ROCKLAND, Maine — The owner of a downtown business block has asked a judge to evict a restaurant that the landlord claims owes more than $237,000 in rent.
The attorney for the 3 Crow Restaurant and Bar, however, said that he is confident the court will find that the claims by the property owner are inaccurate.
The 3 Crow has leased space at 449 Main St. since December 2012.
The 449 Main St. LLC owned by Richard Rockwell filed a lawsuit Aug. 28 in Knox County Unified Court against 3 Crow LLC seeking to evict the restaurant operation.
A notice of termination of the lease was sent to 3 Crow in June, but the restaurant has not moved out, the lawsuit states. The restaurant owes $237,628, according to the suit filed by attorney Lee Bals on behalf of 449 Main St. LLC.
However, Patrick Mellor, the attorney for 3 Crow, said that the amount cited by 449 Main St. LLC is the total of lease payments for the entire 10-year lease. He disputes that 3 Crow has breached the contract.
Rockwell, who owns several downtown properties, and 3 Crow have also been in a legal battle since May when Rockwell filed a separate suit seeking to review the financial records of the restaurant that he has 25 percent ownership, according to court filings. That case remains pending in Knox County Unified Court.