14/01/2024
Brooklyn Park, MN Bulletin Board just want to clear the air surrounding my involvement with Brooklyn park Minnoco. I engaged with the previous owner who was a friend of mine of 6 years. This guy who I did not know his true colors revealed himself over the past few months. And I will try my best to make a long story short.
During 2021 the previous owner who I will not name was found liable for $262,000 in back owed taxes he never paid sales and use taxes
And settled for $80,000. During this time he moved to South Dakota to get away from MN Taxes And to start other business ventures.
He asked me to find a buyer for the business only and at the time the business was not doing well at all.
Being as how he did not engage with the community at all and had literally no customer service skills. Did not care to buy inventory The business was only floating.
In January 2022 I was asked if I could help with his hotel located in Pipestone MN as it had flooded. Due to his frugality and turning down the heat. Pipes in multiple rooms burst causing the hotel to flood.
He asked me to repair the damage done due to plumbers ripping out sinks and ripping out sheetrock to repair damaged plumbing.
I said ok you’re better off remodeling all rooms affected as the rooms were from the 1980s and completely out of date.
So we came up with an agreement remodel 20 rooms of a 40 room hotel as a down payment and $100k owner financed for the BP Minnoco gas station.
I spent 3 months away from my wife and 3 Daughters, my house, back and forth 187 miles one way to complete the work.
The old owner gave me a transfer date of June 1st 2022. he instructed me to obtain a business bank account with his banker with his brother on the account to secure the owner financing. I did that
June 1st I started to operate this business as mine. spending money on advertising changing bills into my name and making a lot of Changes.. painted the place had a lot of landscaping done, trees, dead bushes, new mulch beds, added new lighting so at night it’s not so dark. I’ve given to local school sports programs, talked to Troubled youth. Gave to the BP lions club, with what budget I had. basically giving back to the Brooklyn Park community. As any business owner in Brooklyn Park should do.
As a person who grew up off 79th and Colorado in BP (I’m 40 this year) I have built a good reputation/relationship with the patrons of this business. Literally using my own time my own truck to help patrons move furniture around BP, borrowed everyday patrons money to pay their late rent (was paid back). The random homeless needing a bite to eat. The wife of a veteran dropping off her husband at the airport for deployment and having 4 kids sharing one 20oz bottle of soda one bag of Doritos me seeing this I gave her cash, gas, and a bag of snacks. Literally stuck at the gas station from Sauk center with no gas or money. Being a place that other local small businesses could come to to have a place (given space) could operate.
My goal with this place was to bring back the old school local convenience store. everyday regulars had credit when they didn’t have money to pay and help the community when needed.
My efforts for a year and a half have definitely paid off as I have grown a business more than double in one years time.
Because of my efforts and doubling the business the old owner is bullying his way back into the business as his name is on the lease. does not/has not lived in this state for more than 3 years. Could Care less about the community just about the money.
Today I was approached by Brooklyn Park City Police Department with a trespass order even though the previous owner has made over $300k at least $200k over our agreement. I have a lot of bills in my company name paperwork And yea now I have to spend possibly 100s of thousands of dollars to take this as***le to court.
So at this time you can choose to patronize this business but just know it’s going to an owner who could care less about the community. Does not employ people of the community (plenty of people in the community need a job) but illegals who are not supposed to work in the United States cash under the table. And will not spend money on the overall upkeep of the place..
I will keep you informed as I meet with my lawyer tomorrow.
