From the Jul 12 – Jul 18, 2001 issue

News

The Return of Reyn Yates

Reyn Yates and No Boundaries Ltd. Still Don't Recognize Tenants' Rights

by Kevin Jones

On Thursday July 5, Reyn Yates of No Boundaries Ltd. sent Lois Pierris, owner of Lulu's Restaurant & Piano Bar a notice demanding $17,856.78 in back rent. (Lulu's is in the Metropolitan Building in Pioneer Square.) Pierris was given three days to pay up. After receiving the notice, Pierris called her lawyer; while she was late with her rent ($4,300 a month), she says she certainly didn't owe Yates anything else.

Yates has already made headlines for the treatment of his residential tenants at the Eileen Court Apartments on Capitol Hill ["Landlord Retaliation," Holly Gottlieb, Sept 9, 1999]. Now Yates has been causing problems for commercial tenants who, like Pierris, have businesses on Yesler Street between Second and Occidental in Pioneer Square.

According to Pierris, the trouble started when Yates approved her proposal for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning repairs, and agreed to split the costs. Yates assigned one of his employees to supervise the work, but after the work was finished he did not approve of the quality of the repairs, and forced the repairmen to start all over. After a second (and once again supervised) attempt, Yates still did not approve, and refused to pay--leaving Pierris with the entire bill.

Pierris has been trying to collect the $7,500 she feels Yates owes her (half the cost of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning repairs), and when she finally requested that Yates temporarily reduce her rent in lieu of the repair bill, he sent her the $17,856.78 back-rent notice.

Residents of the neighboring Interurban Building on Second and Occidental, which Yates also owns, have been complaining about him as well. After the earthquake in February, Yates arranged to have the Interurban retrofitted. Tenants believe the work was supposed to take one month, but it's still not finished and it's month four. According to tenant Rita Sjolin, Yates has hired a third contractor for the job, after refusing to pay the previous two. Tenants have reported a loss in profits because the scaffolding hides their businesses. Sjolin, who owns Artistic Collections, requested a rent reduction until retrofitting is completed. She was denied.

"I should be selling 100 coffees every morning with a location like this, but I end up selling 15 to 20," said Sjolin. "Because of the scaffolding, people don't even know I'm here." After repeated attempts, The Stranger was unable to get a comment from Yates.