A tattoo parlour in New Ash Green shopping centre was suddenly closed down due to being unlawfully sub-let, resulting in owner losing £15,000 in savings that were put into the business.
Kristen Hawthorne reports
Kristen Hawthorne reports
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00:00It was essentially I went to bed with a shop and woke up without one.
00:04£15,000 of investment.
00:07That's how much Charlie and his partner poured into their business,
00:10only for bailiffs to change the locks unexpectedly,
00:13leaving them fearing they've lost it all.
00:16Three businesses at New Ash Green Shopping Centre were shut down
00:20after property managers claimed the units were being unlawfully sublet.
00:24The site, owned by LTP New Ash Ltd, was bought at auction last year
00:29and is managed by KMP Solutions.
00:32Charlie, the owner of Bissell Inc, was given no warning about the closure
00:36and is concerned for his partner, who does piercings at the shop,
00:39as well as their 12-week-old baby.
00:42She's unable to drive because of how traumatic
00:46both physically and mentally this birth has been for her.
00:48So the fact I was able to stay close by and support her in many ways
00:52was a massive benefit for us.
00:54Charlie says that bailiffs arrived early in the morning while they were asleep,
00:58despite being told he'd be kept informed if there were any property issues.
01:02I mean, with regards to the fact that these three businesses
01:06have invested in those units, that's absolutely true.
01:09They've put a lot of their own money and time into making those studios suitable
01:16and we don't believe that they did anything wrong at all.
01:21Losing an average of £500 a day, as well as a deposit they'd saved for a family home,
01:26Charlie has been offered alternative properties,
01:29but insists hygiene standards are crucial for his parlour
01:32and he can't move just anywhere.
01:34Lots of customers have already paid deposits for upcoming tattoos,
01:38which he can't afford to give back.
01:40Paint that is medical grade and wipeable, make the surfaces wipeable
01:44and everything up to a good standard to make sure that, of course,
01:46what we deal with is blood pool pathogens and infections and wounds and such,
01:51is such a mammoth task.
01:53It always takes us months, whenever we move into the premises,
01:56to get it up to a standard.
01:58In a statement, KMP Solutions said that it is possible
02:02that the three businesses may not have been aware
02:04that their use of the premises was not under lawful terms.
02:07We recognise that they are likely well-meaning small business owners.
02:11Charlie says that trying to work through all these issues
02:15is like finding a needle in a haystack
02:17and he needs a permanent location soon,
02:19rather than a temporary solution for his customers.
02:22Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV in New Yashgreen.