Attorney Jonathan Fortman filed suit in Missouri yesterday seeking certification of a nationwide class of all Stratus Building Solutions unit franchisees who have agreements with the master franchisees.
Fortman’s petition to the court on behalf of Stratus franchisees Markeeta Rivera and Guadalupe Clemente (and those similarly situated) does not seek monetary compensation. According to Fortman, “We are simply asking the court to declare that under Missouri law, the Stratus Master Franchisees are captive agents of Stratus (based on Stratus’ level of control) and not independent contractors.”
Fortman says “We are also asking the court to declare that Stratus Building Solutions and its franchising company have conspired to defraud both the master and the unit franchisees into purchasing into a system they knew, based on their experience in St. Louis, could not be sustained.”
The Stratus Master Franchise Agreements require that the agreement be interpreted under Missouri law. If the Missouri judge rules in Fortman’s favor, he will be well-positioned to file group action lawsuits throughout the country on behalf of Stratus Building Solutions franchise owners.
The lawsuit includes the sad stories of the Plaintiffs, two Hispanic women who lost their savings through the alleged “churning” and other deceptive practices of the Stratus Building Solutions franchise sales machine. As soon as they are posted, you can read their stories here:
STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS: Markeeta Rivera’s Franchise Horror Story
STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS Franchise: Guadalupe Clemente’s Horror Story
Read all related stories here: Stratus Building Solutions Franchise
STRATUS BUILDING SOLUTIONS FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY: WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
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I just found another lawsuit against Stratus. Here is part of the article and the link to the rest of the article.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/16/43057.htm
Monday, January 16, 2012
Latinos Say Janitorial Franchisor Ran a Scam
By MATT REYNOLDS
SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) - More than 50 people say so-called janitorial franchisor Stratus Building Solutions of Orange defrauded them in a cold-blooded "corporate scam" aimed at Spanish speakers.
The 51 Latino plaintiffs say GoldeneyeHoldings dba Stratus Building Solutions of Orange ran a "simple" scam that targeted "victims who don't speak English by taking out ads in Spanish speaking publications."
"The advertisements seek to attract Latino immigrants with promises of financial freedom if they purchase janitorial franchises from defendant Stratus. The advertisements encourage prospective franchisees to immediately call or visit 'Fernando,' one of its sales representatives," according to the Superior Court complaint.
The complaint states: "During his 'pitch,' 'Fernando' informs those that are interested in purchasing a Stratus franchise that Stratus sells sixteen (16) different franchises, franchises that will earn the prospective franchisee between $6,000 a year to $204,000 a year. They are represented by Eric Aguilera with Bohm, Matsen, Kegel & Aguilera of Costa Mesa.