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The U.C.C. And Franchise Act Remedies: Coast To Coast Stores, Inc. V. Gruschus, Misty Ellen Mondress

Seattle University Law Review

Coast to Coast Stores, Inc. v. Gruschus was the first Washington case to deal with the potential conflict between the Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.) and the Franchise Investment Protection Act (FIPA), arising when a franchisor repossesses goods after a franchisee defaults under a security agreement. The Washington Supreme Court avoided the conflict, however, by holding that because the franchisor never terminated the franchise, the FIPA protections were not triggered. The U.C.C. remedies therefore applied: the franchisor could collect the proceeds of a liquidation sale of the secured goods-in this case the franchisee's inventory and supplies-in reduction of the franchisee's indebtedness; …