Published: July 09, 2008 11:03 am            

Woody’s is closed

A downtown Richmond restaurant is closed, and the landlords have obtained a restraining order to prevent mortgaged property from being removed from the premises.

On Tuesday, “No Trespassing” and “For Rent” signs were attached to the front door of Woody’s restaurant in the Glyndon Hotel at the corner of Main and Third streets.

Landlords Anne S. Baker and Susan Martin filed suit July 2 in Madison Circuit Court against restaurateur Andrew Jones alleging he had defaulted on lease payments.

They also obtained a restraining order, issued by Judge Julia Hylton Adams, that prevents Jones, his agents employees or family members from coming within 500 feet of the plaintiffs or the restaurant.

According to the suit, the landlords have a lien against restaurant equipment and fixtures, and restaurant employees allegedly were observed removing items from the premises.

The suit claims Jones’ $3,500 check to pay the restaurant’s May rent was returned for insufficient funds. The June rent was paid with a cashier’s check on June 20, according to the suit, but on June 27, Jones requested that his July and August rent be deferred.

Court documents also include a letter to Jones refusing to defer the rent and giving him 10 days to “cure his default” under terms of the lease. This was “one of several notices” regarding violation of lease terms, according to the suit.

When called to the premises on July 1 regarding a “RIP Woody’s” and other signs painted on the restaurant’s front window, Jones appeared “intoxicated and belligerent, the suit claims.

An affidavit filed by Martin in support of the restraining order claims that Jones had “verbally assaulted” her in the past and in 2006 devalued the building by removing windows from the restaurant without “making it right” as promised.

An answering machine message left Tuesday afternoon for Martin, a Richmond attorney whose office is in the Glyndon Hotel, was not returned before press time.

Jones, who is not listed in the Richmond phone directory, could not be reached for comment.

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.

        

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