What is the cure period for a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee's health or safety hazard default?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
| PROVISION | SECTIONS IN AGREEMEN T | SUMMARY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a. Length of franchise term | FA: 1 (definition of Term) & 4.1 ADA: 1 (definition of Term) | Term is equal to 10 years. Term expires on the opening date listed in the development schedule for the last Bigfoot Forestry Business you are required to develop. | |
| b. Renewal or extension of the term | THE FRANCHISE RELATIONSHIP | FA: 4.1 & 4.2 ADA: Not Applicable | If you meet our conditions for renewal, you can enter into 2 consecutive successor franchise agreements. Each renewal term is 5 years. The parties may mutually agree to further renewals but neither party is obligated to do so (subject to state law). You may not renew or extend the term of the ADA. |
| PROVISION | SECTIONS IN AGREEMENT | SUMMARY | |
| c. Requirements for you to renew or | FA: 4.1 & 4.2 | You must: not be in default; give us timely notice; sign then-current form of franchise agreement; sign general release (subject to state law); pay renewal fee; and upgrade Technology Systems, operating equipment and tools to conform to our then-current standards. | |
| extend | ADA: Not Applicable | If you renew, you may be required to sign a contract with materially different terms and conditions than the original contract. You may not renew or extend the term of the ADA. | |
| d. Termination by | FA: 20.1 | You can terminate if we default and fail to timely cure. | |
| you | ADA: Not Applicable | You can terminate under any grounds permitted by law. | |
| e. Termination by | FA: 20.3 | We can terminate without cause if you provide your written consent. | |
| us without cause | ADA: 8.2 | ||
| f. Termination by | FA: 20.2 | We can terminate if you default. | |
| us with cause | ADA: 8.1 | ||
| g. "Cause" defined - curable defaults | FA: 20.2 ADA: 8.1 | You have the following cure periods: (a) 24 hours for health or safety hazards; (b) 10 days for financial defaults; (c) 20 days for loss of a required license or permit; and (d) 30 days for any other default (other than a default described below under "non-curable defaults"). You have 30 days to cure any default, other than defaults described below under "non-curable defaults". |
Source: Item 17 — RENEWAL, TERMINATION, TRANSFER, AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION (FDD pages 33–36)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee has 24 hours to cure a default related to health or safety hazards. This is explicitly outlined in Item 17, detailing the franchisee's cure periods for various defaults.
This short cure period underscores the critical importance Bigfoot Forestry places on maintaining safe and healthy business operations. Any failure to address such hazards within the stipulated 24-hour window could lead to termination of the franchise agreement. This stringent requirement is likely due to the nature of the land clearing and forestry services provided, which inherently involve potential safety risks.
For a prospective Bigfoot Forestry franchisee, this means having robust systems and protocols in place to immediately identify and rectify any health or safety hazards. This could include regular equipment maintenance, comprehensive staff training on safety procedures, and strict adherence to all relevant regulations. The franchisee should also ensure they have the resources and personnel available to respond swiftly to any issues that arise, as failure to do so could jeopardize their franchise.