Does the Franchise Agreement, Area Development Agreement, or Disclosure Questionnaire for Monicals Pizza intend to act as a release, estoppel, or waiver of any liability incurred under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law?
Monicals_Pizza Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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- Exhibit H to the Disclosure Document is amended as follows:
- Any portion of the Franchise Agreement, Area Development Agreement or the Disclosure Questionnaire which requires prospective franchisees to disclaim the occurrence and/or acknowledge the non-occurrence of acts would constitute a violation of the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law. Any such representations are not intended to nor shall they act as a release, estoppel or waiver of any liability incurred under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 46–257)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Monicals Pizza Franchise Disclosure Document, any part of the Franchise Agreement, Area Development Agreement, or Disclosure Questionnaire that compels prospective franchisees to disclaim or acknowledge specific acts will not serve as a release, estoppel, or waiver of liability under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law. This means that Monicals Pizza franchisees in Maryland retain their rights and protections under Maryland law, regardless of any conflicting language in the franchise documents.
This provision ensures that Monicals Pizza franchisees are not forced to give up their legal rights under Maryland franchise law as a condition of entering into or continuing the franchise agreement. The FDD specifically states that any representations that might appear to do so are not intended to, and will not, have that effect. This protects franchisees from unknowingly waiving their rights.
For a prospective Monicals Pizza franchisee in Maryland, this is a beneficial safeguard. It means that even if certain clauses in the franchise documents seem to limit their ability to make claims under Maryland law, those clauses will not be enforced in a way that deprives them of their rights. This provides an added layer of legal protection for franchisees operating in Maryland.