Is franchisee permission required for Kidokinetics to assign the Franchise Agreement?
Kidokinetics Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
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- 15.2. Restrictions on Transfers by Franchisee. Franchisee's rights and duties under this Agreement are personal to Franchisee and/or Franchisee's Principal(s), and Franchisor has made this Agreement in reliance on Franchisor's perceptions of the individual and collective character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability, and financial capacity of Franchisee and/or Franchisee's Principals. Thus, no transfer, as hereafter defined, may be made without Franchisor's prior written approval, which will not be unreasonably withheld. Franchisor may void any transfer made without such approval.
- 15.3. 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 Kidokinetics 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, except as provided in Section 15.6 of this Agreement. 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 is a Transfer and is prohibited without prior written consent of Franchisor. If Franchisee has complied fully with this Agreement, Franchisor will not unreasonably withhold its consent of a Transfer that meets the following requirements:
- 15.3.1. The proposed transferee must be an individual of good moral character or the principals of the transferee must all be of good moral character and otherwise meet Franchisor's then-applicable standards for franchisees;
- 15.3.2. The transferee must have sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to operate the Kidokinetics Business and to comply with this Agreement;
- 15.3.3. The transferee and its or their Manager have agreed to complete Franchisor's Initial Management Training Program to Franchisor's satisfaction;
- 15.3.4. Franchisee has paid all amounts owed to Franchisor and third-party creditors;
- 15.3.5. The transferee has executed Franchisor's then-standard form of Franchise Agreement, which may have terms and conditions materially different from this Agreement, except that the transferee will not be required to pay an Initial Franchise Fee;
- 15.3.6. Franchisee and the transferee and each of Franchisee's and the transferee's Principals shall have executed a general release of all claims known or unknown under seal, in a form satisfactory to Franchisor, of any and all claims against Franchisor and Franchisor's officers, directors, shareholders, members and employees in their corporate and individual capacities, including, without limitation, claims arising out of or concerning under the Franchise Agreement and federal, state and local laws, rules and ordinances (to the fullest extent permitted by law). Franchisee will agree to subordinate any claims Franchisee may have against the transferee to Franchisor, and indemnify Franchisor for any acts, whether negligent or intentional, committed by Franchisee during the sales negotiations between Franchisee and transferee.
- 15.3.7. Franchisor has granted written approval of the material terms and conditions of the Transfer, including, without limitation, that the price and terms of payment will not adversely affect the Kidokinetics Business's operation. However, Franchisor's approval of a Transfer is not in any way a representation or warranty of the transferee's success or the soundness of transferee's decision to purchase the Franchise on such terms and conditions. Franchisee shall provide Franchisor all proposed transfer documents for Franchisor's review at least 30 days prior to a closing of the proposed Transfer;
- 15.3.8. If Franchisee or any Principal finances any part of the sale price of the Transfer, Franchisee or its Principal have agreed that all obligations of the transferee under any notes, agreements or security interests to Franchisee or its Principal will be subordinate to the transferee's obligations to Franchisor and subject to all limitations of Section 15.8 below;
- 15.3.9.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 59)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Kidokinetics's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees need prior written approval from Kidokinetics to transfer their rights and duties under the Franchise Agreement. Kidokinetics states that these rights and duties are personal to the franchisee, and the agreement is made based on Kidokinetics's perception of the franchisee's character, skills, aptitude, business ability, and financial capacity. Therefore, any transfer, sale, assignment, or conveyance of the agreement, the Kidokinetics business, or its assets requires Kidokinetics's written consent. Kidokinetics retains the right to void any transfer made without this approval.
This requirement extends to transfers of stock in the franchisee's corporation or ownership rights in other business entities like partnerships or LLCs. These transfers are also prohibited without Kidokinetics's prior written consent. However, Kidokinetics will not unreasonably withhold consent if the franchisee has fully complied with the agreement and the proposed transferee meets certain requirements. These requirements include the transferee (or its principals) being of good moral character and meeting Kidokinetics's standards for franchisees.
Kidokinetics also requires written approval of the material terms and conditions of the transfer, ensuring that the price and payment terms do not negatively impact the Kidokinetics business. Franchisees must provide all proposed transfer documents to Kidokinetics for review at least 30 days before the transfer's closing. Additionally, if the franchisee or a principal finances any part of the sale, those obligations must be subordinate to the transferee's obligations to Kidokinetics. The franchisee must also cure any existing defaults under the agreement before the transfer can be approved.
Furthermore, Kidokinetics requires the franchisee or transferee to provide a copy of the executed purchase agreement, including the transferee's agreement to fulfill all of the franchisee's obligations under the original agreement. The franchisee and their principals must also comply with the post-termination provisions of the agreement, and the transferee must obtain and maintain all necessary permits and licenses for operating the Kidokinetics business. Finally, the franchisee must ensure that Kidokinetics provides the prospective transferee with the current Franchise Disclosure Document, and Kidokinetics is not liable for any representations not included in that document.