LAST month, we reported that the Caspian restaurant in the Market Square was closed, with a large “Notice of Forfeiture” on the front window.

http://www.yourharlow.com/2019/05/16/forfeiture-notice-slapped-on-caspian-grill-house-on-market-square/

We have now been contacted by the owner of the restaurant, Atefeh Beresi, who asked to put his side of the story.

We are happy to do so.

Mr Beresi said: “The forfeiture which you seen that on the window shouldn’t be there and the shop shouldn’t be closed because for many years we have had a problem with shop drainage.

“Our shop doesn’t have any drainage and so we have to borrow from next door (nails shop). They are not happy to use their drainage and a few times we have to close the shop as next door cut the drainage.

Even our main water supply is in our neighbour’s property. Sometimes we didn’t have water.

“We told the landlord agent many times regarding our problem.

Last year we had to close our business as a result of flooding in our shop and we spent lots of money for refurbishment (changing the tills, change the pump which sucks the water to neighbour’s drainage and so many different problem as result of not having drainage.

“Since last year the landlord’s managing agent promised us that the landlord has planning permission to build over 60 flats above the shop. Once they need to start to build the flats, they will do our drainage.

We told the landlord agent we hold their rent until they install a drainage for our shop.

“The reason we hold the rent was,because the landlord agent lied to us on a number of occasions and so we couldn’t trust them.

So for a year we hold their rent and they promised us to do the drainage once they start to do building work.

A month ago,the builders start working and exactly the same time they give us forfeiture notice which they asked us to pay the rent.

When they asked for the rent we prepared to make payment but they changed their mind and told us they not willing to give us the shop back.

We noticed they cheated on us and their problem is not only rent, they want to use our shop for one of their entrance to flat above and use the rent as an excuse and take the shop back and if they admit that they want the shop for their project, they need to pay compensation.

If we been bad tenant, we weren’t there for 14 years.”

We did contact the companies with contact details on the Notice of Forfeiture but they have yet to reply.