§ 3-5-1110 — Transfer of wholesaler's business - Interference prohibited

(a) (1) (A) Upon written notice of intent to transfer the wholesaler's business, any individual owning or deceased individual who owned an interest in a wholesaler may transfer the wholesaler's business to a designated member or to any other person who meets the nondiscriminatory, material, and reasonable qualifications and standards required by the supplier for similarly situated wholesalers. (B) The consent or approval of the supplier shall not be required of any transfer of the wholesaler's business, including the assignment of the wholesaler's rights under the agreement, to a designated member shall not be withheld or unreasonably delayed to a proposed transferee who meets such nondiscriminatory, material, and reasonable qualifications and standards. (2) Provided, such designated member or transferee shall in no event be qualified as a transferee without the written approval or consent of the supplier where such proposed transferee shall have been involved in any of the following: (A) Insolvency, filing of any voluntary or involuntary petition under any bankruptcy or receivership law, or execution of an assignment for the benefit of creditors; (B) Revocation or suspension of an alcoholic beverage license by the regulatory agency of the United States Government or any state, whereby service was interrupted for more than thirty-one (31) days; (C) Conviction of the proposed transferee or any owner thereof of a felony under the United States Code or the laws of any state which reasonably may adversely affect the good will or interest of the wholesaler or supplier; or (D) Had an agreement involuntarily terminated, cancelled, not renewed, or discontinued by a supplier for good cause. (b) The supplier shall not interfere with, prevent, or unreasonably delay the transfer of the wholesaler's business, including an assignment of wholesaler's rights under the agreement, if the proposed transferee is a designated member or if the transferee other than a designated member meets such nondiscriminatory, material and reasonable qualifications and standards required by the supplier for similarly situated wholesalers. Where the transferee is other than a designated member, the supplier may in good faith and for good cause related to the reasonable qualifications refuse to accept the transfer of the wholesaler's business or the assignment of the wholesaler's rights under the agreement.

Legislative History

Acts 1991, No. 8, § 6; 1991, No. 866, § 6.