What are the consequences for a Clear Pest Pros franchisee who is convicted of a felony?
Clear_Pest_Pros Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You are or have been convicted by a trial court of, or plead no contest to a felony or any conviction rising to the equivalent of a felony and/or failure to disclose a prior felony conviction or conviction rising to the equivalent of a felony to us;
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 67–68)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Clear Pest Pros Franchise Disclosure Document, if a franchisee is convicted of a felony, pleads no contest to a felony, or fails to disclose a prior felony conviction, Clear Pest Pros has grounds to terminate the Franchise Agreement. This means Clear Pest Pros has the right to end the franchise relationship.
This provision protects Clear Pest Pros's brand and reputation by ensuring that its franchisees maintain a certain level of ethical and legal conduct. Franchise systems rely heavily on consistent brand image, and a franchisee's criminal behavior could negatively impact the entire system. The inclusion of 'pleading no contest' and 'failure to disclose' broadens the scope, preventing franchisees from circumventing the clause through legal technicalities or omissions.
For a prospective franchisee, this highlights the importance of maintaining a clean criminal record and being transparent with Clear Pest Pros about any past convictions. Failure to do so could result in the loss of the franchise. This type of clause is relatively standard in franchise agreements, as franchisors need to protect their brand from damage caused by franchisee misconduct.