Customers have been stopping at Cary Martin Outdoor Power Equipment's Crescent storefront only to find the doors locked.
A faxed letter of eviction has been taped to the inside of the glass front door. On a recent afternoon, one man pulled up in a pickup truck and puzzled over the letter.
The man, who identified himself as a customer, peered through a chain link gate that had been padlocked shut. “That’s my lawnmower over there,” he said, pointing to a row of machines behind the fence.
Inquiries about equipment left at the shop for servicing were being directed to the Windsor Law Group, at 250-385-6004.
Martin purchased the 750 Enterprise Cr. location from Alf Becker & Son, a chainsaw repair business, when Jim Becker retired in October.
At the time, Martin said the new location would be expanding, with satellite shops in Oak Bay and Langford.
The dealership's web site included the following message to customers:
"We sincerely apologize for the recent closure of our store. Our assets and including our clients’ assets in legal terms “Wrongful Seizure or Retention of Company Assets” by the landlord of the building. We have followed all legal process in trying to have the assets released but to date the landlord is not complying with these requests.
"We are now in process of evaluating the next steps with our lawyer and the lawyer of Alf Becker and Sons to deal with this wrongful seizure.
"If you have equipment with us, please contact a lawyer for consultation about your assets."
Mary & Cary Martin
