If a Casiola franchisee wants to transfer their business, what must they provide to the franchisor?
Casiola Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
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;
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 47–209)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Casiola's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee must fulfill several requirements to gain approval for a transfer. The franchisee must provide written notice to Casiola of the proposed transfer at least 30 days before it occurs and also satisfy obligations related to Casiola's right of first refusal. All outstanding monetary and other obligations to Casiola and its affiliates must be satisfied promptly, and the franchisee and each owner must not be in default or material breach of the Franchise Agreement or Ancillary Agreements.
The proposed transferee must agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the existing Franchise Agreement. Additionally, each owner of the transferee must personally execute the Franchise Owner Agreement and Guaranty. The transferee must also assume all obligations of the franchisee under the Franchise Agreement, Ancillary Agreements, and applicable Rental Agreements in a manner satisfactory to Casiola. The franchisee and each owner must execute a General Release, releasing Casiola from any claims arising on or before the transfer date.
Furthermore, the franchisee must pay Casiola a $10,000 Transfer Fee. Casiola must also approve the material terms and conditions of the transfer, determining that the price and payment terms are not detrimental to the future operations of the franchised business. The transferee's employees who will have access to confidential information must execute a Confidentiality Agreement. It is important to note that even after the transfer, the franchisee and each owner remain liable for all obligations to Casiola as outlined in the Franchise Agreement.