WINNERS & LOSERS

Naa, Naa, Na, Naa, Naa

By Sam Pfeifle

If you’ve been following the recent trials and tribulations revolving around the Alehouse and their disgruntled landlord, ELC inc. — owners of the Regency Hotel — you may have thought the Alehouse’s days were numbered.

Not so, said a judge Friday March 9.

ELC inc. had filed a three-count complaint claiming that the Alehouse hadn’t paid its water and tax bill, and that their live music violated provisions in the lease. In the judge’s words, however, these claims were “not credible.”

Alehouse co-owner/chef Russ Riseman was obviously ecstatic when he heard the news. “They came up with some very trumped-up charges,” he said, “but we just got the ruling from the judge, and we won unilaterally.” Calling the case a real struggle of “David and Goliath,” considering that ELC is a “$200 million a year corporation,” Riseman gave the credit for the win to his attorney, Jim Roux. “He did a phenomenal job,” said Riseman.

A chuckling Roux attributed the win to false pretenses, and some shoddy lawyering, on the part of ELC. “It appeared to me that ELC was a keystone cops operation,” said Roux, “based on what I saw in the courtroom, in this case.” Not only did the judge find their arguments on the loud-music issue to be baseless, but “Their witness decided on the stand,” said Roux, “while testifying, that the billing procedures were wrong.” Hence, ELC wound up voluntarily dismissing the money claims.

But Roux doubts they were overly concerned with the money, anyway. “Bottom line,” outlined Roux, “the Alehouse had already paid about $30,000 for lease and capital issues, and ELC sued them for what ELC claimed was $800 or $900 for water and tax claims, which turned out to be false. It doesn’t seem that money is truly the issue.”

Roux noted that the Alehouse is in good shape financially, “and if ELC wants to throw them out of the building, perhaps they should do it in a business-like way, rather than use the district court. They need to go to plan B.”

And the Regency can look forward to a little over nine years of continued friendly existence with the Alehouse, as they are very early into a ten-year lease.

“We’re happy to be neighbors to the Regency,” said Roux. “We want to be good neighbors.”