Many franchise agreements include a contractual limitation period or time limit when parties can bring a claim for relief. Though the franchise agreement is often written by and for the franchisor, these limitations can help or hurt either party.

Recently a court in Ohio ruled that a contractual time limit for claims, barred an action by the franchisor. The franchisor, Buffalo Wings and Rings, sent a notice to its franchisee in early 2011 describing claims. More than one year later, the franchisor filed a lawsuit.

At the franchisee's request the court dismissed the action, ruling that the franchisor's claim was barred by the one year limitation period stated in the franchise agreement. The Buffalo Wings and Rings case is a reminder to franchisors and franchisees, to be thoughtful of both statutory and contractual time limits for bringing claims, and is a reminder that a statutory or contractual time limit may be a successful defense to a claim by the other side.