What is the deadline for attending the dispute resolution meeting with Stretch Zone after a written request is made?
Stretch_Zone Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Except for the matters involving the remedies in Section 17.4, the parties will attempt in good faith to meet in person to discuss and resolve the dispute. The party requesting the meeting will send a written notice to the other party detailing what the party believes to be the nature of the dispute including the facts and the provisions in this Agreement on which the dispute is based-and how the dispute may be satisfactorily resolved. The meeting will take place at our headquarters (currently Fort Lauderdale, Florida). At the meeting, each party will be represented by a person authorized to conclusively resolve the dispute on that party's behalf and to bind that party to any agreed-upon resolution. Discussions and exchanges of information and materials, if any, are confidential and must be treated as part of compromise and settlement negotiations for purposes of applicable rules of evidence. If the parties resolve the dispute at the meeting, they will immediately formalize that resolution by an agreement that they both sign at the time. This step must occur before either party can file a request for mediation. Any party that fails to attend or participate in the meeting, within 30 days of written request, may not begin any mediation under Section 17.2 to
Source: Item 8 — Receipts. Any sale made must be in compliance with § 683(8) of the Franchise Sale Act (N.Y. Gen. Bus. L. § 680 et seq.), which describes the time period a Franchise Disclosure Document (offering prospectus) must be provided to a prospective franchisee before a sale may be made. New York law requires a franchisor to provide the Franchise Disclosure Document at the earliest of the first personal meeting or ten (10) business days before the execution of the franchise or other agreement or the payment of any consideration that relates to the franchise relationship. (FDD pages 99–263)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Stretch Zone's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if a dispute arises, both parties must attempt to resolve it through an in-person meeting before pursuing mediation. The party initiating the meeting must send a written notice detailing the nature of the dispute, including the facts, relevant agreement provisions, and proposed resolutions. This meeting is to be held at Stretch Zone's headquarters, which is currently located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Each party must be represented by someone authorized to resolve the dispute and bind the party to any agreed resolution.
The document specifies that any party that fails to attend or participate in the meeting within 30 days of the written request forfeits their right to begin mediation. This initial meeting and the discussions held within are confidential and treated as settlement negotiations. If the parties reach a resolution during the meeting, they are expected to formalize it immediately with a signed agreement.
This requirement to meet within 30 days of a written request underscores the importance Stretch Zone places on attempting to resolve disputes informally and promptly. For a prospective franchisee, this means being prepared to engage in a face-to-face meeting at the company headquarters to discuss and resolve any issues. Failure to do so within the specified timeframe can impact the franchisee's ability to pursue further dispute resolution options such as mediation.