Greed raises its ugly head...

[primsong]

My brother and I had to hire more than one person along the way to make sense of all the records my dad left behind of his business, inventory and contacts. We've finally got it done and all papers, records, affadavits, certificates, etc. done and the business is listed for sale -

Within two days of our listing it, the landlord reneged on his former promises that we could keep the store for the summer at the same rent rate my dad was paying him all these years, to have time to sell the business... but he is now *tripling* the rent as of the first of July.

We've suddenly gone from "whew, listed at last, now maybe things are looking up" to "$@%&@!"

My brother has flown back to Maui to shove things into boxes and arrange a storage facility for the inventory, to find a moving company, to work with our suddenly panicked broker, to rally my dad's friends to help us box and move things.

My dad would have roasted that man over a slow fire, without benefit of marinade. As my brother said to him, "We aren't a retail store! We're just some relatives trying to do what's right to resolve this. We don't have that kind of cash." The response? "Well....er....."

Aiyiyi. We haven't even gotten his ashes interred yet and already we've lost his store, probably to someone very upscale and not at all fitting with the old cowboy town. My heart just hurts. I hate greed. Hate it, hate it!

Comments

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

That is awful! So now you're not going to be able to sell it at all but just take a loss just because of the landlord's greed? I hope you are letting the landlord know you are having to do this...perhaps he'd be willing to settle...honestly I am wondering if you should get a lawyer's advice on this. {{{{{Hugs}}}}}

Would you mind praying for Mom's trip to Florida probably on Thursday...given her condition and her latest hospitalization, my brother is now shelling out big bucks to have her go down by ambulance.

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

The more I've been thinking about this, the madder I'm getting...shame on this man for taking advantage of you and your brother...*and* your father...in this way. I am praying that either you will sell before July 1st or that he will have a change of heart.

[samarra.livejournal.com]

That's terrible! I'm so sorry to hear that, Prim! *hugs for you*

[primsong.livejournal.com]

There is still some hope, as one of my dad's best friends is able to help us pull the storage containers out of the back and move them to his own business - this gives us safe storage for the larger inventory etc. and a new owner for the shipping containters. The business inventory and lists are still for sale, we just lost the major selling point of having an established location/phone # for the new owner. :-( We've dropped the price accordingly.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I covet your prayers, and am also lifting up your mom in the same way - major stress on your family going on too.

He's made a strategic mistake, I think...it's a small town, and they were very attached to my dad. The grapevine works well and we've found it's already starting to run - not going to help him with his reputation among the business people there. He never would improve the building, which is quite old - the town's original pool-hall from its cowboy days - so all the improvements were done by my dad too.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

(((((samarra)))))) Thank you...

I am still desperately hoping for a buyer in the next couple of weeks - more likely we're going to have to move it all into storage and hope to make it seem something postive (look - it's even all boxed for you already!)

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the town's business people could be bring pressure against him...letting him know they want to keep your father's business where it is. Maybe someone could buy it before the rent goes up...but then they'd be stuck with the high rent...so yeah, its going to work against the selling.