Clintar serves commercial property managers and condo corporations rather than individual homeowners, so its contracts tend to run longer and carry more paperwork than a typical residential lawn-care route — and because the same unit usually handles both grounds maintenance and snow removal, a resale has to account for the snow side's liability-insurance realities. General liability coverage for snow and ice removal has become one of the harder, pricier lines to place in Ontario given how often slip-and-fall claims name the contractor, and that shows up directly in what a buyer needs to budget for and confirm before taking over active contracts.
Clintar resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer is conditioned on franchisor consent and a review of the active commercial grounds-maintenance and snow-removal contract book, including term lengths and renewal dates.
1–3 weeks†The Clintar system reviews the incoming owner's background and financial standing, and typically holds a right of first refusal it can exercise before consenting to the transfer.
3–6 weeks†A franchise disclosure document may still be required for this resale — Ontario courts read the resale exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in the sale can trigger it even where it's called a private deal.
runs alongside consent†Getting to closing
The equipment yard's lease needs landlord consent to assign, alongside confirming the unit's snow-removal liability insurance can be maintained or replaced under the buyer's name.
2–6 weeks†Franchisor operational training runs alongside formally notifying commercial clients — property managers, condo boards — of the change in contractor, since many commercial service contracts require notice or consent to an assignment.
2–5 weeks†Funds, the franchise agreement, the fleet and contract book change hands, ideally timed outside peak snow season where possible.
1 day, once conditions are met†Canadian commercial property-maintenance company headquartered in Markham, Ontario, servicing clients since 1973; official clintarfranchise.com actively recruits franchise partners across "protected territories," branding itself "Canada's Fastest-Growing Property Maintenance Franchise."
Head office located on Cachet Woods Court, Markham, Ontario.
This is the first real decision in a Clintar resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The unit's fleet and grounds/snow equipment, the active commercial contract book, goodwill, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes, including any pending slip-and-fall or snow-related claims. |
| Franchise agreement | Consent required for the specific territory, often paired with a current-form agreement. | Consent required for the change of control itself. |
| Snow-removal liability insurance | The buyer needs its own general liability coverage for snow and ice removal in place before closing — a line that's become notably harder and pricier to secure in Ontario given slip-and-fall claim volume. | Coverage may stay with the corporation, but insurers commonly reassess pricing and terms on any change of ownership regardless. |
| Commercial contract assignment | Property-management and condo-board contracts often require formal notice, or the client's consent, before a contractor can be assigned to a new owner. | Generally continue without a formal assignment step, since the contracting corporation doesn't change — though clients may still ask questions. |
| Equipment yard lease | Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, where the unit leases yard or shop space for fleet and equipment storage. | Usually stays in place, unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Typical use | The default for most single-territory resales. | Occasionally preferred where commercial contracts would otherwise be harder to reassign. |
The unit's fleet and grounds/snow equipment, the active commercial contract book, goodwill, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company — everything it owns, and everything it owes, including any pending slip-and-fall or snow-related claims.
Consent required for the specific territory, often paired with a current-form agreement.
Consent required for the change of control itself.
The buyer needs its own general liability coverage for snow and ice removal in place before closing — a line that's become notably harder and pricier to secure in Ontario given slip-and-fall claim volume.
Coverage may stay with the corporation, but insurers commonly reassess pricing and terms on any change of ownership regardless.
Property-management and condo-board contracts often require formal notice, or the client's consent, before a contractor can be assigned to a new owner.
Generally continue without a formal assignment step, since the contracting corporation doesn't change — though clients may still ask questions.
Needs the landlord's written consent to assign, where the unit leases yard or shop space for fleet and equipment storage.
Usually stays in place, unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
The default for most single-territory resales.
Occasionally preferred where commercial contracts would otherwise be harder to reassign.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Clintar territory changing hands between an existing operator and an incoming buyer, with a stable commercial contract book and insurance coverage that renews cleanly under the new owner.
Start my file →A territory with a contract book heavily weighted toward snow removal where insurance terms need real negotiation, or several commercial clients whose contracts require formal consent before the assignment can close.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Snow and ice removal carries some of the highest slip-and-fall claim exposure in the property-services industry, and Ontario's liability insurance market for it has gotten notably tighter and more expensive as a result. We confirm the buyer can actually secure coverage — and at what terms — before you're relying on being able to service winter contracts on day one.
Often, yes, at least in some form. Property-management and condo-board contracts frequently include notice or consent requirements for a change in contractor or ownership, so we review the actual contract book rather than assuming every client rolls over automatically.
On a share sale, yes — the corporation's claims and insurance history goes with it. On an asset sale, the buyer starts its own coverage, though insurers will still often ask about the location's or route's prior claims experience when pricing a new policy.
Possibly. Ontario courts have read the Arthur Wishart Act's resale exemption narrowly, so an existing relationship in the same franchise system doesn't settle the question — we confirm whether disclosure applies to your specific transfer.
Where it's realistic, we try to avoid closing mid-winter, since that's when snow-removal service demands are highest and a new owner has the least room to absorb a rocky handover. Late spring or summer, between snow season and the next grounds-maintenance renewal cycle, tends to be smoother.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Clintar or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Clintar resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.