Local businessman, Sam Hassan Spa franchise owner suing franchiser

Dr. Sam Hassan, owner of the Mona Spa & Laser Center franchise business in Vancouver, said he had no choice but to shut down the operation.

“It wasn’t the economy, but a dispute with the franchiser that made it impossible for us to be profitable,” said Hassan, who operates a spa-laser facility in Portland that also closed. “The franchise agreement confined our ability to advertise. The advertising that was done through the franchiser was fruitless, it didn’t work.”

The advertising issue is peripheral to a lawsuit filed by Hassan against the franchiser, Mona Sappenfield, owner of Mona Spa & Laser centers based in Memphis, Tenn. The suit was filed in Clark County Superior Court last year and claims that Sappenfield and her husband, William Sappenfield, misrepresented revenue projections for the business, falsely described her company’s other franchise businesses and falsely represented the services to be provided by her as franchiser. Neither did Sappenfield disclose that Washington state law governing laser treatment procedures was being changed.

Customers notified

Meanwhile, Hassan said he is trying to contact each Mona Spa customer who prepaid for services and treatments through his franchise at 8101 N.E. Parkway Drive near Westfield Vancouver mall, which abruptly closed on Monday.

“So far, we’ve contacted about 60 percent of those clients,” Hassan said. He said only 15 clients were affected by the closure.

Hassan’s lawsuit estimates his total loss from investment in the business to be $1.47 million. He is seeking triple that amount in damages from the Sappenfields, plus attorney’s fees. Portland attorney Todd Baran represents Hassan.

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