The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C)

Title XXXIII
REGULATION OF TRADE, COMMERCE, INVESTMENTS, AND SOLICITATIONS

Chapter 559
REGULATION OF TRADE, COMMERCE, AND INVESTMENTS, GENERALLY

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F.S. 559.801

559.801 Definitions.—For the purpose of ss. 559.80-559.815, the term:

(1)(a) “Business opportunity” means the sale or lease of any products, equipment, supplies, or services which are sold or leased to a purchaser to enable the purchaser to start a business for which the purchaser is required to pay an initial fee or sum of money which exceeds $500 to the seller, and in which the seller represents:

1. That the seller or person or entity affiliated with or referred by the seller will provide locations or assist the purchaser in finding locations for the use or operation of vending machines, racks, display cases, currency or card operated equipment, or other similar devices or currency-operated amusement machines or devices on premises neither owned nor leased by the purchaser or seller;

2. That the seller will purchase any or all products made, produced, fabricated, grown, bred, or modified by the purchaser using in whole or in part the supplies, services, or chattels sold to the purchaser;

3. That the seller guarantees that the purchaser will derive income from the business opportunity which exceeds the price paid or rent charged for the business opportunity or that the seller will refund all or part of the price paid or rent charged for the business opportunity, or will repurchase any of the products, equipment, supplies, or chattels supplied by the seller, if the purchaser is unsatisfied with the business opportunity; or

4. That the seller will provide a sales program or marketing program that will enable the purchaser to derive income from the business opportunity, except that this paragraph does not apply to the sale of a sales program or marketing program made in conjunction with the licensing of a trademark or service mark that is registered under the laws of any state or of the United States if the seller requires use of the trademark or service mark in the sales agreement.

For the purpose of subparagraph 1., the term “assist the purchaser in finding locations” means, but is not limited to, supplying the purchaser with names of locator companies, contracting with the purchaser to provide assistance or supply names, or collecting a fee on behalf of or for a locator company.

(b) “Business opportunity” does not include:

1. The sale of ongoing businesses when the owner of those businesses sells and intends to sell only those business opportunities so long as those business opportunities to be sold are no more than five in number;

2. The not-for-profit sale of sales demonstration equipment, materials, or samples for a price that does not exceed $500 or any sales training course offered by the seller the cost of which does not exceed $500; or

3. The sale or lease of laundry and drycleaning equipment.

(2) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

(3) “Purchaser” includes a lessee.

(4) “Seller” includes a lessor.

History.—s. 1, ch. 79-374; s. 7, ch. 81-314; s. 1, ch. 89-193; s. 5, ch. 90-231; s. 1, ch. 92-161; s. 82, ch. 92-291; s. 1, ch. 93-244; s. 20, ch. 97-250; s. 11, ch. 2001-214.

F.S. 559.801 on Google Scholar

F.S. 559.801 on Casetext

Amendments to 559.801

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 559.801

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 559.801.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases from cite.case.law:

SIG, INC. d b a v. AT T DIGITAL LIFE, INC. f k a AT T, 971 F. Supp. 2d 1178 (S.D. Fla. 2013)

. . . . § 559.801(1)(a). . . .

SIEVER, v. BWGASKETS, INC. M. P., 669 F. Supp. 2d 1286 (M.D. Fla. 2009)

. . . . §§ 559.801-815 (2008). (Doc. No. 26, filed Nov. 17, 2008.) . . .

KC LEISURE, INC. v. HABER,, 972 So. 2d 1069 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2008)

. . . The trial court dismissed count I with prejudice saying first that: [Cjhapter 559.801 et seq. (2005), . . .

AMERICAN CASUAL DINING, L. P. a v. MOE S SOUTHWEST GRILL, L. L. C., 426 F. Supp. 2d 1356 (N.D. Ga. 2006)

. . . . § 559.801(1)(a)(4). . . .

ECLIPSE MEDICAL, INC. a a v. AMERICAN HYDRO- SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, INC. a a C. R. a, 262 F. Supp. 2d 1334 (S.D. Fla. 1999)

. . . Under Florida Statutes § 559.801, “Business opportunity” is defined as “the sale or lease of any products . . . purchaser is required to pay an initial fee or sum of money which exceeds $500 to the seller....” § 559.801 . . .

BARNES, v. BURGER KING CORPORATION, a, 932 F. Supp. 1420 (S.D. Fla. 1996)

. . . The definition of “business opportunity” at issue here is found at § 559.801 and reads, in pertinent . . . Fla.Stat.Ann. § 559.801(l)(a) (West Supp. 1995) (emphasis added). . . . Burger King objects to the Magistrate’s Report and asserts that the Magistrate erred in reading § 559.801 . . . sale of the Burger King to Barnes falls under the definition of “business opportunity” provided in § 559.801 . . .

SCHUBOT, v. McDONALDS CORPORATION,, 757 F. Supp. 1351 (S.D. Fla. 1990)

. . . Section 559.801(1) states, in pertinent part that a “ ‘[bjusiness opportunity’ means the sale of any . . . so long as those business opportunities to be sold are no more than five in number_” Fla.Stat.Ann. § 559.801 . . . Section 559.801(1), et seq. simply does not apply to this transaction. 2. . . .

STATE v. HERMAN,, 466 So. 2d 435 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1985)

. . . The trial court granted the motion because it found that section 559.801, Florida Statutes (1983) does . . . The sole issue in this case is the construction of section 559.801. . . . Section 559.801 defines a “business opportunity” as: (1) ... the sale or lease of any products, equipment . . . The legislative history of section 559.801 indicates that a remedy for fraud in various different kinds . . . Therefore, we construe section 559.801 as having its lettered subsections written in the disjunctive . . .