DOVER, Del.- The former owner of a business in charge of hosting events at the recently shuttered Outlook at the Duncan Center in Dover said on Tuesday that she is assessing the feasibility of honoring scheduled events at the venue after its abrupt closure last week.
Erin Cooper Barrett, the daughter of Duncan Center builder and owner Bob Duncan, said in a statement that new contracts may be offered for events scheduled at The Outlook but note she was not in a position to honor the business obligations of the firm that took over management of the venue in 2017.
"As you can imagine, this is a nightmare for the employees as well as those who have paid deposits to Outlook Events 2 LLC. I have not been actively involved in the business for over two years. As much as I want to step in and save the day, it is not feasible to say that it will happen before the holidays," she said.
As WBOC first reported on Monday, signs appeared late last week at the entrance to the Duncan Center that read "Outlook Events 2 CLOSED Failure to Pay Rent." The signs listed the phone numbers for Kent County caterers Cheryl and Orville Carney.
In the statement, Cooper Barrett said she had previously owned at operated the business that managed the Outlook but sold the firm to Cheryl Carney who established operations at the venue under Outlook Events 2 LLC.
Cooper Barrett said Carney took over the obligation to pay rental fees to the ownership of the Duncan Center as well as events scheduled through October 2018 under the previous ownership.
The news comes as a number of event organizers are scrambling to reschedule and relocate events that had been scheduled at the Duncan Center during a time of the year when businesses and organizations frequently host holiday parties.
Among the events that have been outright cancelled was a holiday party intended for employees of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority. Officials there said they were not notified about the venue's closure and only learned about it through word of mouth.
DSWA officials said it is unclear what will become of a $500 deposit placed on the event.
A spokeswoman for Dover Air Force Base also said in a statement that several events involving base personnel had been scheduled to take place at the Duncan Center and had since been rescheduled or relocated.
The League of Local Governments in Delaware also said a replacement location was being sought for its December meeting, which had initially been scheduled to take place at the Duncan Center in November.
Justice of the Peace Court Records show an eviction involving Cheryl Carney was completed last week at the Duncan Center following a summary judgement.
The move followed several weeks of legal maneuvers that began on Oct. 19, 2019, when the Duncan Center filed for eviction in an initial complaint that alleged Carney had not paid full or partial rent for the months of May through October and ten months worth of late fees. The document alleged $66,300 was sought in relief.
The case docket shows a stipulated agreement between the Duncan Center and Carney was reached on Oct. 30, temporarily halting an eviction.
On Nov. 20, an attorney for the Duncan Center on Nov. 20 submitted an affidavit of breech to the court claiming that Carney had submitted a check of for $14,500 on Oct. 30---the first of multiple scheduled payments scheduled under the deal.
"That check was returned to plaintiff due to insufficient funds," wrote Attorney Michael Rushe in the affidavit.
The judge ruled the Duncan Center LLC could proceed with eviction and seek the unpaid balance in a higher court, according to the docket.
Court records say Carney sought a stay on a writ of possession but was unsuccessful and the eviction took place on Dec. 12.
Cheryl Carney did not respond to a phone calls on Monday or Tuesday from WBOC seeking comment about the Outlook's closure.