Grimaldi's Owner Pooh-Poohs Eviction
After word of Grimaldi’s demise spread like wildfire yesterday, The Brooklyn Paper did some old-fashioned reporting and called up the popular pizzeria’s outspoken owner for his take on the news that his landlord was seeking to evict him over $44,000 in back rent and reimbursements. (The Post and The Daily News now put that number…
After word of Grimaldi’s demise spread like wildfire yesterday, The Brooklyn Paper did some old-fashioned reporting and called up the popular pizzeria’s outspoken owner for his take on the news that his landlord was seeking to evict him over $44,000 in back rent and reimbursements. (The Post and The Daily News now put that number at close to $60,000.) I don’t owe her any rent [as the Wall Street Journal reported], Ciolli said. We’re waiting until Friday to give the landlady whatever the total is.” In the same interview, though, Ciolli almost seemed to dare the landlord to give him the boot. What are they gonna do, move in another pizzeria? he said. It’s not gonna be Grimaldi’s. They’re gonna have an empty store.” The owner of Pete’s Downtown restaurant at the end of the block put the whole kerfuffle into perspective. This guy doesn’t actually wanna leave, and with this kind of cash, the landlord doesn’t really want him to leave either. He’ll pay up. A court date is set for tomorrow.
Grimaldi’s Owner: Eviction Talk Pie in the Sky [Brooklyn Paper]
Grimaldi Owner Not Moving Until Judge Says [NY Post]
Grimaldi’s Facing Eviction Over Rent Dispute [NY Daily News]
Still Long Lines at Grimaldi’s Despite Eviction Story [Brooklyn Eagle]
Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up [Brownstoner] GMAP
FYI commercial real estate is handled in court much differently than residential. Commercial ends in eviction much faster than residential.
I assume the dispute is not on the basic rent but additional(added) rent in the form of share of taxes other similar charges or on how an escalation clause in the lease is interpreted.
The landlord sends a bill for the added rent. It becomes due as part of the rent, the tenant refuses to pay it and the landlord refuses to accept part payment(the old rent without the added amount). The landlord then sends a 3 day notice(or longer if the lease says so maybe 15 days) saying pay the full amount or the lease is terminated.
The tenant then has three choices.
1. Pay the full amount and live with it.
2. refuse to pay, hope you are right because if you are wrong and the amount was due, the court does NOT have the power to reinstate the lease and order payment. The court orders an eviction and the money that was due under the lease and holder over as a judgment. Of course if the tenant was right the court says the lease was improperly terminated, reinstates the lease and orders the amount due to be paid at that time.
3. refuse to pay and the tenant starts a lawsuit to maintain the lease and determine the correct payment- getting what is called a “Yellowstone” injunction that prevents the landlord from terminating the lease while the full amount due is determined. The injunction normally requires that the landlord accept the base amount while this is on going. Once the court has determined the amount to be paid, the tenant must pay it or the lease will get terminated. In order to get the injunction a bond normally covering the alleged amount due has to be posted.
Hey DIBS did you write the sign for them? calling it obnoxious is pretty funny from you. I think please would help but that wouldn’t be Brooklyn.
Thanks for the tip on Ignazio’s. I’ll have to try it next time I am in that area. I don’t think anybody can dispute that Grimaldi’s is a tourist trap, but it is a tourist trap with good pizza.
Ignazio’s in 4 Water Street is better. Grimaldi’s a tourist trap. Can’t get spinach on pizza…
The pizza is pretty good there. It isn’t as good as Di Fara or Frannies, but it is a top pizza. It isn’t even that crowded on weeknights. And if you want to get a pie on a weekend, the easy solution is to call ahead and do take out. There’s nothing more enjoyable than cutting that huge line and then walking back out, pizza in hand.
whole business is re-sublet to polish guys who run the cash business
if all the sales tax collected from us what paid to city, we’d have not budget deficit
enough said
So, Grimaldi’s owner is a rent deadbeat? Not surprised at all. Just look at the classy signs on his door and the rudeness shown towards his paying customers. Classy indeed.
He wins the Douchebag of the Week award.
“I don’t owe her any rent [as the Wall Street Journal reported],†Ciolli said. “We’re waiting until Friday to give the landlady whatever the total is.”
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That statement makes no sense to me. Either you owe or you don’t. It’s like saying “I don’t owe and after the court date i’ll pay what i dont owe.” 0_o?? huh???
Either way he’s a jerk its all a publicity stunt the lines will be longer for at least a week as people flock to their beloved pizzeria. And the push will last him through the end of the summer season.
I think Ciolli is playing with fire here – YEAH the LL CAN get another pizzeria to open here;
Frankly there is alot of good brick oven pizza around these days and a smart operator can come in and quickly establish the business back up – lets not forget that the place used to be called Patsy’s and had to change the name due to a trademark dispute and then it was sold to another operator – and the whole time business seemed to maintain itself.
The tourists (that come for the view as well as pizza) really wont care in a year or two if the name changes again – its still in Brooklyn and it is still right near the BB bridge (convenience and historical),
Sure the LL will likely take a hit on the initial rent but sounds like she is already paying a steep price in collection costs – rename the place with some other Italian name, make good pizza (get a pizza maker from Franny’s) and in 2 years the place will be as profitable as ever.
They’ve always had that “takeout same line” sign. I’ve always walked right in