized by this division to that licensee or to a business representative of that prior licensee.
(d) Notification to the department that the person designated as licensee has changed, except that the special plates issued to the original licensee may be transferred and the newly designated licensee as transferee shall succeed to the privileges evidenced by the plates until their expiration.
(e) The suspension or revocation of the corporate status of the licensee.
(f) The suspension or revocation of the seller's permit of the licensee by the State Board of Equalization.
Claims, against the surety upon a dealer's bond, of a financing agency that has loaned money to a licensee or assignee thereof shall be allowed only to the extent that the claims of any other person or entity with respect to the bond under Section 11711 shall be satisfied first and entitled to preference over the claims of the financing agency with respect to the bond ; provided, however, that as to any conditional sales contract as defined in Section 2981 of the Civil Code, acquired by way of purchase or pledge, a financing agency shall be entitled to protection under the bond with the same preference set forth under Section 11711 if the financing agency is defrauded by a licensee.
The board may require that fees shall be paid to the department for the issuance or renewal of a license to do business as a new motor vehicle dealer, dealer branch, manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, or representative. The fees shall be to reimburse the department for costs incurred in licensing those dealers, manufacturers, distributors, branches, and representatives and for related administrative costs incurred on behalf of the board. The board may also require that an additional fee be paid to the department when the licensee has failed to pay the fee authorized by Section 3016 prior to the expiration of its occupational license and special plates and the licensee utilizes the 30-day late renewal period authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 11717. This section shall not apply to dealers, manufacturers, distributors, or representatives of vehicles not subject to registration under this code, except dealers, manufacturers, manufacturer branches, distributors, distributor branches, or representatives of, off-highway motorcycles, as defined in Section 436, all-terrain vehicles, as defined in Section 111, and trailers subject to identification pursuant to Section 5014.1.
A dealer, or the agent of a dealer, who has received a notice pursuant to Section 7507.6 of the Business and Professions Code, shall not make a subsequent assignment to skip trace, locate, or repossess a vehicle without simultaneously, and in the same manner by which the assignment is given, advising the assignee of the assignment of the information contained in the notice. As used in this section, "assignment" has the same meaning set forth in Section 7500.1 of the Business and Professions Code.
(a) No person shall transport or drive any motor vehicle from this state outside of the United States with the intent to register or sell such vehicle in a foreign jurisdiction, without first removing the license plates and delivering them to the department. Such person may obtain a permit from the department authorizing the operation of the unlicensed motor vehicle on the public highways of this state in order to reach such foreign jurisdiction. Failure to deliver the license plates as required by this subdivision shall be a misdemeanor.
(b) No holder of any license, or any temporary permit for such license issued under this division, shall deliver any vehicle following sale without first removing all license plates from such vehicle when it is known by the licensee that the vehicle is to be exported to a foreign jurisdiction outside of the United States.
Any licensee suffering pecuniary loss because of any willful failure by any other licensee to comply with any provision of Article 1 (commencing with Section 11700) or 3 (commencing with Section 11900) of Chapter 4 of Division 5 or Article 3 (commencing with Section 3052) of Chapter 6 of Division 2 or with any regulation adopted by the department or any rule adopted or decision rendered by the board under authority vested in them may recover damages and reasonable attorney fees therefor in any court of competent jurisdiction. Any such licensee may also have appropriate injunctive relief in any such court.
The revocation or suspension of a license of a manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, distributor branch, or representative may be limited to one or more municipalities or counties or any other defined area, or may be revoked or suspended in a defined area only as to certain aspects of its business, or as to a specified dealer or dealers.
As part of a compromise settlement agreement entered into pursuant to Section 11707 or 11808.5, the department may assess a monetary penalty of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per violation and impose a license suspension of not more than 30 days for any dealer who violates subdivision (r) of Section 11713. The extent of the penalties shall be based on the nature of the violation and effect of the violation on the purposes of this article. Except for the penalty limits provided for in Sections 11707 and 11808.5, all the provisions governing compromise settlement agreements for dealers, salespersons, and wholesalers apply to this section, and Section 11415.60 of the Government Code does not apply.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), any dealer engaging in a consignment with an owner not licensed as a dealer, manufacturer, manufacturer branch, distributor, or a distributor branch licensed under this code, and the consignment is not otherwise prohibited by this code, shall execute a consignment agreement as prescribed by Section 11730. The failure of a dealer, when required under this section, to complete and comply with the terms of the prescribed consignment agreement for any vehicle which the dealer agrees to accept on consignment, or to pay the agreed amount to the consignor or his or her designee within 20 days after the date of sale of the vehicle, is cause for suspending or revoking the license of the dealer under paragraph (10) of subdivision (a) of Section 11705.
(b) (1) A dealer conducting retail auction sales on behalf of a fleet owner shall execute a consignment agreement applicable to all vehicles consigned for sale during the term of the agreement which contains, at a minimum, substantially all of the terms, phrases, conditions, and disclosures required by Section 11730, except the following are not required:
(A) The description of a specific vehicle by year, make, identification number, license, state, or mileage.
(B) The information contained in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 11730.
(2) If mutually agreeable, in lieu of the requirements of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 11730, the consignor may provide the documents necessary to transfer the ownership of the vehicle to the consignee prior to the auction being held.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, "fleet owner" is either of the following:
(A) A person who is the registered or legal owner of 25 or more vehicles registered in this state and is the owner, as recorded in the department's records, of the vehicles consigned for sale to the dealer.
(B) A bankruptcy trustee who owns or has legal control of the vehicles consigned for sale to the dealer, government agency, or financial institution.
The consignment agreement required by Section 11729 shall contain all the following terms, phrases, conditions, and disclosures:
(a) The date the agreement is executed.
(b) All of the following statements:
(1) "I (We), the undersigned consigner(s), hereby consign and deliver possession of my(our) vehicle, which is a (Year) ____ (Make) ____ (ID#) ____ (License) ____ (State) ____ (Mileage) ____, to (Consignee) _____ (Dealer #) ____ for the sole purpose of selling the vehicle and paying, to the consignor or his or her designee from the proceeds of the sale of the vehicle, the amount agreed upon under terms of this agreement. This agreement is effective and valid only for a period of ____ days from this date."
(2) "At the termination of this agreement, the consignee shall return the vehicle to the consignor, or, at the option of both the consignor and consignee, enter into a new agreement."
(3) "If the vehicle is sold by the consignee during the term of this agreement, the money due the consignor shall be disbursed within 20 days after the date of sale in accordance with the terms of this agreement. As used in this agreement, a "sale" occurs when the consignee either (A) receives the purchase price or its equivalent or executes a conditional sales contract for the vehicle, or (B) when the purchaser takes delivery of the vehicle, whichever occurs first."
(4) "The following information shall be completed prior to the signing of this agreement: Current market value: $____ Source: ____. Outstanding liens: $____ Lienholder: ____.
(Any difference between the outstanding amount shown and the actual payoff to the lienholder will be credited to the consignor.) Repairs to be made: $____ Work Order #____. Moneys to the consignor: ____ percent of sale price, flat fee of $____ or the following specific formula: ____."
(5) "Within 20 days after sale, the consignee shall make an accounting to the consignor of all of the following: date of sale, repairs authorized by consignor (supported by work records), exact amount of any liens payable to lienholders, evidence of payment of any liens, and the total sales price."
(6) "The consigned vehicle is delivered to the consignee in trust for the exact terms set forth in this agreement. The consignee agrees to receive this vehicle in trust and not to permit its use for any other purpose other than contained in this agreement without the express written consent of the consignor."
(7) "Upon payment of the moneys due the consignor, the consignor agrees to furnish the consignee those documents necessary to transfer the ownership of the vehicle to the purchaser.
Consignor Date Address Consignor Date Address "
(8) "NOTICE TO CONSIGNOR: Failure of the consignee to comply with the terms of this agreement may be a violation of statute which could result in criminal or administrative sanctions, or both. If you feel the consignee has not complied with the terms of this agreement, please contact an investigator of the Department of Motor Vehicles."
(a) No dealer shall engage in brokering a retail sales transaction without first paying the fee required by subdivision (d) of Section 9262 and obtaining from the department an autobroker's endorsement to the dealer's license. An autobroker's endorsement shall be automatically cancelled upon the cancellation, suspension, revocation, surrender, or expiration of a dealer's license.
(b) Upon the issuance of an autobroker's endorsement to a dealer's license, the department shall furnish the dealer with an autobroker' s log. The autobroker's log shall remain the property of the department and may be taken up at any time for inspection.
(c) The autobroker's log shall contain spaces sufficient for the dealer to record the following information with respect to each retail sale brokered by that dealer:
(1) Vehicle identification number of brokered vehicle.
(2) Date of brokering agreement.
(3) Selling dealer's name, address, and dealer number.
(4) Name of consumer.
(5) Brokering dealer's name and dealer number.
(d) Nothing in this code prohibits a dealer who has been issued an autobroker's endorsement to his or her dealer's license from delivering, with the selling dealer's written approval, motor vehicles that have been sold pursuant to a duly executed motor vehicle purchase agreement or obtaining a consumer's signature on a selling dealer's motor vehicle purchase agreement that has already been executed by the selling dealer.
(e) When brokering a retail sale as an agent of the consumer, selling dealer, or both, the brokering dealer owes a fiduciary duty of utmost care, integrity, honesty, and loyalty in dealings with its principal or principals.
(f) For purposes of this section and Sections 11736, 11737, and 11738, "consumer" means any person who retains a dealer to perform brokering services in connection with a retail sale.
It is unlawful for any dealer licensed under this article to do any of the following when brokering a retail sale:
(a) Fail to execute a written brokering agreement, as described in Section 11738, and provide a completed copy to both of the following:
(1) Any consumer entering into the brokering agreement. The completed copy shall be provided prior to the consumer's signing of an agreement for the purchase of the vehicle described in the brokering agreement or, prior to accepting one hundred dollars ($100) or more from that consumer, whichever occurs first.
(2) The selling dealer. The completed copy shall be provided prior to the selling dealer's entering into a purchase agreement with the consumer.
(b) Accept a purchase deposit from any consumer that exceeds 2.5 percent of the selling price of the vehicle described in the brokering agreement.
(c) Fail to refund any purchase money, including purchase deposits, upon demand by a consumer at any time prior to the consumer' s signing of a vehicle purchase agreement with a selling dealer and taking delivery of the vehicle described in the brokering agreement.
(d) Fail to cancel a brokering agreement and refund, upon demand, any money paid by a consumer, including any brokerage fee, under any of the following circumstances:
(1) When the final price of the brokered vehicle exceeds the purchase price listed in the brokering agreement.
(2) When the vehicle delivered is not as described in the brokering agreement.
(3) When the brokering agreement expires prior to the customer being presented with a purchase agreement from a selling dealer arranged through the brokering dealer that contains a purchase price at or below the price listed in the brokering agreement.
(e) Act as a seller and provide brokering services, both in the same transaction.
(f) Fail to disclose to the consumer and selling dealer, as soon as practicable, whether the autobroker receives or does not receive a fee or other compensation, regardless of the form or time of payment, from the selling dealer and the dollar amount of any fee that the consumer is obligated to pay to the autobroker. This arrangement shall be confirmed in a brokering agreement.
(g) Fail to record in the dealer's autobroker log, for each brokered sale, all of the information specified in subdivision (c) of Section 11735.
(h) Fail to maintain for a minimum of three years a copy of the executed brokering agreement and other notices and documents related to each brokered transaction.
(i) Fail to advise the consumer, prior to accepting any money, that a full refund will be given if the motor vehicle ordered through the autobroker is not obtained for the consumer or if the service orally contracted for is not provided.
(a) A dealer who brokers a motor vehicle sale shall deposit directly into a trust account any purchase money, including purchase deposits, it receives from a consumer or a consumer's lender. This subdivision does not require a separate trust account for each brokered transaction.
(b) The brokering dealer shall not in any manner encumber the corpus of the trust account except as follows:
(1) In partial or full payment to a selling dealer for a vehicle purchased by the brokering dealer's consumer.
(c) Subdivision (b) shall not prevent payment of the interest earned on the trust account to the brokering dealer.
(d) The brokering dealer shall serve as trustee of the trust account required by this section. If the brokering dealer is a partnership or a corporation, the managing partner of the partnership or the chief executive officer of the corporation shall be the trustee. The trustee may designate in writing that an officer or employee may manage the trust account if that officer or employee is under the trustee's supervision and control, and the original of that writing is on file with the department.
(e) All trust accounts required by this section shall be maintained at a branch of a bank, savings and loan association, or credit union regulated by the state or the government of the United States.
(f) The brokering dealer has a fiduciary responsibility with respect to all purchase money received from a consumer or consumer's lender relative to a brokered sale transaction.
(g) The following are deemed to be held in trust for consumers who have paid purchase money to a brokering dealer:
(1) All sums received by the brokering dealer whether or not required to be deposited in an actual trust account and regardless of whether any of these sums were required to be deposited or actually were deposited in a trust account.
(h) Upon any judicially ordered distribution of any money or property required to be held in trust and after all expenses of distribution approved by the court have been paid, every consumer of a brokering dealer has a claim on the trust for purchase money payments made to the brokering dealer. Unless a consumer can identify his or her funds in the trust within the time established by the court, each consumer shall receive a proportional share based on the amount paid.
(a) The name, address, license number, and telephone number of the autobroker.
(b) A complete description, including line-make, model, year model, and color, of the vehicle and the desired options.
(c) The following statement: "The following information shall be completed prior to the signing of this brokering agreement: Dollar Purchase Price of Vehicle: ______. Date this agreement will expire if a purchase agreement from a selling dealer is not presented for your signature: __________. Fee that you will be obligated to pay us, if any: __________."
(d) One of the following notices, as appropriate, printed in at least 10-point bold type and placed immediately below the statement required by subdivision (c):
(1) "We do not receive a fee from the selling dealer."
(2) "We receive a fee from the selling dealer."
(e) The following notice on the face of the brokering agreement with a heading in at least 14-point bold type and the text in at least 10-point bold type, circumscribed by a line, that reads as follows:
------------------------------------------------ | | | | | NOTICE | | | | | | | |This is an agreement to provide services; it is | |not an agreement for the purchase of a vehicle. | |California law gives you the following rights | |and protection. | |Once you have signed this agreement, you have | |the right to cancel it and receive a full | |refund of any money paid, including any | |brokerage fee you may have paid, under any | |of the following circumstances: | |(1) The final price of the vehicle exceeds the | |purchase price listed above. | |(2) The vehicle is not as described above upon | |delivery. | |(3) This agreement expires prior to your being | |presented with a selling dealer's purchase | |agreement. | |If you have paid a purchase deposit, you have | |the right to receive a refund of that deposit | |at any time prior to your signing a vehicle | |purchase agreement with a selling dealer. | |Purchase deposits are limited by law to no more | |than 2.5 percent of the purchase price of a | |vehicle and must be deposited by an autobroker | |or auto buying service in a federally insured | |trust account. If you are unable to resolve a | |dispute with your autobroker or auto buying | |service, please contact an investigator of the | |Department of Motor Vehicles. | | | | | ------------------------------------------------
(f) The date the agreement is executed.
(g) The signature of the autobroker and consumer.
For purposes of title registration, warranties, rebates, and incentives, in a brokered retail new motor vehicle sale, the selling, franchised new car dealer, and not the autobroker, is responsible to apply for title in the name of the purchaser, to secure vehicle registration and the license plates for the purchaser, to secure the manufacturer's warranty in the name of the purchaser, and to make all applications for any manufacturer's rebates and incentives due the purchaser. If there is a manufacturer's recall, the consumer shall be notified directly by the manufacturer.
The remedies and penalties provided in this code for a violation of this article are cumulative to the remedies and penalties provided by other laws.