Torres v. Cleannet, U.S.A., Inc.

90 F. Supp. 3d 369, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13722, 2015 WL 500163
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 5, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 14-2818
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 90 F. Supp. 3d 369 (Torres v. Cleannet, U.S.A., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Torres v. Cleannet, U.S.A., Inc., 90 F. Supp. 3d 369, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13722, 2015 WL 500163 (E.D. Pa. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

ANITA B. BRODY, District Judge.

Plaintiff Eddy Torres brings this class action against Defendants CleanNet U.S.A., Inc. (“CleanNet”), MKH Services, Inc. (“MKH”), and CleanNet Systems of Pennsylvania, Inc. (“CleanNet PA”) pursuant to PA R. Civ. P. §§ 1701-16 on behalf of the following putative class: “All persons who performed cleaning services for Defendants in Pennsylvania at any time from April 11, 2011 to the present.” Compl. ¶ 70. Torres originally filed this case in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Defendants removed this diversity class action from state court to district court pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (“CAFA”). I determined that the action stays in federal court. See ECF Nos. 37, 38. Defendants now move to stay proceedings pending arbitration.1 [372]*372For the reasons set forth below, I will grant Defendants’ motions to stay in favor of arbitration.

I. BACKGROUND2

Defendant CleanNet is a commercial cleaning company that operates in Pennsylvania and other locations throughout the United States. CleanNet operates in Pennsylvania through two subfranchisors (“Area Operators”), Defendants MKH and CleanNet PA. On March 9, 2012, Torres entered into a Franchise Agreement with MKH to become a CleanNet franchisee and to perform cleaning services for CleanNet. In the Franchise Agreement, MKH agreed to provide Torres $7,000 in gross monthly billings, if Torres paid an Initial Franchise Fee of $24,500. The Franchise Agreement also contained Section XXII on dispute resolution.

Under Section XXII, the parties “expressly agree[d] first to resolve disputes by direct negotiation, with each other.” MKH’s Mot. Ex. A at 39.3 If those negotiations failed, the parties agreed that “[b]e-fore and as a necessary condition precedent to, filing a demand for arbitration in accordance with this Agreement, Franchisee and Franchisor shall attempt to settle the dispute through mediation administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”).” Id. If mediation failed, the parties then agreed to adhere to the following arbitration provision:

Arbitration. All disputes, controversies, and claims of any kind arising between parties, including but not limited to claims arising out of relating to this Agreement, the rights and obligations of the parties, the sale of the franchise, or other claims or causes of action relating [373]*373to the performance of either party that are unable to be settled through mediation shall be settled by arbitration administered AAA at its office closest in proximity to the Franchisor’s office, in accordance with the Federal Arbitration Act and the Commercial Rules of the AAA, unless the parties otherwise agree in accordance with ... this Agreement.
if: ‡ ‡ if: if:
The filing fee for the proceeding shall be borne by the initiating party. The arbitrator’s compensation and any administrative costs shall be borne by both parties.
if: if: if: if: í¡í if:
The parties expressly agree that an arbitrator shall have the power to enter an award, including injunctive relief, protecting each parties rights to the same extent a court could do so, and such relief shall be enforceable by a court having jurisdiction under ... this Agreement.
if: if: if; if; if; ‡
No arbitration or action under this Agreement shall include, by consolidation, joinder, or any other manner, any claims by any person or entity in privity with or claiming through or on behalf of Franchisee. Franchisee shall not seek to arbitrate or litigate as a representative of, or on behalf of, any person or entity, any dispute, controversy, and claim of any kind arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the rights and obligations of the parties, the sale of the franchise, or other claims or causes of action relating to the performance of either party to this Agreement.

Id. at 39-40. Section XXII also included the following waiver of punitive damages provision:

Waiver of Punitive Damages. FRANCHISEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT OR CLAIM FOR ANY PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SPECULATIVE DAMAGES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, AND AGREES THAT IN THE[] EVENT OF A DISPUTE, FRANCHISEE SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE ACTUAL DAMAGES SUSTAINED EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN.

Id. at 41. Additionally, Section XXII contained the following saving clause:

Saving Clause. If any provisions of this Section XXII would violate applicable state or federal laws, then the parties agree that such provision shall be excluded from the terms of this Agreement, or shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make the terms hereof lawful.

Id.

MKH failed to provide Torres with the guaranteed $7,000 in monthly billings. On August 31, 2012, Torres and MKH executed an Addendum to the Franchise Agreement to downgrade the gross monthly billings from $7,000 to $3,000. In the Addendum, the parties continued to abide by Section XXII of the Franchise Agreement: “The parties agree that' any action brought by or against Franchisee or Franchisor in connection with this Addendum of the Franchise Agreement, or any other dispute arising between Franchisor and Franchise, shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures contained in the Franchise Agreement.” Id. at 5.

From September 2012 through June 2013, CleanNet failed to provide Torres with $3,000 in gross monthly billings as required by the August 31, 2012 Adden[374]*374dum to the Franchise Agreement. In June 2013, Torres sought a refund of the Initial Franchise Fee that he paid in March 2012, as modified by the August 31, 2012 Addendum. On June 11, 2013, Clean-Net refused to issue a refund.

Torres brings suit on behalf of himself and “[a]ll persons who performed cleaning services for Defendants in Pennsylvania at any time from April 11, 2011 to the present.” Compl. ¶70. “Collectively, these Defendants [MKH, CleanNet PA, and CleanNet] operate as joint employers of Plaintiff and the [putative] Class, and are uniformly controlled by the President of CleanNet.” Id. ¶ 3. CleanNet offers cleaning franchises to individuals, pursuant to which the individuals enter into a standard form Franchise Agreement. CleanNet classified Torres and other franchisees as independent contractors. However, “[t]hrough its system and the Franchise Agreement, CleanNet controls every aspect of the janitorial services rendered by Plaintiff and the [putative] Class.” Id. ¶ 48. CleanNet controls the manner and method of services, the schedule of service, the rates of pay, gross monthly billings, the type of cleaning equipment and supplies to be used, and the amount that can be charged to a client. CleanNet also requires Torres and members of the putative class to purchase a variety of insurances, sets minimum limits for these coverages, and requires CleanNet and the Area Operator (either MKH or CleanNet Pa) to be named as additional insured at the expense of Torres and the putative class members.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
90 F. Supp. 3d 369, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13722, 2015 WL 500163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/torres-v-cleannet-usa-inc-paed-2015.