And Now for the Other Side of the Story of Traders in Pocomoke

Long time Pocomoke City eatery 'Traders Chicken and Ribs', doors are now locked with the contents advertised to be sold at Public Auction.

Why?

According to reports in the Daily Times, owner Tony Trader has been in an intense legal battle over the last year with Oxford Chase Development Co., . Oxford Chase and H2J LLC. are the 'new' owners of the Ames Plaza Shopping Center, in what has been depicted in subsequent letters to the editor and the court of 'Public Opinion' as a David and Goliath saga.

Trader has claimed that he has had to close down his restaurant just before the holidays putting 25 employees out of work.

A long time active, generous member of the community Trader has served Pocomoke City, and some of it most needful residents for many many years. As a house parent at the Samaritan Shelter I recall a bag of chicken being delivered to the shelter every night after the restaurant closed, so that the hungry in town would benefit from their extras.

Trader also volunteered years on the board of the Pocomoke City Chamber of Commerce as an active participant of the Cypress Festival and as Treasurer on the Executive Board.

What happened?

Why so much trouble now after 28 years in this location?

According to the Times article, Traders attorney stated “The only change, is a new landlord intent on permanently terminating the lease with Trader’s.”

Wow! That's pretty strong!

For those of you familiar with the property you know that this shopping center had certainly seen its prime a very long time ago.

Even before the Meatland Grocery Store, and the Ames Department Store moved the shopping center was in major disrepair and in need of a face lift.

Next Taylor Bank moved to their new location and, with filthy sidewalks and a parking lot filled with potholes it pretty much became a ghost town after they left save Traders and Hardees directly on the highway and a few small stores that clung on to stay in business. When the county moved the liquor dispensary into the center it probably brought more business to some of the remaining business' and definitely made the center look busier.

According to Howard Crossan, President of Oxford Chase Development Corporation and partner in H2J, LLC., owners of the center; all Trader had to do was keep his end of written agreement's that he willingly signed.

Part of that agreement was maintaining utilities to his business.

Crossan stated on the day of the the grand opening for Dunkin Doughnuts, the doughnut shops toilets and sinks began overflowing. A plumber was called to the site to clear the drains and lines in the doughnut shop but found nothing blocking it. Following the pipe the plumber found himself behind Traders store and when he opened the man hole for the main sewer line couldn't obtain a visual because of the amount of grease in the way coming from the Trader's lines.

Oxford Chase had to call 'Roto-Rooter' and have the lines cleaned, incurring a bill in the amount of $3,200. When presented with the bill Trader refused to pay it.
Additionally, during the course of making repairs to the center, Oxford Chase decided to repave the parking lot.

Trader was to pay his portion of this bill as well. He refused and said he did not want his portion paved, and it was not. Which only drew attention to the old asphalts age and condition. He also refused to move equipment that he had stored around the signage on the outside of the property which was a BBQ Pit Trailer, and some picnic tables.

Why the breakdown? Why the lawsuits?

According to Crossan in December of 2007 he met with Trader in Attorney Sonny Bloxom's office and told him he needed to pay the bill, Trader refused and Oxford Chase filed suite in District Court. District Court ruled in the developers favor, and

Trader appealed in Circuit Court. The Circuit Court denied the case and in August

Trader filed a Writ Cetorium in the Maryland Court of Appeals (which is a request for a stay that will keep him from being evicted).

But, he moved.

He has planned an auction to auction off his equipment.

But is this the fault of the Development Company?

I don't think so.

Mr. Trader signed a lease with this company. The lease stipulated the conditions the required maintenance and rules of what would be allowed on the property.

The remaining amount of the lease amounts to approximately $64,000.

Mr. Trader was presented a bill for $3,200 to fix a pipe that was clogged with chicken grease, coming directly from his restaurant.

According to Mr. Crossan if he had paid that bill, or at least have been willing to address this bill Traders would still be here today.

Twenty odd employees may still be working, and the family restaurants doors may still be open.

Things change. This is America, we are allowed to by real property and we are allowed to make changes to that property. This is America and we are also allowed to open a business and lease property from a property owner to conduct our business.

But one of the things that we need to keep in mind, if we do decide to lease, and that is in the end the real property is not ours, and we must abide by the conditions stipulated within the lease agreements; and if we do not, then we must pay the price one way or the other.

It is sad that Traders is gone, as it was a part of the invested fabric that is Pocomoke, but it is also sad that Oxford Chase has been made out to be the bad guy when they have invested a great deal into the community as well, and want to continue doing so into the future.

Developers often get the bad rap, but I really think that both sides of the coin need to be viewed.

Now what will happen to the $60 thousand plus dollars that Oxford Chase is claiming?

Trader has scheduled an auction for the 17th of this month to sell the equipment, where will these proceeds go.

According to Crossan, Trader is incorporated and could decide to file bankruptcy and never pay it at all.

Business isn't for cowards and things are usually more complicated than presented in a short newspaper article or letters to the editor.

It's sad to see this family operated business close down, but this is the choice of the owners.