Under what conditions can a Crawlspace Medic franchisee transfer their interest in the agreement?
Crawlspace_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
Agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to require Franchisor to remain in the crawlspace or basement care business or to offer or sell any products or services to Franchisee.
- 16.2. Restrictions on Transfers by Franchisee. Franchisee's rights and duties under this Agreement are personal to Franchisee as it is organized and with the Principals of the business as they exist on the date of execution of this Agreement, and Franchisor has made this Agreement with Franchisee in reliance on Franchisor's perceptions of the individual and collective character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability, and financial capacity of Franchisee. Thus, no transfer, as hereafter defined, may be made without Franchisor's prior written approval. Franchisor may void any transfer made without such approval.
- 16.3. Transfers by Franchisee. Franchisee shall not directly or indirectly sell, assign, transfer, give, devise, convey or encumber this Agreement or any right or interest herein or hereunder (a "Transfer"), the Franchise, the Franchised Business or any assets thereof (except in the ordinary course of business) or suffer or permit any such assignment, transfer, or encumbrance to occur by operation of law unless it first obtains the written consent of Franchisor. A transfer of any stock in the Franchisee if it is a corporation or a transfer of any ownership rights in Franchisee if it is a partnership, a limited liability company or limited partnership shall be considered a Transfer restricted hereunder. If Franchisee has complied fully with this Agreement and subject to Franchisor's Right of First Refusal set forth in Section 16.6, Franchisor will not unreasonably withhold its consent of a Transfer that meets the following requirements:
- 16.3.1. The proposed transferee and all its principals must have the demeanor, and be individuals of good character and otherwise meet Franchisor's thenapplicable standards for franchisees.
- 16.3.2. The transferee must have sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to operate the Franchised Business and to comply with this Agreement;
- 16.3.3. The transferee has agreed to complete Franchisor's Initial Training Program to Franchisor's satisfaction;
- 16.3.4. Franchisee has paid all amounts owed to Franchisor and third-party creditors;
- 16.3.5. The transferee has executed Franchisor's then-standard form of Franchise Agreement, which may have terms and conditions different from this Agreement, except that the transferee shall not be required to pay the Initial Franchise Fee;
- 16.3.6.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 42)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Crawlspace Medic's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee's rights and duties under the Franchise Agreement are personal, based on the franchisor's assessment of the franchisee's character, skills, business ability, and financial capacity. Therefore, a franchisee cannot directly or indirectly transfer the agreement, any rights or interests, the franchise, the franchised business, or any assets without the prior written consent of Crawlspace Medic. This restriction extends to transfers occurring by operation of law.
This means that if a Crawlspace Medic franchisee wants to sell their business, assign the agreement to someone else, or transfer it through other means, they must first get approval from Crawlspace Medic. Crawlspace Medic has the right to void any transfer made without their consent. This provision is typical in franchising, as franchisors want to ensure that any new operator meets their standards and is capable of running the business successfully.
For Crawlspace Medic developers, the conditions are slightly more detailed. A developer cannot transfer the Development Agreement or any rights without Crawlspace Medic's written consent, which Crawlspace Medic may grant or deny at their discretion. To get approval, the proposed transferee must be of good moral character and meet Crawlspace Medic's standards for multi-unit franchisees. The transferee must also have sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to operate multiple Crawlspace Medic outlets and comply with the Development Agreement.