CURVES: “Another Curves nightmare. Please advise!”

We received yet another sad email from a failed Curves franchisee reaching out for advice, this one with the subject line “PLEASE ADVISE ! (another curves nightmare)”  Please feel free to share your experience, thoughts or helpful resources:

“It’s a huge relief to know that I have so much company who are walking in my shoes, but will that help???  I had my club for 7 yrs and just closed the end of Aug.  The decision was made with only a weeks notice, but it was kind of the only chance because I was supposed to sign an amendment to my lease.  Couldn’t do it because the business was already failing.  Anyway, Curves was given a weeks notice, which was all I had to give and in all of my correspondence with them, I repeatedly told them I have NOTHING…No money, no credit, nothing in my name….

“Everything I did have I stupidly dumped back into the business thinking that I could somehow rebuild it and save it but then it only kept getting worse.  I filled out their initial paperwork and had the equipment destroyed (what a shame…), & sent them the receipt to prove it.  They asked me for the 10,000, knowing I don’t have it.  Then offered I settle for 4000; told them I don’t have that either. 

“I have not yet mailed them back their cylinders because I was told by another owner that it had cost a few hundred dollars when she mailed hers back.  I told Curves I was trying to sell some stuff to make the money so that I could send them back.  They then told me that I should just write that in the paperwork and send that, but at the same time they told me i hadn’t met the deadline for turning in my closing stuff so it was now being turned over to Legal. 

“Last week I got paperwork from Legal stating I know owe everything (totals $28,175.00).  It said that I had to respond within 10 days; haven’t done it because I have nothing.  I don’t know what to do.  I am considering filing for Bankruptcy against the Corporation, but will that help?  I’m an S-Corp and I don’t know if since I signed the franchise agreement as an individual initially, does that mean that filing wouldn’t help?  The attorney I spoke with doesn’t seem to be all that concerned with the franchise part of it all, but this is all just a nightmare to me without having any definite resolution in writing to protect me. 

“I can’t move forward and take care of my family until I have the franchise, the landlord, and some tax issues resolved.  It’s a relief not having to go to sleep every night and wake up every morning consumed with the struggle of drowning in Curves to keep it open, but all of that has been completely exchanged for the new nightmares of the aftermath of closing the doors…   Does anyone have ANY advice???? “

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