FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2024 filing
Make Your Dog Epic Dog Training Academy litigation history
What Make Your Dog Epic Dog Training Academy disclosed about lawsuits, arbitrations and bankruptcy in the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 3 lists the material legal actions a franchisor must report; Item 4 covers bankruptcy. This is the franchisor's own disclosure, not a court record, and not legal advice.
Items 3 (litigation) & 4 (bankruptcy) at a glance
What the filing discloses
- Cases disclosed
- 3
- Item 3, as counted in the filing
- Largest settlement, franchisor's own cases
- None stated
- Bankruptcy (Item 4)
- None
- Franchisor, parent, predecessor or officer
- Filing year
- 2024
- Disclosures cover the prior ten years
Extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document
Item 3: litigation
Three actions involving former franchisees of Nautical Bowls suing the franchisor and Peter Taunton (now VP Business Development of this franchisor) as former CEO, alleging franchise law violations, fraud, and breach of contract.
Item 3 (litigation) · 3 matters disclosed · 3 pending listed
Litigation cases
Officers and directors (individuals, not the company)
Pending (3)
Bright Beacon, Inc. v. Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC, Peter Taunton, et al.
pendingBrought by a franchisee · Peter Taunton (our Manager / VP Business Development), with Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC · filed 2023-12-27 · Superior Court of the State of California, San Diego County · 37-2023-00055847-CU-FR-CTL
“… Superior Court of the State of California, San Diego County (Court File No. 37-2023-00055847-CU-FR-CTL).”Page 9 of the 2024 FDD, Item 3
Cheryl Hatfield, et al v. Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC, Peter Taunton, et al
pendingBrought by a franchisee · Peter Taunton (our Manager / VP Business Development), with Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC · filed 2023-12-22 · Fourth Judicial District, State of Minnesota · 27-CV-19329
“… Fourth Judicial District, State of Minnesota (Case No. 27-CV-19329).”Page 9 of the 2024 FDD, Item 3
Kirin Hawley, et al v. Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC, Peter Taunton, et al
pendingBrought by a franchisee · Peter Taunton (our Manager / VP Business Development), with Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC · filed 2023-12-22 · Fourth Judicial District, State of Minnesota · 27-CV-23-19306
“… Fourth Judicial District, State of Minnesota (Case No. 27-CV-23-19306).”Page 9 of the 2024 FDD, Item 3
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
Disclosure signals that moved the score
How this shows up in the verdict
- Key officer (Peter Taunton) facing three active lawsuits from December 2023 alleging fraud, deceptive trade practices, and breach of contract — credibility and legal liability risk
The verdict grade is FranchiseVerdict's editorial assessment across SBA loan performance, unit growth, revenue and disclosure signals. It is not investment advice.
Before you weigh a lawsuit
How to read Item 3
A franchisor must disclose pending actions and any material civil action involving the franchise relationship, plus convictions or civil judgments for fraud, unfair or deceptive practices, or franchise-law violations, going back ten years. A case the franchisor brought against a franchisee counts too. Item 3 does not include every dispute: settled claims below the materiality line and matters resolved in private arbitration can be absent.
Questions worth asking current and former franchisees, using the contact list in Item 20:
- Were you, or anyone you know in the system, party to a dispute with the franchisor?
- Was it resolved by settlement, arbitration or a court, and on what terms?
- Has the number of disputes gone up or down since you signed?