FranchiseVerdict
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B66/100FDD 2025

Fish Window Cleaning — Litigation & Risk

Cleaning - Commercial & Janitorial · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Moderate — Review

1 case disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
1
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
66 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
MODERATE
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID

7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present

SBA Loan Performance

Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.

Total 7(a) loans
49
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
21.4%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
9 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$4.8M
Avg loan size
$97K
Participating lenders
28

FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up

Contract Risk Indicators

Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
1 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Missouri
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 66/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MINORStagnant unit growth of only 1.9% YoY suggests mature or declining system momentum with 270 units showing minimal expansion
  2. 02MEDNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure (Avg Revenue and Net Income not disclosed) prevents validation of ROI claims and franchisee profitability benchmarks
  3. 03HIGHJoint employment and wage violation litigation (Pope et al.) indicates potential labor classification mismanagement or compliance issues that could expose franchisees to liability
  4. 04MINORHigh initial investment range ($107,200–$172,700) combined with 5–8% royalty on minimum performance standards creates leverage risk if sales underperform
  5. 05MINORRoyalty structure based on 'greater of Gross Sales or Applicable Minimum Performance Standard' is punitive—franchisees pay minimums even if revenue lags, reducing flexibility

Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification

Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.