Bar owner sued by commercial landlord for alleged property damage, abandoning premises

GRETNA – A local bar owner is suing a tenant for allegedly not making repairs to the premises as required by contract.

Geocor Properties LLC filed suit against Todesco Enterprize LLC and Johnny Todesco in the 24th Judicial District Court on March 11.

Geocor Properties LLC states it owns property located at 4512-4548 I-10 Service Road in Metairie that is leased to Todesco Enterprize LLC and Johnny Todesco where they ran the bar, Devil’s Bayou.

The plaintiff claims that under terms of the lease the defendants are liable for abandoning the premises on Feb. 3, 2013 due to a plumbing problem that caused a bad odor in the establishment. Geocor Properties LLC asserts that it attempted to access the bar but the locks had been changed and it was not provided with keys for two days after receiving notice of the problem.

The plaintiff states that it eventually got into the bar after hiring a locksmith. Afterward, the defendant verbally harassed the plaintiff and threatened to call the police.

Geocor Properties also asserts that after getting into the establishment it found that its property had been damaged.

It states that it evicted Tedesco, but that the defendants should be required to make repairs to the building.

The defendant is accused of breach of contract.

Damages in an amount less than $25,000 are sought by the plaintiff.

Geocor Properties LLC is represented by attorney Thomas Farnsworth Robichaux of Metairie.

The case has been assigned to Division G Judge Robert A. Pitre Jr.

Case no. 736-323.