Can Country Visions charge a fee for relocation services related to an Apricot Lane franchise?
Apricot_Lane Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may relocate your Franchised Business at your sole expense within your Territory, but only with our prior written consent. COUNTRY VISIONS shall have the right to charge you for any costs incurred by us, and a reasonable fee for our services, in any relocation of the Franchised Business. If your lease expires or terminates and you are not at fault, or the site is destroyed, condemned or in any manner made unusable, if you are unwilling or unable to relocate the Franchised Business, COUNTRY VISIONS is not required to refund any fees or costs paid to COUNTRY VISIONS.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 30–32)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Apricot Lane's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Country Visions has the right to charge franchisees for relocation services. Specifically, Country Visions can charge an Apricot Lane franchisee for any costs they incur, along with a reasonable fee for their services, should the franchisee decide to relocate their franchised business. The franchisee is responsible for the expense of relocation within their territory, and relocation requires prior written consent from Country Visions.
This means that if an Apricot Lane franchisee wants to move their store to a new location, they will not only have to cover the direct costs of the move, but they may also be required to pay Country Visions for their time and expenses related to approving and overseeing the relocation. This fee is in addition to the franchisee's own relocation expenses.
It is important to note that if the Apricot Lane franchisee's lease expires or terminates through no fault of their own, or if the site becomes unusable, Country Visions is not obligated to refund any fees or costs previously paid to them if the franchisee is unwilling or unable to relocate the business. This highlights the importance of carefully considering lease terms and site viability when initially selecting a location, as well as the potential financial implications of relocation.