factual

What must I and my owners sign to transfer my Itan area development agreement?

Itan Franchise · 2025 FDD

Answer from 2025 FDD Document

h such Entity guarantees the performance of all other Entities formed under the authority of this §7. Each Owner, and the spouse of each Owner who is a natural Person, must sign a Franchise Owner Agreement.

8. TRANSFERS

8.1. By Us. This Agreement is fully assignable by us, without prior notice to you, and shall inure to the

benefit of any assignee(s) or other legal successor(s) to our interest in this Agreement, provided that we shall, subsequent to any such assignment, remain liable for the performance of our obligations under this Agreement up to the effective date of the assignment.

  • 8.2. By You. The rights and duties created by this Agreement are personal to you and the Owners. We are granting you area development rights in reliance upon the character, skill, attitude, business ability and financial resources of you and your Owners. Because this Agreement is a personal services contract, neither you nor any Owner may engage in a Transfer (other than a Permitted Transfer) without our prior approval. Any Transfer (other than a Permitted Transfer) without our approval is void and constitutes a breach of this Agreement. We will not unreasonably withhold our approval of a proposed Transfer if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
    • (a) we believe the proposed transferee has sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to develop, own and operate all Required Salons remaining to be developed under this Agreement and meets our minimum criteria for area developers;
    • (b) you and your Owners and affiliates are in full compliance with all Definitive Agreements;
    • (c) the transferee's owners successfully complete, or make arrangements to attend, the initial training program and the transferee pays us any applicable training fee;
    • (d) the transferee and its owners sign our then-current form of area development agreement (unless we, in our sole discretion, instruct you to assign this Agreement to the transferee), except that: (i) the Term shall be the Term remaining under this Agreement; (ii) the transferee need not pay a separate Development Fee; and (iii) the Development Schedule and Development Territory shall be the same Development Schedule and Development Territory specified in this Agreement (modified to reflect the development obligations satisfied prior to the Transfer);
    • (e) you or the transferee pay us a $10,000 transfer fee (in addition to the transfer fee, you must reimburse us for any commission we pay our broker if our broker finds the transferee);
    • (f) you assign all Franchise Agreements to the transferee in accordance with the transfer provisions under each such Franchise Agreement, including payment of any transfer fee imposed under each such Franchise Agreement (unless we waive this requirement);
    • (g) you and your Owners sign a General Release;

Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 44–190)

What This Means (2025 FDD)

According to Itan's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if you wish to transfer your area development agreement, you and your owners must sign a General Release. Additionally, you and the owners (and the transferee) must sign all documents that Itan reasonably requests to effectuate and document the Permitted Transfer.

However, this is only required if certain conditions are met. Specifically, the transfer must be approved by Itan, and Itan will not unreasonably withhold approval if the proposed transferee has sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources. Further conditions include that you and your owners are in full compliance with all Definitive Agreements, and the transferee's owners successfully complete the initial training program.

Additional requirements include paying a $10,000 transfer fee and assigning all Franchise Agreements to the transferee. It is important to note that these requirements are for transfers that are not considered "Permitted Transfers," as Permitted Transfers have separate, less stringent requirements.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.