As used in this act:(1) “Affiliate” means any person whose stock is more than 50 percent owned by, or who, regardless of stock ownership, is controlled by, or who, regardless of stock ownership, is under common control with, any refiner.
(2) “Competition” means the vying for motor fuel sales between any two sellers in the same relevant geographic market.
(3) “Dealer” means any person, other than a refiner or wholesaler, who is engaged in the business of selling motor fuel at a retail outlet.
(4) “Direct labor cost” means the personnel costs incurred at a retail outlet attributable to providing motor fuel sales at a retail outlet and includes, without limitation, the personnel costs relating to the purchase, storage, inventory, and sale of motor fuel, the maintenance of equipment, and environmental reporting and compliance, but does not include the costs of environmental cleanup or remediation. In no case shall the direct labor cost be less than the cost of one employee’s salary and benefits, based upon that employee’s working those hours in which the retail outlet is providing motor fuel available to the public.
(5) “Motor fuel” means any petroleum product, including any special fuel, which is used for the propulsion of motor vehicles.
(6) “Nonrefiner” means any person, other than a refiner, engaged in the sale of motor fuel.
(7) “Nonrefiner cost” means: the nonrefiner’s invoice cost of the motor fuel, by grade, less credit card allowances, trade discounts, and rebates actually received, to which shall be added federal, state, and local taxes and inspection fees applicable to motor fuel; freight charges to the retail outlet; and direct labor costs and the reasonable rental value of the retail outlet attributable to the sale of motor fuel by the nonrefiner. If motor fuel is sold with another item at a combined price, nonrefiner motor fuel cost shall also include the cost of the other item and the direct labor costs and the reasonable rental value of the retail outlet attributable to the retail sale of the item by the nonrefiner.
(8) “Posted terminal price” means a refiner’s posted price at a terminal, by grade of motor fuel, to the wholesale class of trade within a general trade area. If a refiner does not have a posted terminal price in a general trade area, such refiner’s posted terminal price shall be deemed to be no lower than the lowest posted terminal price of motor fuel of like grade and quality of any other refiner selling to the wholesale class of trade in the general trade area.
(9) “Reasonable rental value” means the bona fide amount of rent which would reasonably be paid in an arm’s length transaction for the use of the specific individual retail outlet, including land and improvements, utilized for the sale of motor fuel. The value of the land and improvements shall include the costs of equipment; signage; utilities, property taxes, and insurance, if paid by the owner; and environmental compliance, such as testing, detection, and containment systems; but does not include the costs of environmental cleanup and remediation. In determining the reasonable rental value of the specific retail outlet, the rental amount of comparable retail outlets in the relevant geographic market shall be considered. When motor fuel is sold at the retail level along with other products, the reasonable rental value attributable to the sale of motor fuel at the retail outlet shall be allocated by the percentage of gross sales attributable to motor fuel sales.
(10) “Refiner” means any person who stores or exchanges motor fuel at a terminal facility in this state and who sells or transfers motor fuel through the loading rack at such terminal facility, and includes an affiliate of such refiner with respect to such affiliate’s sale of motor fuel.
(11) “Refiner cost” means a refiner’s posted terminal price plus state, federal, and local taxes and inspection fees applicable to motor fuel, and freight charges to its retail outlet, and direct labor costs and reasonable rental value of the retail outlet attributable to the retail sale of motor fuel by the refiner. If motor fuel is sold with another item, at a combined price, refiner cost shall also include the cost of the other item and direct labor costs and reasonable rental value of the retail outlet attributable to the retail sale of the item by the refiner.
(12) “Relevant geographic market” means the geographic area of effective competition.
(13) “Rent” means the payment of an amount by an individual or agency in return for the right to occupy or use the property of another.
(14) “Retail outlet” means a facility, including land and improvements, where motor fuel is offered for sale, at retail, to the motoring public.
(15) “Sale” or “sell” means any transfer, gift, sale, offer for sale, or advertisement for sale in any manner or by any means whatsoever, including any transfer of motor fuel from a person to itself or an affiliate at another level of distribution, but does not include product exchanges at the wholesale level of distribution.
(16) “Terminal facility” means any inland, waterfront, or offshore appurtenance on land used for the purpose of storing, handling, or transferring motor fuel, but does not include bulk storage facilities owned or operated by a wholesaler.
(17) “Wholesaler” means any person, other than a refiner or dealer, who purchases motor fuel at a terminal facility and supplies motor fuel to retail outlets.
