A Plum gymnastics and cheer center has closed its doors because the landlord evicted the owners for defaulting on their lease agreement.
West Penn Academy Cheer & Athletic Center was told to move out its equipment from the Pine Valley Drive location by the end of Monday.
The landlord, Sampson-Morris group of Monroeville, said in a statement that gym owners Tammy and James Mattis defaulted on the agreement.
"We feel badly about the eviction, but we gave them multiple opportunities to cure their default on the lease," the statement said.
The Mattises had little time to notify parents of about 140 youngsters who attended the gym. Some parents showed up at the center with their children Monday night and demanded refunds, said James Mattis.
He and his wife refused to pay rent because the Sampson-Morris would not remove Tammy Mattis' relative from the lease, James Mattis said. That person invested in the gym but is estranged from the Mattises and hasn't helped with the bills for months, he said.
Mattis said the gym experienced financial problems because nearly half of the parents were not paying tuition, although they allowed the children to continue.
The Mattises occasionally donated cheerleading uniforms, costing about $300, to families with financial hardships, he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment