FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2025 filing

United Country Real Estate litigation history

What United Country Real Estate disclosed about lawsuits, arbitrations and bankruptcy in the 2025 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: 6; Item 3, as counted in the filing

Largest settlement, franchisor's own cases: $525K; As stated in Item 3

Bankruptcy (Item 4): None; Franchisor, parent, predecessor or officer

Filing year: 2025; Disclosures cover the prior ten years

Extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document

Item 3: litigation

Three class action lawsuits alleging Sherman Act violations and anticompetitive behavior. United Real Estate and parent company United Real Estate Holdings named as defendants. One case settled with final approval November 4, 2024; one case consolidated; one case pending.

Item 3 (litigation) · 6 matters disclosed · 5 pending listed

Litigation cases

The franchisor and its predecessor

Concluded (1)

ZHN, LLC vs. Miller, United Country Real Estate, Inc. and Lippard Auctioneers, Inc. et al.
settled
United Country Real Estate, Inc. (our Predecessor) · filed 2014-05-02 · W.D. Okla. · CIV-12-1289-M
“… Case No. CIV-12-1289-M (W.D. Okla. filed May 2, 2014).”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case was settled on or about August 5, 2015 with the defendants’ insurance company, which covers participating agents and auctioneers, making a $525,000 payment to the plaintiff.”

Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor

Pending (3)

Batton. et al. v. Compass. Inc. et al.
pending
Brought by a third party · United Real Estate Group (dba for United Real Estate Holdings, LLC, the parent company of United) · filed 2023-11-02 · Northern District of Illinois · 1:23-cv-15618
“… Northern District of Illinois; case No. 1 :23-cv-15618. On November 2, 2023, Plaintiffs filed a putative class action against United Real Estate Group (the dba for United Real Estate Holdings, LLC, the parent company of”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Gibson. et al. v. National Association of Realtors. et al.
pending
Brought by a third party · United Real Estate (the dba for Five D I, LLC) · filed 2023-10-31 · Western District of Missouri · 4:23-cv-00788
“… Western District of Missouri; case No. 4:23-cv-00788. On October 31, 2023, Plaintiffs filed a putative class action against National Association of Realtors, United Real Estate (the dba for Five D I,”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “Our settlement was granted final approval on November 4, 2024, along with several other defendants’ settlements. Several objectors have filed notices of appeals to the Eighth Circuit.”
Umpa v. National Association of Realtors. et al.
pending
Brought by a third party · United (Five D I, LLC dba United Real Estate) · filed 2023-12-27 · Western District of Missouri · 4:23-cv-00945
“… Western District of Missouri; Case No. 4:23-cv- 00945. On December 27, 2023, Plaintiff filed a putative class action against National Association of Realtors, United and a number of other real estate”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3

Other companies named (outside this franchise system)

Pending (2)

1925 Hooper LLC, et al. v. Watson Realty Corp., et al.
pending
Brought by the franchisor · Charles Rutenberg Realty – Orlando (CRRO), a United franchisee · filed 2024-04-18 · Middle District of Florida · 3:24-cv-00374
“… Middle District of Florida; Case No. 3:24- cv-00374. On April 18, 2024, Plaintiffs filed a putative class action against Charles Rutenberg Realty – Orlando (CRRO), a United franchisee, and a handful of”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Parker Holding Group Inc. v. Florida Association of Realtors, et al
pending
Brought by the franchisor · Charles Rutenberg Realty – Orlando, LLC (a franchisee of United) · filed 2023-12-04 · Florida State Court for Miami Dade County · 2023-027749-CA-01
“… Florida State Court for Miami Dade County; Case No. 2023-027749-CA-01.”Page 13 of the 2025 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.

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?

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