Owner: rent was late

The trial over the eviction of a furniture store in a Costa Mesa shopping center, which has rallied other store owners against the property manager, was set Monday for Jan. 8 as both sides failed to reach a settlement.

Don Logan, co-owner of Waterfront Furnishings in the South Coast Home Furnishings Centre on Hyland Avenue near the 405 Freeway, argues his eviction is retaliation for rallying the center’s tenants against the property’s management, South Coast Home Furnishings Center LLC.

More than two dozen witnesses are ready to testify on Logan’s behalf, he said. The tenants blame the property manager for their sales woes because they don’t feel South Coast has promoted the center enough.

The property owner’s case is simple, said Chris Louis, president of the property’s management team.

“He didn’t pay [rent] on time. And it wasn’t the first time,” Louis said.

Logan acknowledged he was a couple of days late paying rent in September and November.

In November, the company refused to let him pay the rent on time in person, he said. Because Logan put the check in the mail Friday, it was not postmarked until the following Monday, making the payment late, he said.

Logan’s attorney, Greg Grantham, said they can prove Logan’s story and are confident going into the trial next month.

In the meantime, Waterfront Furnishings’ business continues to suffer, Logan said.

“It’s physically impossible for me to create a future for my business when I have to deal with all this baloney,” Logan said.

Logan’s business is one of many furniture and home decoration stores in the center, which celebrated its grand opening mid-November.

The property managers have failed to effectively advertise the center, Logan said.

His outspoken criticism of them, along with leading the tenants’ own advertising campaign has made him a target, he said.