Under what circumstances is the Cinch I.T. transfer fee waived when selling a franchise?
Cinch_I_T Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
| TYPE OF FEE1 | AMOUNT | DUE DATE | REMARKS |
|---|---|---|---|
| to client | must pay us for our time and any compensation (i.e., replacement product) given to clients. | ||
| Audits | Cost of audit plus interest on underpayment | As incurred | Payable only if audit shows understatement is willful or if 2% or more of gross sales for a two month period. |
| Interest | Interest on overdue payment | As incurred | Interest rate will be 1.5% per month or if the maximum interest rate permitted by state law is less, then interest will be charged at the lesser allowed rate. Interest begins from the date payment was due. |
| Late Fee | $100 per occurrence plus interest | On demand, but only if you are delinquent in your payments to us or otherwise violate an obligation under the Franchise Agreement | Payable the day after payment or other event (Ex: a required report) is due, in addition to the interest. |
| Transfer, Assignment | $10,000 | Time of transfer | Payable if you sell your franchise. No fee charged if you transfer franchise to a corporation or other entity you control. |
| Transfer Fee – Development Agreement | $5,000 for each unopened Franchise; $10,000 for each open and operating Franchised Business. | Time of transfer | Payable if Multi-Unit Developer sells its franchise. No fee charged if you transfer franchise to a corporation or other entity you control. |
| Multi-Unit Extension Fee – Development Agreement | $5,000 per extension | As incurred | Payable if Multi-Unit Developer desires to extend a Development Period. |
| Renewal | $5,000 | Time of renewal | New franchise agreement, which may |
Source: Item 6 — OTHER FEES (FDD pages 14–20)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to the 2024 Cinch I.T. Franchise Disclosure Document, the standard transfer fee is waived if the franchise is transferred to a corporation or other entity that the franchisee controls. This applies both to single-unit franchises and to transfers of Development Agreements.
For a regular franchise, the standard transfer fee is $10,000, payable at the time of transfer if you sell your franchise to an independent third party. However, this fee is waived if you transfer the franchise to a corporation or another entity that you control. This provision allows franchisees to restructure their business for legal or tax purposes without incurring a transfer fee.
For Multi-Unit Developers, the transfer fee is either $5,000 for each unopened franchise or $10,000 for each open and operating franchised business, payable at the time of transfer if the Multi-Unit Developer sells its franchise rights. Similar to the standard franchise agreement, this fee is also waived if the transfer is to a corporation or other entity controlled by the Multi-Unit Developer. This provides Multi-Unit Developers the same flexibility to restructure their business without incurring a transfer fee when moving the franchise to a controlled entity.