Doors closed

Hundreds of customers who turned up yesterday to shop at two Trimart Supermarkets, went back home empty-handed, after they were greeted by bailiffs and closed doors.A notice of “Distress For Rent” at the Mall Internationale in Haggatt Hall and on the Bridge Street branch, informed customers that the supermarkets owed a debt of $1 271 053.17 to their landlord N.S.R. Limited.A Press release from PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Christopher Sambrano stated that “Trimart allegedly owes $1.27 million for the premises at Haggatt Hall, and a further $423 684 for the premises at Bridge Street”. NSR Limited had been in receivership since June this year.The SATURDAY SUN understands that the official Warrant of Distress was issued on August 26, 2010, by joint receivers Sambrano and Craig Waterman, partners with PricewaterhouseCoopers, who authorised the bailiffs to “distrain” or seize goods on the premises and sell them to recover the arrears in rent of approximately $1.7 million.  The warrants were executed by bailiffs at both locations yesterday morning, under the close observation of Sambrano and the attorneys for NSR, Garth Patterson, QC, and Alana Gore, of Lex Caribbean.Sambrano, who is head of Advisory Services with PricewaterhouseCoopers, stated in the Press release that attempts to have these debts settled over the past few months had failed. He added that “with the closure of the Bridge Street location being imminent, we had no choice but to take action to protect the company’s interest”.  “As a result, we have had to appoint bailiffs to distrain such of the goods and chattels as may be lawfully distrained for rent in and on the premises occupied by Trimart and known as Trimart Supermarket. In effect, we have seized Trimart’s goods in an effort to recover the rents owed,” he said.The company has also served notice on Trimart terminating the tenancies at both locations, and the receivers have indicated that they are actively in discussions with other potential anchor tenants to replace Trimart.  The properties are tenanted by several other small businesses, who remain in full operation.