Rhodes Said...Gingerbread Said

Our main thrust with this blog is to expose government waste and malfeasance. We also are happy to help any readers with problems that may be related to government or other entities which they feel have encroached on their lives or livelihood.

However, business is business, and any business owner does have the right to do as he/she wishes with property, as long as it's not legally prohibited in some way. Recently we published a blog by J. Redmon, a member of our blogging team. J. lamented the fate of Gingerbread Antiques due to actions ostensibly initiated by the building's owner Darrin Rhodes.

At that time, Rhodes offered the following statement:

Gingerbread Antiques may be closing, but that is the decision of the owner. I have never requested they leave or spoke with them about a rent increase. There are always two sides to every story, and after this article anyone with a question knows how to reach me.

Now Gingerbread is closed, and this notice has been posted on the door:

Where does the truth lie? Perhaps somewhere in between Rhodes' version and Clemmons' version?

It's never easy to establish a new business; one major risk is improving rental property, only to be thrown out in favor of someone who will now pay more because of your improvements...or if the owner has a suddenly better bright idea of what to do with the property. Our advice is to get and keep an airtight lease. Even better, purchase the property if you at all can.

Rhodes recently announced he will also be turning the old McCorkle's Furniture building into apartments. We wish him well, but since this seems to be a new game plan for Rhodes, we suggest anyone renting a business space from the property manager dust off the lease and be prepared for what may well be coming.



Shoalanda