In Michigan, what are the requirements for a proposed transferee to meet Bee Organized's qualifications for franchise ownership?
Bee_Organized Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
hall convey to the transferee no rights or interests in this Agreement; and
- (5) In the event of a Transfer of this Agreement that is approved by Franchisor, Franchisee shall not be relieved of Franchisee's obligations under this Agreement whether said obligations accrued and/or arose prior to and/or after the date of Transfer.
14.C. CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF TRANSFER
Provided Franchisee and each Owner and Spouse, respectively, are in substantial compliance with this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, and Franchisor does not elect to exercise Franchisor's right of first refusal as set forth in Article 14.F. below, Franchisor shall not unreasonably withhold its approval of a Transfer by Franchisee or an Owner. The proposed transferee (including such assignee's owner(s) and spouse(s) if the proposed transferee is a Corporate Entity) must be of good moral character, have sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to own and operate a Bee Organized Business, and otherwise meet Franchisor's then applicable standards for franchisees as determined by Franchisor in its sole, but reasonable discretion. Furthermore, the proposed transferee and the proposed transferee's owners and spouses may not own or operate, or intend to own or operate, a Competitive Business. Franchisee agrees that Franchisor may condition approval of a Transfer upon Franchisee's satisfaction (either before, or contemporaneously with, the effective date of the Transfer) of the following:
(1) Franchisee must provide written notice to Franchisor of the proposed Transfer of this Agreement at least 30 days prior to the Transfer, and Franchisee must have also satisfied the obligations set forth in Article 14.F. below;
(2) All accrued monetary obligations of Franchisee and all other outstanding obligations to Franchisor and/or Franchisor's affiliates under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements must be satisfied in a timely manner, and Franchisee must satisfy all trade, supplier, and vendor accounts and other debts, of whatever nature or kind, in a timely manner;
(3) Franchisee, each Owner, and each Spouse must not be in default or material breach of this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements;
(4) The transferee shall be bound by all terms and conditions of this Agreement, and each owner of the transferee and their respective spouses shall personally execute the Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 1;
(5) All obligations of Franchisee under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements shall be assumed by the transferee, each individual owner of transferee, and their respective spouses in a manner satisfactory to Franchisor;
(6) Franchisee, each Owner, and each Spouse must execute the General Release attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 5 releasing Franchisor, Franchisor's affiliates and Franchisor's past and present officers, directors, shareholders, members, partners, agents, representatives, independent contractors, servants and employees, of any and all claims against Franchisor for matters arising on, or before, the effective date of the Transfer;
(7) If the proposed Transfer includes or entails the Transfer of this Agreement, substantially all of the assets of the Franchised Business, a controlling interest in Franchisee, or is one of a series of Transfers which in the aggregate Transfers substantially all of the assets of the Franchised Business or a controlling interest in Franchisee, then, at the election of Franchisor and upon notice from Franchisor to Franchisee, the transferee may be required to execute (and/or, upon Franchisee's request, shall cause all interested parties to execute) for a term ending on the expiration date of the original Term of this Agreement, the then current standard form Franchise Agreement offered to new franchisees of Bee Organized Businesses and any other agreements as Franchisor requires. Such agreements shall supersede this Agreement and its associated agreement in all respects, and the terms of Franchisor's then current agreements may differ from the terms in this Agreement, provided that such agreements shall provide for the same Royalty Fee, Advertising Contributions, and all other financial or monetary obligations established in this Agreement;
(8) The transferee, at its expense, must improve, modify, refurbish, renovate, remodel, and/or otherwise upgrade Franchisee's non-residential Administrative Office to conform to the then current standards and specifications of Franchisor, and the transferee must complete such improvements, modifications, refurbishments, renovations, remodeling, and/or upgrading within the time period Franchisor reasonably specifies;
(9) Franchisee, each Owner, and each Spouse shall remain liable for all obligations to Franchisor set forth in this Agreement;
(10) At the transferee's expense, the transferee, and the transferee's Managing Owner, managers and/or any other applicable employees of transferee's Bee Organized Business must complete any training programs then in effect for franchisees of Bee Organized Businesses upon terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement or as Franchisor otherwise reasonably requires;
(11) Franchisee must pay a fixed sum of $15,000 to Franchisor (the "Transfer Fee");
(12) Franchisor's approval of the material terms and conditions of the Transfer, and Franchisor determines in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment that the price and terms of payment are not so burdensome as to be detrimental to the future operations of the Franchised Business by the transferee;
(13) Transferee's employees, directors, officers, independent contractors, and agents who will have access to Confidential Information shall execute the Confidentiality Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 2;
(14) Franchisee entering into an agreement with Franchisor agreeing to subordinate any obligations of transferee to make installment payments of the purchase price to Franchisee to the transferee's obligations to Franchisor, including, without limitation, transferee's obligations with respect to Royalty Fees and Advertising Contributions;
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 54–218)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bee Organized's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a proposed transferee in Michigan must meet several qualifications to be approved for franchise ownership. The transferee must be of good moral character and possess sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to successfully own and operate a Bee Organized business. Bee Organized retains the discretion to determine if these standards are met, but this discretion must be reasonable. Additionally, the transferee, along with their owners and spouses, cannot own or operate a Competitive Business.
To gain approval for a transfer, the franchisee must provide written notice to Bee Organized at least 30 days prior to the transfer. The franchisee must also fulfill several obligations, including satisfying all accrued monetary and outstanding obligations to Bee Organized and its affiliates. They must also ensure all trade, supplier, and vendor accounts and other debts are settled in a timely manner. Furthermore, the franchisee, each owner, and each spouse must not be in default or material breach of the Franchise Agreement or Ancillary Agreements.
The transferee is required to adhere to all the terms and conditions of the existing Franchise Agreement. Each owner of the transferee, along with their spouses, must personally execute the Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty. All obligations of the franchisee under the agreements must be assumed by the transferee, each individual owner of the transferee, and their respective spouses in a manner satisfactory to Bee Organized. The franchisee, each owner, and each spouse must also execute a General Release, releasing Bee Organized from any claims arising on or before the transfer date. The transferee may also be required to execute Bee Organized’s then-current standard form Franchise Agreement for new franchisees, which would supersede the original agreement, ensuring the same Royalty Fee, Advertising Contributions, and other financial obligations are maintained.
Additional requirements include the transferee upgrading the administrative office to meet current standards, completing any required training programs, and paying a $15,000 transfer fee. Bee Organized must also approve the material terms and conditions of the transfer, ensuring the price and payment terms are not detrimental to the franchised business's future operations. Finally, any employees, directors, officers, independent contractors, and agents of the transferee who will access confidential information must execute a Confidentiality Agreement.