Terms of Service

Effective date: April 14, 2026 · Last updated: April 14, 2026

IMPORTANT: U.S. members, please review the Arbitration Agreement in Section 22 carefully. It requires you to resolve disputes with Towne on an individual basis through final and binding arbitration. You have a 30-day opt-out window described in Section 22.12.

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Axiomic, LLC (“Towne,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) concerning your access to and use of the Towne mobile application, the website at towneapp.com, and all related features (the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree, you may not access the Service.

When you register, you become a “Member.” If you have not registered, you may still be able to access certain aspects of the Service as a “Visitor.”

2. Definitions

  • “Service”— the Towne mobile application, the website at towneapp.com, and all related features.
  • “Content”— text, links, images, photos, videos, comments, and other materials submitted to or displayed through the Service.
  • “Member Content”— Content submitted by a Member.
  • “Neighborhood”— the geographic community within which a Member is verified and participates.
  • “Towne Entities”— Axiomic, LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, partners, and licensors.

3. Eligibility

You may use the Service only if you can form a legally binding contract with Towne and only in compliance with these Terms and all applicable laws. You cannot use the Service if:

  • You are under 13 years of age, or under the age at which you are able to consent to the processing of your personal information in your jurisdiction without parental consent;
  • You are a resident of Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, or Maryland and under 18 years of age;
  • You are a registered sex offender in any jurisdiction, or are otherwise subject to a legal order barring you from accessing online services that permit use by minor children. We reserve the right to check public registries;
  • We previously disabled your Account for violations of these Terms or our other policies;
  • The Service is not directed to your geographic region;
  • You are otherwise prohibited by applicable laws from accessing the Service.

We reserve the right to refuse registration, access, or use of the Service by any person or household at any time.

4. Description of Service

Towne is a paid, ad-free neighborhood social platform that provides:

  • Neighborhood-based social feeds organized into seven purpose-built channels: Towne Square, Safety & Alerts, Marketplace, Recommendations, Events, Towne Hall, and Lost & Found;
  • Direct messaging between verified neighborhood members;
  • Community-driven content moderation via upvotes, downvotes, and a political-flag system;
  • Neighborhood verification to ensure members are real, local residents;
  • A subscription-based model with no advertising, sponsored content, or data sales.

5. Membership, Accounts, and Verification

The Service requires a paid membership. Subscriptions are:

  • Monthly: $10/month
  • Annual: $100/year
  • Founding Member: first year free, then $50/year locked for life (limited to the first 50 members per neighborhood; subject to Section 5.1 below)

Payments are processed through Apple In-App Purchase. Subscription management, including cancellation, is handled through your Apple ID settings. Refunds follow Apple’s standard IAP refund policy.

5.1 Founding Member Pricing

The first 50 Members verified in each neighborhood are enrolled as “Founding Members” and receive a complimentary first year of membership at no charge, followed by a locked annual subscription rate of $50/year, honored for the life of the Account, subject to the following terms:

  • Complimentary first year.The first year of a Founding Member’s subscription is provided at no charge. The locked rate of $50/year begins upon the first annual renewal following the complimentary period.
  • Continuous subscription required. “For life” and “forever” mean for as long as the Founding Member maintains an active subscription without a lapse exceeding thirty (30) consecutive days after the complimentary period ends. If a Founding Member’s subscription lapses beyond this window, resubscription will be at then-current standard rates. The Founding Member badge and any Founding Member non-price benefits are retained regardless of lapse.
  • Base subscription only. The locked rate applies to the standard Towne subscription only. It does not extend to any future premium tier, add-on, business account, or optional paid service that Towne may introduce.
  • Corporate continuity. Towne will honor Founding Member pricing through any acquisition, merger, change of control, sale of substantially all assets, or corporate reorganization. This obligation binds any successor or assignee of Towne and survives any such transaction.
  • Termination for cause.If Towne terminates a Founding Member’s Account for a material violation of these Terms (including fraud, abuse, impersonation, or repeated policy violations), the locked rate is forfeited along with the Account. Good-faith cancellation by the Member does not forfeit the rate, subject to the continuous-subscription requirement above.
  • Insulation from standard price changes. If standard (non-Founding) pricing increases, Founding Member pricing remains at $50/year. If Towne materially reduces standard pricing below the Founding Member rate, Founding Members receive the lower of the two rates.
  • Non-transferable. Founding Member status is tied to the Account and the verified residence. It does not transfer if the Account is sold, gifted, or reassigned to another individual, and does not automatically transfer if the Member relocates to a different neighborhood (though Towne may, at its discretion, honor the rate upon relocation and re-verification).

One Account per residence. Each individual is limited to one Account, and each residence is limited to one Account per adult resident. Creating multiple Accounts to circumvent bans, manipulate votes, or impersonate other neighbors is grounds for immediate termination. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Account credentials and for all activity under your Account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

Parental consent for minors. If you are between 13 and 17 years of age, you may register only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, and by registering you represent that such consent has been obtained. We may require additional verification of parental consent where state law requires it.

Members must complete neighborhood verification (via neighbor vouch code, passive location verification, or manual address review) before posting, commenting, or voting.

6. Our License Grant to You

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, and freely revocable license to access and use the Service. This license is not a sale. We retain all right, title, and interest in the Service and all copies thereof.

7. Your Content and Rights You Grant

7.1 Ownership

You retain ownership of all Member Content you submit to the Service.

7.2 License Grant to Towne

By submitting Member Content, you grant Towne a non-exclusive, transferable, sublicensable (through multiple tiers), royalty-free, worldwide license to host, use, store, copy, modify, reformat, translate, distribute, syndicate, publicly display, and prepare derivative works of your Member Content, solely to operate, promote, and improve the Service. We exercise this license subject to your Account settings and the privacy settings of each post.

7.3 License Grant to Other Users

You grant each other user of the Service a non-exclusive license to access your Member Content through the Service and to use, reproduce, and display such Member Content as permitted through the Service’s functionality and these Terms.

7.4 Feedback

If you share feedback, suggestions, or ideas about Towne (“Feedback”), you grant Towne a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, sublicensable, transferable, royalty-free license to use your Feedback without compensation in connection with any current or future Towne product or service.

7.5 Representations

You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to submit your Member Content and grant the licenses in this section, and that your Member Content does not violate any third party’s rights.

7.6 Public Content

Posts in the Recommendations, Events, and Safety & Alerts channels may be displayed on the public web at towneapp.com in anonymized form (author name replaced with “A neighbor in [Neighborhood]”). You are informed of this during post composition.

7.7 No Expectation of Privacy in Posted Content

You have no expectation of privacy in Content you post publicly within the Service. Other Members can view, screenshot, copy, describe, and (subject to our policies against doxxing and off-platform misuse) share your public posts and comments. We cannot prevent Members from doing so. Content shared in direct messages is visible to the intended recipient, who can similarly screenshot or share it. Do not post anything to Towne that you would not want preserved, shared off the Service, or resurfaced later.

8. Code of Conduct and Prohibited Activity

8.1 Community Standards

Members agree to the following community standards:

  • No harassment or personal attacks. Disagree with ideas, not people.
  • No discrimination. Content targeting individuals based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics is prohibited.
  • No doxxing.Do not share others’ private information (home address, phone number, etc.) without consent.
  • No spam or commercial solicitation. Marketplace posts are for neighbor-to-neighbor transactions, not business advertising.
  • No misinformation. Do not knowingly share false safety alerts or fabricated claims.

8.2 Prohibited Activity

In addition to the above, you agree that you will not:

  • Gain or attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service, including other Members’ Accounts;
  • Interfere with, disrupt, or damage the Service, or attempt to do the same (by posting malware, launching denial-of-service attacks, or spamming);
  • Attempt to probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of our systems or breach any security or authentication measure;
  • Conduct facial recognition or other biometric analysis of Content posted on the Service;
  • Develop, support, or use software, devices, scripts, robots, or any other means or processes (including crawlers, browser plugins, and add-ons) to scrape the Service or otherwise copy Content, including for inclusion in or to train large language models or other artificial intelligence technology;
  • License, sell, transfer, assign, distribute, host, or otherwise commercially exploit the Service or Content;
  • Modify, prepare derivative works of, disassemble, decompile, or reverse-engineer any part of the Service;
  • Access the Service to build a similar or competitive website, product, or service;
  • Use the Service to solicit, advertise to, or contact other Members for any employment or commercial purpose except through the features we make available (e.g., Marketplace, Recommendations);
  • Collect or harvest Members’ contact information, profile details, or Content using automated or manual means without their explicit consent or our prior written permission;
  • Otherwise access or use the Service in an unlawful or unanticipated manner.

Attempts to engage in any of the above are also prohibited. Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or account termination.

9. Community Moderation System

Content moderation on Towne is community-driven, not top-down. The system includes:

  • Upvotes and downvotes determine content visibility. Posts with significantly negative scores are automatically hidden.
  • Political flag system— a separate axis from quality votes. The community can flag content as political. Posts that exceed a threshold are visually faded and eventually auto-moved to the opt-in Towne Hall channel. Political flags do not affect user karma.
  • Reporting— users can report content for Code of Conduct violations. Reports are reviewed by administrators.

All moderation thresholds are server-configurable. We reserve the right to proactively moderate Content but expressly disclaim any obligation to do so.

Community Moderators. In future versions, we may grant certain Members additional account features to support their neighborhood, including moderation tools. Members with such access are not agents, employees, or contractors of Towne.They act in a volunteer capacity. They may not represent that they act on Towne’s behalf, may not enter into agreements on our behalf, and may not perform moderation in exchange for compensation from third parties. We may revoke or limit moderation access at any time, with or without notice, for any reason.

10. Member Transactions and Venue Disclaimer

Towne is not a party to interactions, transactions, or disputes between Members. We do not own or sell any of the products or services listed by Members on the Service (for example, in Marketplace or Recommendations). Any actual contract formed is between the Members themselves.

We have no control over and do not guarantee:

  • The existence, quality, safety, or legality of any goods or services listed by Members;
  • The truth or accuracy of Content or listings;
  • The ability of Members to pay for or deliver goods or services;
  • That Members who contract with one another will actually complete the transaction;
  • The integrity, responsibility, or actions of any Member.

When interacting with other Members, use common sense to protect your personal safety and property, as you would when interacting with any person you don’t know. When purchasing goods or services learned about on Towne, vet the product and seller as you would with any other purchase.

Neither Towne nor our affiliates are responsible for the conduct, whether online or offline, of any user of the Service. Towne and our affiliates will not be liable for any claim, injury, or damage arising in connection with your use of the Service to interact or transact with another Member.

11. Disputes Between Members; Waiver of Claims Against Towne

If you have a dispute with another Member, we hope you can resolve it amicably. Please understand that Towne is not responsible for the actions of our Members. You agree that Towne has no responsibility for the conduct of Members, and you release the Towne Entities from losses, liabilities, claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, arising out of or connected with disputes involving you and other Members.

If you are a California resident,you expressly waive California Civil Code §1542, which says: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or releasing party.”

12. Invitations and Referrals

If we offer features that let you invite non-Members to join Towne (via email, text message, or other means), you acknowledge that such invitations are sent by you and not by Towne. We may help facilitate the delivery of your invitation. You are solely responsible for complying with applicable laws (including anti-spam, anti-robocall, and similar laws) when sending invitations. Any third-party fees (mobile carrier, internet service provider) from sending invitations are your responsibility.

13. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

14. Artificial Intelligence

Towne does not currently use AI-powered features, AI chatbots, or AI-driven automated decision-making to process user Content. Content ranking and moderation use transparent, rule-based algorithms (time-decay, community voting ratios) — not generative AI — and we do not train AI or machine-learning models on user Content.

If AI-powered features are deployed in the future, we will disclose their use in this Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy, and comply with all applicable AI transparency obligations under laws such as the EU AI Act, the Colorado AI Act, California AB-2013, and similar state or federal regulations.

15. Copyright and DMCA Procedure

Towne respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects Members to do the same. We respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), 17 U.S.C. §512.

15.1 Notice of Alleged Infringement

If you believe Content on the Service infringes your copyright, send a written notice to our designated agent at hello@towneapp.com (subject: “DMCA Takedown Notice”) containing all of the following:

  1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or person authorized to act on their behalf;
  2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (or, if multiple works, a representative list);
  3. Identification of the allegedly infringing Content and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate it (e.g., the Towne post URL or a description and neighborhood);
  4. Your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
  5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the Content in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
  6. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.

15.2 Counter-Notification

If your Content has been removed by mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification to hello@towneapp.com (subject: “DMCA Counter-Notification”) containing:

  1. Your physical or electronic signature;
  2. Identification of the Content that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal;
  3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the Content was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification;
  4. Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in the judicial district where you reside (or, if outside the U.S., the Northern District of California) and will accept service of process from the party who filed the original notice.

15.3 Repeat Infringers

We will terminate the Accounts of Members who are determined to be repeat infringers under appropriate circumstances.

15.4 Designated Agent

DMCA Agent: Axiomic, LLC, 24 Platt Court, Mill Valley, CA 94941, hello@towneapp.com.

16. Electronic Communications

By creating an Account or otherwise using the Service, you consent to receive electronic communications from us, including notices, agreements, and disclosures. You agree that any notice, agreement, disclosure, or other communication we send to you electronically will satisfy any legal communication requirements, including that such communication be in writing. This consent extends to transactional emails (welcome, account updates, receipts, security alerts) and, if you opt in, to marketing and product-update emails.

17. Software Updates

The Service may include software that is automatically updated. You agree that we may update the software with or without notice and that your continued use of the Service after an update constitutes acceptance of the updated software and these Terms. We may require you to accept an update in order to continue using the Service.

18. Service Availability and Changes

We strive to maintain continuous availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted service. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time. We will provide reasonable notice of material changes. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction is to stop using the Service.

19. Warranty Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

19.1 Warranty Disclaimer

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. THE TOWNE ENTITIES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We make no warranty regarding the completeness, accuracy, availability, timeliness, security, or reliability of the Service; any harm to computer systems or data loss resulting from access to or use of the Service; or that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

19.2 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE TOWNE ENTITIES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, RESULTING FROM (i) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICE; (ii) ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICE; (iii) ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICE; OR (iv) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE TOWNE ENTITIES EXCEED THE GREATER OF (a) THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO TOWNE IN THE SIX MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM; OR (b) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. If these laws apply to you, some of the above limitations may not apply.

20. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold the Towne Entities harmless from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising out of: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of applicable laws; (d) your violation of the rights of another party; (e) your interactions with other Members; or (f) your Member Content.

21. Termination

By you. You may terminate these Terms at any time by deactivating your Account and discontinuing use of the Service. A 30-day grace period applies before permanent deletion.

By us. We may suspend, terminate, delete, or deactivate your Account at any time, with or without notice, for violations of these Terms, Code of Conduct, or applicable laws, or for any other reason.

Survival. Sections 7 (Your Content and Rights You Grant), 8 (Code of Conduct), 10 (Member Transactions), 11 (Disputes Between Members), 15 (DMCA), 19 (Warranty Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability), 20 (Indemnification), this Section 21, and 22 (Dispute Resolution) survive termination.

22. Dispute Resolution and Binding Arbitration

22.1 Informal Dispute Resolution

Before filing a formal claim, you agree to contact us at hello@towneapp.com with a written notice containing: (1) your name and contact information; (2) your Account email; (3) a statement of the claim and the facts supporting it; and (4) the remedy you seek. We will do the same if we have a dispute with you. We will try to resolve the dispute informally within 60 days before either party may begin arbitration.

22.2 Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. This governing law provision is limited to specifying the choice of law used in interpreting these Terms.

For any claim not subject to arbitration — including claims described in Sections 22.4 (small claims), 22.5 (emergency equitable relief), and 22.6 (IP and CFAA claims) — you and Towne agree that the exclusive jurisdiction and venue shall be the state or federal courts located in Marin County, California, and both parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. DMCA counter-notifications are subject to the separate jurisdictional consent required by 17 U.S.C. §512(g)(3)(D).

22.3 Arbitration Agreement

You and Towne agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved by binding arbitration on an individual basis, rather than in court, except as set forth in Sections 22.4, 22.5, and 22.6 below.

Arbitration will be conducted by JAMS under its then-current Comprehensive Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will be held in Marin County, California, or at another mutually agreed location. You may elect to have the arbitration conducted by telephone, video, or written submissions. The Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §1 et seq.) governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.

22.4 Small Claims Court

Notwithstanding the Arbitration Agreement, if the amount in controversy for any claim is less than $12,500, either party may bring an individual action in small claims court in the county where you reside or in Marin County, California. If the amount exceeds the small claims limit, the claim must be arbitrated.

22.5 Emergency Equitable Relief

Notwithstanding the Arbitration Agreement, either party may seek a temporary restraining order or other temporary equitable relief from a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction pending arbitration.

22.6 Claims Not Subject to Arbitration

The following claims are not subject to arbitration and may be brought in state or federal court: (a) claims alleging violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act; (b) claims of infringement or misappropriation of the other party’s patent, copyright, trademark, or trade secrets.

22.7 Waiver of Jury Trial

YOU AND TOWNE WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS TO SUE IN COURT AND HAVE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF A JUDGE OR JURY. Court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review.

22.8 Waiver of Class Relief

ALL CLAIMS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS ARBITRATION AGREEMENT MUST BE ARBITRATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT ON A CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE BASIS. ONLY INDIVIDUAL RELIEF IS AVAILABLE, AND CLAIMS OF MORE THAN ONE USER CANNOT BE ARBITRATED OR CONSOLIDATED WITH THOSE OF ANY OTHER USER, except as provided in Section 22.9 (Batch Arbitration).

22.9 Batch Arbitration

To increase efficiency, if 25 or more individual arbitrations of a substantially similar nature are filed against Towne by or with the assistance of the same law firm, group of law firms, or organizations, within a 90-day period, the arbitration provider shall: (i) administer the arbitrations in batches of up to 50 claims per batch; (ii) appoint one arbitrator per batch; and (iii) resolve each batch as a single consolidated arbitration with one set of filing fees, one procedural calendar, and one final award.

22.10 Authority of the Arbitrator

The arbitrator has exclusive authority to (1) determine the scope and enforceability of this Arbitration Agreement; and (2) resolve any dispute related to its interpretation. However, disputes arising out of or relating to the class action waiver in Section 22.8 shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction.

22.11 Survival

This Arbitration Agreement survives termination of your Account or these Terms.

22.12 30-Day Right to Opt Out

You have the right to opt out of this Arbitration Agreement by sending written notice to hello@towneapp.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include your name, Account email, and a clear statement of your decision to opt out. If you opt out, all other parts of these Terms will continue to apply.

23. General

Entire agreement. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Towne regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements.

Changes. We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes at least 30 days before they take effect via email and in-app notification. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, that provision will be severed from these Terms and the remainder will remain in full force.

No agency. These Terms do not create any agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship between you and Towne.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent, which may be withheld in our sole discretion. Axiomic, LLC may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction or notice. Any attempted assignment in violation of this section is void.

Waiver. Our failure to enforce a right or provision is not a waiver of that right or provision.

Force majeure. We are excused for any delay or failure due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

24. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact:
hello@towneapp.com
Axiomic, LLC
24 Platt Court, Mill Valley, CA 94941