Dass v. Tosco Corp.

136 F. App'x 21
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit·Decided April 25, 2005·No. No. 03-55732; DC No. CV 02-05341 JFW·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Gauri Dass and J.S.N.D., Inc. (together “Dass”), appeal the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Tosco Corporation (“Tosco”). Dass argues that Tosco’s termination and non-renewal of their franchise relationship failed to comply with the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act (“PMPA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 2801-2806, and that the district court therefore erred in denying Dass’ request for a permanent injunction. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we affirm.

First, Dass argues that the district court erred in concluding, after a bench trial, that Tosco’s termination and non-renewal of its franchise relationship with him was based on a ground enumerated by the PMPA, namely, the expiration of Tosco’s underlying ground lease with Thrifty Oil Co. (“Thrifty”). Whether the termination and non-renewal of a franchise and the notice thereof comply with the PMPA is a question of statutory interpretation reviewed de novo. See Svela v. Union Oil Co., 807 F.2d 1494, 1498 (9th Cir.1987). Under the PMPA, the termination or non-renewal of a franchise relationship must be based on a ground specified in the statute. 15 U.S.C. § 2802(a). One permitted ground is “[t]he occurrence of an event which is relevant to the franchise relationship and as a result of which termination of the franchise or nonrenewal of the franchise relationship is reasonable,” upon proper notice 15 U.S.C. § 2802(b)(2)(C); Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. El-Khoury, 285 F.3d 1159, 1162 (9th Cir. 2002).

In defining such events, the act provides some examples, including the “loss of the franchisor’s right to grant possession of the leased marketing premises through expiration of an underlying lease.” 15 U.S.C. § 2802(c)(4). In Hifai v. Shell Oil Co., 704 F.2d 1425 (9th Cir.1983), the franchisor entered into an agreement extending the ground lease on a month-to-month basis, past the expiration of the master lease, for the purpose of allowing the franchisor to evict the franchisee. Id. at 1427. We reasoned that, although the franchisor retained control of the premises, the franchisor technically had lost the right to grant possession of the premises after expiration of the master lease, and concluded that non-renewal of the franchise complied with the PMPA. Id. at 1429,1431.

Here, like the franchisor in Hifai, Tosco became a holdover tenant under the terms of its underlying ground lease with Thrifty because the time required to perform the requisite environmental cleanup extended beyond the termination date of the lease. Regardless of whether Tosco lost control of the premises, like the franchisor in Hifai, Tosco technically lost the right to grant possession of the premises after expiration of the ground lease.1 We there[23] fore conclude that Tosco’s non-renewal of the franchise relationship with Dass complied with the requirements of 15 U.S.C. § 2802(b)(2)(C).

Second, Dass contends that the district court erred in concluding that Tosco gave proper notice of non-renewal, as required by the PMPA. Dass argues that (1) Tosco did not disclose the duration of the underyling lease or the fact that it might expire during the term of the franchise, and (2) Tosco’s notice of non-renewal was not given 90 days before termination, as required by the PMPA. Under the PMPA, where the termination or non-renewal of a franchise is based on the franchisor’s loss of the right to grant possession of the leased marketing premises, the franchisor must notify the franchisee in writing, “pri- or to the commencement of the term of the then-existing franchise — (i) of the duration of the underlying lease; and (ii) of the fact that such underlying lease might expire and not be renewed during the term of such franchise ... or at the end of such term.” 15 U.S.C. § 2802(c)(4)(A). Here, the district court found, and Dass does not dispute, that the 1997 Franchise Agreement explicitly disclosed the existence and duration of the underlying ground lease. Although the subsequent letter agreements extending the term of the 1997 Franchise Agreement do not disclose the existence and exact duration of the underlying lease, the relevant franchise was formed pursuant to the original 1997 Franchise Agreement. Each extension of the 1997 Franchise Agreement incorporated the terms of the initial agreement, and the initial disclosure thus remained in force. Because the statute requires specific disclosure only “prior to the commencement of the term of the then existing franchise,” we conclude that Tosco properly disclosed the existence and duration of the underlying lease. See 15 U.S.C. § 2802(c)(4)(A).

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Dass v. Tosco Corp., 136 F. App'x 21 (9th Cir. 2005).

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