Can the Kidokinetics franchisor unreasonably withhold consent for a transfer?
Kidokinetics Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
city 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.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 59)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Kidokinetics's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisee rights and duties are personal, and the agreement relies on the franchisor's perception of the franchisee's character, skills, and financial capacity. As such, a franchisee needs prior written approval from Kidokinetics for any transfer of the agreement, Kidokinetics business, or its assets. Kidokinetics states that it will not unreasonably withhold consent for a transfer. However, Kidokinetics may void any transfer made without their approval.
To get approval for a transfer, the proposed transferee must meet Kidokinetics's standards for franchisees and be of good moral character. The franchisee must also ensure that Kidokinetics has granted written approval of the transfer's material terms, including price and payment terms that do not adversely affect the Kidokinetics business. The franchisee must provide all proposed transfer documents to Kidokinetics for review at least 30 days before closing the transfer.
Kidokinetics may withhold or condition consent to any transfer based on the circumstances. As a condition of the transfer, the franchisee must pay a transfer fee of $10,000 for the first Kidokinetics business transferred and $5,000 for each subsequent business transferred. However, if Kidokinetics agrees to extend the transferee's term to ten years under a new franchise agreement, the transfer fee will be replaced by Kidokinetics's then-current initial franchise fee under the new franchise agreement.