Blocked doors and security on the outside were not enough to tell the story to hundreds who turned up to shop at TriMart Haggatt Hall and Bridge Street yesterday.But the sign on the door told it all for those who stopped to read.Some queried whether or not “someone had died inside”, or “if the police had caught a thief”, but the answer was quite different.NSR Limited, the landlord of both properties, had been in receivership since June, and bailiffs were told to “distrain” or seize goods on the premises and sell them to recover the arrears in rent of approximately $1.7 million. It was early yesterday morning that bailiffs moved into both supermarkets locking them down, after an official Warrant of Distress was issued on August 26, 2010, by joint receivers Christopher Sambrano and Craig Waterman, partners with Pricewaterhouse Coopers.Trimart allegedly owes $1.27 million for premises at Haggatt Hall, and a further $423 684 for the premises at Bridge Street.Warrants were executed by the bailiffs at both locations under the close observation of Sambrano and attorneys for NSR, Garth Patterson, QC, and Alana Gore of Lex Caribbean.Shocked customers stared at the notice, and tried to peep through the closed doors, but only those with prescriptions to be filled on the inside of the pharmacy at Haggatt Hall, were allowed in. The bank and the rest of the mall, however, remains open to the public.The occasional peep outside and whispered words to security personnel from store department manager at Haggatt Hall, Richard Yearwood, told the tale that all was not well on the inside.Over at Bridge Street, Nation photographer Nigel Browne was just in time to see the marshals asking workers to leave the workplace.It is understood that even the manager at that location had no idea what was going on, but after a short telephone call, she then met with staff, some of whom then left the scene. Scores of onlookers also gathered at that location in an effort to see what was going on.One staff member told photographer Browne that it was unfortunate to be left in that situation since she couldn’t afford to be without a job. (CT)
