Hudson’s Bay store in Coquitlam defaults on rent, owner takes over



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VANCOUVER – A Hudson’s Bay store in Coquitlam is closed and a letter posted on the front door indicates that the closure was due to non-payment of the rent.

The letter on the door of the department store inside the Coquitlam Center shopping mall indicates that the owner, Pensionfund Realty Limited, has terminated the store’s lease “for default of rent payment.”

“The details of the default have been provided to you in our notice of default dated 7 October,” the letter reads.

He goes on to indicate that Hudson Bay has not contested the default, but neither has it taken “corrective measures” to address it.

“As a result, since the breach in question constitutes a serious breach under the lease agreement, the owner has returned and taken possession of the premises to legally enforce his rights,” the letter reads.

CTV News Vancouver has reached out to Hudson Bay for comment on the closure. This story will be updated if and when a response is received.

On Saturday, inside the mall, shoppers could be seen peeking through the windows of the closed shop, which appeared to be still full of merchandise. The letter is dated with the date of Saturday.

Like many retailers, Hudson’s Bay Co. struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, which reduced foot traffic in traditional malls and prompted people to shop more online.

Earlier this month, a judge ordered the company to pay half of the rent it owes to its store at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill, Ontario, worth $ 659,395, equivalent to 50% of the rent. property that hasn’t been paid for in months. from April to October.

The mall owners attempted to evict Hudson Bay from the mall, but the company filed an injunction to prevent this from happening.

The interim ruling by Ontario Superior Court Judge Glenn Hainey prohibits the mall owner from ending HBC’s lease, for now, with the final outcome of the case to be determined after a hearing on the merits of the claims. each part.

In a statement in response to the interim ruling, Ian Putnam, president and chief executive officer of HBC Properties and Investment, said the court recognizes the need for equal sharing of the burden of the pandemic.

In a statement, she said HBC is grateful to the court “it acknowledged the extraordinary challenges of the global pandemic and how the burden can be shared fairly and legally, especially with regards to non-essential retailers.”

Putnam added that most of the owners of the company across Canada have “reached mutually acceptable deals” with the company.

With files from The Canadian Press

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