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A26/100FDD 2025

Top Rail® — Litigation & Risk

Home Services - Lawn & Landscaping · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Lower Risk

No litigation cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
0
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
26 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
STRONG
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
46
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
0.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted

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
2 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
North Carolina
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 26/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — cannot validate profitability claims against $1.2M average revenue
  2. 02MINORHigh unit growth rate (79.6% YoY) suggests either rapid expansion or significant prior contraction — sustainability unclear
  3. 03MINORBlended royalty structure (7%-5%) is ambiguous — unclear thresholds and potential for disputes
  4. 04MEDInitial investment range of $161K-$297K is substantial with no disclosed average net income to justify ROI
  5. 05MINOR167-unit system is still relatively small — less operational maturity and support infrastructure than established franchises

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.