Where must any judicial action or legal proceeding be brought against Deer Solution?
Deer_Solution Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
olding and/or declaring Franchisee's breach of this Agreement than Franchisor shall also be entitled to the recovery of all reasonable attorney fees, costs and expenses associated with and/or related to such arbitration and/or litigation. Said fees, costs and expenses shall include, but not be limited to, attorney fees, arbitration fees, arbitrator fees, deposition expenses, expert witness fees and filing fees.
18.O. NO CLASS ACTION OR MULTI-PARTY ACTIONS
FRANCHISOR AND FRANCHISEE AGREE THAT ALL PROCEEDINGS AND/OR LEGAL ACTIONS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT AND/OR THE OFFER AND SALE OF THE DEER SOLUTION BUSINESS FRANCHISE FROM FRANCHISOR TO FRANCHISEE, WILL BE CONDUCTED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT A CLASS-WIDE BASIS, AND, THAT ANY PROCEEDING BETWEEN FRANCHISEE, FRANCHISEE'S OWNERS, SPOUSES AND/OR GUARANTORS AND FRANCHISOR AND/OR FRANCHISOR'S AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND/OR EMPLOYEES MAY NOT BE CONSOLIDATED WITH ANY OTHER PROCEEDING BETWEEN FRANCHISOR AND ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY.
18.P. ACCEPTANCE BY FRANCHISOR
This Agreement will not be binding on Franchisor unless and until an authorized officer of Franchisor has signed it.
**18.Q.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 55–246)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Deer Solution's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, all proceedings and legal actions related to the franchise agreement between Deer Solution and the franchisee will be conducted on an individual basis. This means that franchisees cannot participate in class-action lawsuits against Deer Solution.
Furthermore, any legal proceeding initiated by a franchisee, including their owners, spouses, or guarantors, against Deer Solution, its affiliates, officers, directors, or employees, cannot be combined with any other proceeding between Deer Solution and a third party. This prevents franchisees from joining forces with others in disputes against the franchisor.
However, the FDD includes an amendment specific to Maryland franchisees. This amendment states that a franchisee may bring a lawsuit in Maryland for claims arising under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law. Any claims arising under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law must be brought within three years after the grant of the franchise.