St. Thomas Social, St. Thomas USVI.
Yacht Haven Grande has backed off on its efforts to evict a popular St. Thomas restaurant, but seeks the right to return to litigation in the future if required.
At the end of May, legal representatives for Yacht Haven asked the court to sanction the eviction of Social Hospitality Group, doing business as St. Thomas Social. The restaurant, Yacht Haven claimed, had racked up almost $200,000 in unpaid rent.
Days later, Brett M. McClafferty announced that the dispute had been settled. “Payment has been made, and a dismissal order will be filed by opposing counsel forthwith,” Mr. McClafferty said in a statement. “St. Thomas Social…looks forward to continuing that service for years to come.” Local media outlets reported earlier this week that the matter was “completely resolved,” according to Mr. McClafferty. However, the story told by the documents submitted to court by Yacht Haven attorneys is slightly different.
Eviction proceedings for St. Thomas Social have indeed ended, for now. On Tuesday, Yacht Haven attorneys asked the court to dismiss the matter without prejudice, claiming that the defendant “has not submitted an answer or motion for summary judgment.” The court instead dismissed the matter with prejudice, indicating that the dispute was closed for good. Yacht Haven believes this must have been a clerical error, as on Thursday afternoon their attorneys filed a motion asking the court to preserve their right to bring the matter back before it if necessary. The court has not yet ruled on their request.
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