Five major real estate owners, from whom the Guzzo Group rents space to house its film screening activities, are requesting court intervention so that the rent owed to them is paid.
In a joint motion, dated January 15, the landlords request from the Superior Court of Quebec the lifting of the suspension of proceedings ordered under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA), and ask to be exempted from the “orders not to interfere with the receiver”.
“Non-interference orders cause serious harm to landlords [locateurs] who are now financing the operations of the debtors [les entités du Groupe Guzzo]“, we can read in the request. “Also, unless this honorable Court intervenes, non-interference orders will likely continue to cause serious harm to landlords.”
Archive photo / QMI Agency
The group of applicants is made up of BCIMC Realty Corporation and Marché Central Holdings (for Marché Central), 9440-1890 Québec and 9458-7870 Québec (Greenfield Park cinema), as well as the St-Luc St-Jean shopping center (cinema of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu).
Failure to pay at the Central Market
The owners of Marché Central say they have not received any rent payments since the appointment of the interim receiver in November. Result: as of January 13, the Guzzo Group would have accumulated rental debts with the Marché Central totaling $545,483.
“The lessor [sic] of the Central Market cannot continue to subsidize the activities of the [Groupe Guzzo] without any compensation,” it is argued. “It is inequitable and seriously prejudicial to the lessor of the Central Market to impose non-interference orders on it and it is important that the suspension of proceedings be lifted with regard to the exercise of its legal and contractual remedies.”
Lease expired on Taschereau
The owners of the Méga-Plex building on Taschereau Boulevard, in Greenfield Park, emphasize, for their part, that the lease linking them to the Guzzo Group expired on July 31.
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Photo Martin Jolicoeur
Since then, Guzzo has occupied his premises illegally, despite the procedures initiated to obtain his eviction. As of December 31, 2024, they argue, the Guzzo Group would have accumulated rent arrears of $374,453, excluding interest, despite the fact that it has continued to carry out its commercial activities since.
Free occupancy in Saint-Jean
Things do not seem to be going much better in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu where, since July, the St-Luc St-Jean Shopping Center (Bertone Group) has initiated legal proceedings for termination of lease and claim for rent arrears against the Guzzo Group.
In response, Guzzo stopped paying his rent while continuing to operate his cinema activities there. His arrears to the shopping center would today amount to $1.98M.
In the meantime, the owner is forced to assume his mortgage payments alone and without any other income ($55,610 per month), without the means to go to court to claim what is owed to him. A situation that he considers “unfair”.
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