Where will arbitration be held for disputes related to the Canopy Lawn Care franchise?
Canopy_Lawn_Care Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
is filed. The arbitration shall be held in city where our corporate headquarters in located (currently Richmond, Virginia). A single arbitrator shall be selected from a panel of neutral arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association and shall be chosen by the striking and ranking method. The arbitrator must have at least five years' experience in franchise law. The arbitrator's fees shall be divided equally between the parties. The arbitrator shall have no authority to amend or modify the terms of this Agreement. The award or decision by the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties and may be enforced by judgment or order of a court having subject matter jurisdiction in the state where the arbitration took place. The parties consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction over them by such courts and to the propriety of venue of such courts for the purpose of carrying out this provision; and they waive any objections that they would otherwise have concerning venue and personal jurisdiction.
- 20.3 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.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 55)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Canopy Lawn Care Franchise Disclosure Document, arbitration will be held in the city where Canopy Lawn Care's corporate headquarters is located. Currently, that location is Richmond, Virginia.
In the event of arbitration, a single arbitrator will be selected from a panel of neutral arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association using a striking and ranking method. The arbitrator chosen must possess a minimum of five years of experience in franchise law. The fees charged by the arbitrator are to be divided equally between Canopy Lawn Care and the franchisee.
The arbitrator is not authorized to make changes or modifications to the terms of the Franchise Agreement. The arbitrator's award or decision is considered final and binding for both parties and can be enforced through a court order or judgment in the state where the arbitration occurred. Both Canopy Lawn Care and the franchisee consent to the jurisdiction and venue of these courts and waive any objections related to venue and personal jurisdiction.
It is important to note that mediation or arbitration is not required for disputes involving amounts owed by the franchisee to Canopy Lawn Care, the franchisee's unauthorized use of Canopy Lawn Care's trademarks, system, confidential information, or trade secrets after termination or expiration of the agreement, or Canopy Lawn Care's right to seek injunctive relief.