101 Cantina will take legal action for its right to stay on West University Avenue.
The Midtown restaurant and tequila bar was served an eviction notice by leasing company Trimark Properties LLC on Friday for unpaid rent, late charges, court costs and attorney fees, according to Alachua County court records.
But Alex Thomas, a partner of 101 Cantina, said now that Trimark has made its claim, the restaurant will be filing its own within the week, arguing it still has a year left on the lease and should not be evicted.
In the 43-page complaint filed by Trimark, emails between Thomas and Matthew Luedecke, the commercial property manager of Trimark, show Thomas asking to extend 101 Cantina’s lease. Luedecke claims in the emails that 101 Cantina leased the location at 1632 W. University Ave. on a month-to-month basis.
Luedecke declined to comment, saying the family that owns the property is preparing a statement.
“We’re not really authorized to make a comment,” he said.
Thomas said he extended the lease in 2012. The emails included in the court filing show his desire to renew the lease again before it ends in September 2017.
“I ask every month, ‘Hey, what’s going on with this lease, are we getting a new lease?’” he said.
He tried to pay September’s rent, but Trimark did not deposit it, Thomas said.
“We’re arguing that we have a year left,” he said. “We’ll be making our claim back to them this week.”
