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24-year-old pizza chef signs 10 year non-compete clause with first job at 17, faces legal warning when he opens up his own restaurant

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  • A man wearing chef whites reads a piece of paper while standing in a kitchen with a chopping board and ingredients in front of him
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  • Signed a non-compete at 17 for my first job, original owner is now threatening to sue me for opening my own business

    I worked at a local pizza shop when I was 17, first real job. On day one they had me sign a stack of papers and one of them was apparently a non compete saying I wouldnt open a competing food business within 15 miles for 10 years.
  • Im 24 now. Made some extra money and finally I'm able to open my own small pizza place, found a location, signed a lease three weeks ago.
  • Somehow the original owner found out, small town people talk I guess, and I just got a letter from what looks like an actual attorney saying Im in violation of the noncompete I signed back then.
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  • A man puts sauce on a pizza base with a wood-fired oven behind him
  • I genuinely barely remember signing anything, I was 17 and just happy to get the job.
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  • Does a contract signed by a minor even hold up? And even if it does somehow, 10 years and 15 miles for a part time job that paid me $8.50 an hour seems absolutely insane.
  • Do I actually need to hire someone or is this something I can respond to myself?
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  • Location: Kentucky
  • Close-up of a man holding a metal bowl and using a ladle to put sauce on a pizza base
  • Background_Bus263 It's easy to threaten to sue, but a 10 year non compete signed by a 17 year old working in a pizza shop is hilariously unenforceable.
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  • sjmiv I'm surprised no one mentioned this, but call the office of the attorney. Make sure the letter is legit, because sometimes people fake these things.
  • TallLaw85 The 15 mile restriction is likely reasonable and enforceable, but the 10 year restriction likely isn't. They can certainly try to sue you, it may be most cost effective to just hire an attorney to respond back in the hopes they drop it.
  • jonny5iv3 You should frame the letter in your new shop lol
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  • clovencarrot Kentucky is a reasonableness state when it comes to noncompetes. If this bozo decides to sue, which I would guess he does not, I would heavily suspect a Kentucky judge to throw this out. 10 years and being a minor when you signed it are both very unreasonable. A little research says that Kentucky allows you to file for a declaratory judgment. Basically, you can pay a lawyer and file in court to say that you believe this contract is unreasonable and should be considered fulfilled. It
  • No-Conversation5732 When did you quit the job? Ten years is excessive for a noncompete in most jurisdictions, but a year is almost always reasonable; two years is frequently upheld too. There's a bill pending to limit Kentucky noncompetes to people making more than $2k a week, so not helpful as a matter of law, though you can argue state policy is turning against restrictions on pizza guys. 15 miles is probably reasonable. If the non-compete was part of your initial hire, there is likely conside
  • scrappymerman Do NOT respond to them directly in any way shape or form. Get a lawyer ASAP. All correspondence must go through them.
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  • No-Chart-6310 Info: when was your last day of employment with the pizzeria in question? NAL. While KY typically upholds non-competes, they must be reasonable in duration (6 months to 2 years), among other things. KY is also a blue pencil state, meaning, if the scope is not reasonable, the Court can modify it to be so.

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