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Rochester Area Call Center Sued for Back Rent During COVID-19
A Rochester, NY-area call center is being sued for nonpayment of rent amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The June 4 lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, also states that United Call Center Solutions is attempting to break its lease, according to the Rochester Business Journal.
The lawsuit was filed by 1699 Ridge Road E., LLC, owner of the former Macy's building where the call center is housed. It alleges the call center company missed its April rent payment and told the property owner it was entitled to a rent abatement. The abatement would be based on Governor Andrew Cuomo's New York on Pause order, which ordered non-essential businesses to close to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The call center company gave the same reason for not paying its May rent, while also announcing it was terminating its lease. The property owner claims that this puts the company in breach of contract. The lawsuit states United Call Center Solutions has also not paid its June rent, yet "continues to use the Premises to operate its business." The company purportedly owes $253,490.81 in back rent and penalties.
Further complicating matters is the call center's chain of ownership. The center was first opened at the Macy's site, which is the location of a former mall, in 2017. It was then owned by Conduent, which was once a business services division of Xerox.
According to filing records from several states, Conduent acquired United along with a number of other call centers in 2019. Conduent is also named in the lawsuit for failing to seek and obtain the building owner's consent to assign the lease to United.
Edited by Maurice Nagle