A Stafford Circuit Judge has denied a local sex shop's request to have its rent safeguarded while awaiting the outcome of an ongoing lawsuit.
The situation stems from a dispute between adult retail outlet Pheromoan's and its landlord, 70 Doc Stone LLC. According to the Free-Lance Star, Pheromoan's attorney Rachel Goldstein asked that the shop's monthly rent checks be deposited in an escrow account. That way, she said, if the shop owners win a judgment against 70 Doc Stone LLC, they'll be sure to collect damages.
The strip mall owners filed suit against Pheromoans in December, claiming the shop's sexually-oriented inventory violated its lease. An attorney for 70 Doc Stone said his client thought the shop would be a "lingerie boutique," and not a vendor of sex toys and porn videos.
Pheromoans counter-sued in January, insisting that 70 Doc Stone knew the exact nature of the store's business and failed to notify the owners of any restrictions on the property. Goldstein cited the landlord's actions as "fraudulent conduct."
Goldstein pointed out that if the shop has to move, its owners will lose all the money they invested in renovating the property and opening the business.
"Seventy Doc Stone was aware of these restrictions and leased it to my client and intentionally withheld that information so it could get a tenant paying rent," she told the judge.
