Is attendance at mediation mandatory for all parties involved in a Bumble Roofing franchise dispute?
Bumble_Roofing Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
All parties must attend mediation.
We will pay the costs of the first four hours of any mediation, and no mediation is required to extend beyond such four-hour period.
19.3 Neither mediation nor arbitration will be required for any Dispute which involves amounts due from Franchisee to Franchisor, Franchisee's post termination or expiration use of any of the Marks, System, Confidential Information or Trade Secrets, or Franchisor's right to seek injunctive relief as provided in Section 17.19.
19.4 Class Action Waiver.
Any proceeding (whether mediation, arbitration, trial to a court or jury, appeal or otherwise) must be brought in the parties' individual capacity and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 53)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bumble Roofing's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, all parties involved in a dispute must attend mediation. Bumble Roofing will cover the costs of the first four hours of mediation. The FDD also specifies that no mediation is required to extend beyond this four-hour period.
However, mediation is not required for disputes involving amounts due from the franchisee to Bumble Roofing, the franchisee's post-termination or expiration use of Bumble Roofing's marks, system, confidential information, or trade secrets, or Bumble Roofing's right to seek injunctive relief.
Furthermore, any proceeding, including mediation, must be brought in the parties' individual capacity and not as part of a class action. This means a franchisee cannot participate as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class. This requirement ensures that disputes are handled on a one-on-one basis between Bumble Roofing and the franchisee, rather than as part of a larger group action.