factual

Can the Casiola Franchisor transfer the agreement to any person?

Casiola Franchise · 2024 FDD

Answer from 2024 FDD Document

nt of Franchisor, or otherwise in violation of this Agreement including, but not limited to this Article 14.B. shall constitute a breach of this Agreement and shall 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, 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 owners, 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 Casiola 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 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 and each Owner 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 shall personally execute the Franchise Owner Agreement and Guaranty in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 1;
  • (5) All obligations of Franchisee under this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements, and all applicable Rental Agreements shall be assumed by the transferee and each individual owner of transferee in a manner satisfactory to Franchisor;
  • (6) Franchisee and each Owner 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 Casiola 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 and each Owner 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 Casiola Business must complete any training programs then in effect for franchisees of Casiola Businesses upon terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement or as Franchisor otherwise reasonably requires;
  • (11) Franchisee must pay a fixed sum of $10,000 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;
  • (15) Franchisee and transferee acknowledge and agree that Franchisor's approval of the Transfer indicates only that the transferee meets, or Franchisor waived, the criteria established by Franchisor for franchisees as of the time of such transfer, and Franchisor's approval thereof does not constitute a warranty or guaranty by Franchisor, express or implied, of the suitability of the terms of sale, successful operation, or profitability of the Franchised Business;
  • (16) Franchisee and transferee acknowledge and agree that Franchisor's approval of the Transfer at issue does not constitute Franchisor's approval of future or other Transfers or the waiver of the requirement that Franchisor must approve such future or other Transfers in accordance with this Agreement;
  • (17) The Transfer must be made in compliance with all applicable laws;
  • (18) The Transfer of the Franchised Business, the lease for Franchisee's non-residential Administrative Office (if applicable), and the assets of the Franchised Business shall be made only in conjunction with a Transfer of this Agreement, approved by Franchisor in accordance with and subject to this Article 14 and the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and
  • (19) Franchisor's consent to a Transfer of any interest that is subject to the restrictions of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any claims it may have against Franchisee or deemed a waiver of Franchisor's right to demand strict and exact compliance with this Agreement by the transferee.

14.D. DEATH OR DISABILITY OF FRANCHISEE OR AN OWNER

(1) If Franchisee is an individual and not a Corporate Entity, upon the death or permanent disability of Franchisee, the executor, administrator, conservator or other personal representative of Franchisee, must appoint a manager that meets the equivalent of an Operating Manager within a reasonable time, which shall not exceed 30 days from the date of death or permanent disability. The appointed manager (as applicable) must serve and qualify as an Operating Manager and attend and successfully complete the Training Program within 60 days of the appointment.

Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 47–209)

What This Means (2024 FDD)

According to Casiola's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee can transfer the franchise agreement, but it is subject to certain conditions and the franchisor's approval. Casiola requires written notice at least 30 days prior to the transfer. The franchisee must also meet several obligations before the transfer can be approved. These obligations include resolving all outstanding payments and other debts to Casiola and its affiliates, and ensuring they are not in default or in material breach of the franchise agreement or related ancillary agreements.

The proposed transferee must demonstrate good moral character, sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to manage a Casiola business. The transferee and their owners cannot own or operate a competitive business. The transferee needs to adhere to all the terms and conditions of the existing agreement and each owner of the transferee must execute a Franchise Owner Agreement and Guaranty. The transferee must also assume all obligations under the agreement and any related rental agreements in a manner satisfactory to Casiola.

Additionally, Casiola has a right of first refusal. Before a franchisee can transfer their interest to a third party, they must provide Casiola with a copy of the offer they received. Casiola then has 30 days to decide if it wants to purchase the franchise on the same terms. If Casiola declines, the franchisee can proceed with the transfer to the original proposed purchaser, provided the sale is completed within 120 days and there are no material changes to the terms. The franchisee will also need to pay Casiola a $10,000 transfer fee.

Upon transfer, the franchisee and each owner must execute a general release, releasing Casiola from any claims arising before the transfer date. The transferee may be required to execute Casiola’s then-current standard form franchise agreement, which may have different terms, although it must maintain the same royalty fee, advertising contributions, and other financial obligations. The transferee is responsible for upgrading the administrative office to meet Casiola's current standards, within a timeframe specified by Casiola. The franchisee and each owner remain liable for all obligations to Casiola as outlined in the original agreement.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.