Are residents of Maryland allowed to sign the Acknowledgment Addendum for All County?

According to All County's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, residents of Maryland are explicitly instructed not to sign the Acknowledgment Addendum. This restriction also applies if the All County franchise business is to be operated in Maryland, regardless of the franchisee's residency. This instruction is found within Item 22, which covers contract-related information.

The Acknowledgment Addendum serves to confirm that prospective franchisees have not received any unauthorized or misleading statements from All County during the franchise sales process. It also ensures that franchisees understand the limitations on claims they can make regarding the franchise offer and their business operations. However, the FDD includes a specific addendum for Maryland, which modifies certain terms of the standard Franchise Agreement to comply with Maryland law. These modifications address issues such as the franchisee's right to bring lawsuits in Maryland, the enforceability of termination clauses related to bankruptcy, and the application of general releases.

Given the prohibition on signing the standard Acknowledgment Addendum, prospective All County franchisees in Maryland should carefully review the Maryland-specific addendum to understand their rights and obligations under the franchise agreement. This addendum ensures that franchisees do not waive any claims under Maryland franchise law and that they can rely on statements made by All County during the franchise sales process. This is a crucial protection for franchisees, as it prevents them from being bound by potentially unfair or misleading terms in the standard agreement.