March 25, 2009
By Robin Kaminski/The Daily Item
With more than $17,000 due to the city in back rent and utilities, the partners of Horizon's Edge Casino boat are attempting to strike a deal with the city.
Despite dealing with the city for nearly a decade, David Zion, who is employed by Patriot Properties at 330 Lynnway as a secretary, treasurer and partner, is also a general partner with the casino boat and has been since its inception in 2000.
Zion is $15,000 in the red for three months of back rent with the pier's landlord, the Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC).
After several failed attempts to track down Zion, EDIC executive director James Cowdell said he received an e-mail Tuesday from attorney Kenneth Chiarello, who is representing Horizon's Edge, offering to settle all claims by giving the city a ticket booth, four loading barges and a gangway.
"I really have no interest in a ticket booth, I want the rent they owe us," Cowdell said. "So thanks, but no thanks. This isn't 'Let's Make a Deal.'"
Aside from owing the city $15,000, the owners of the casino boat also owe Lynn Water & Sewer $2,383.61 for the last six months of usage.
Infuriated over Zion's actions, City Councilor at Large Paul Crowley said the city will be taking a hard look at future contracts with Patriot Properties, which helps the city with the pricing of properties.
"If this guy (Zion) thinks he can walk away from obligations at one entity and enjoy the benefits from a contract with another entity, he is sadly mistaken," Crowley said. "The city of Lynn doesn't do business this way."
According to City Assessor Peter Caron, previous city contracts with Patriot Properties include a $600,000 contract to identify every parcel in the city, which was spread out over three budgets, a $40,000 contract for commercial and industrial property revaluations, and a roughly $5,000 contract for personal property measuring and listings to be completed this year.
Former Horizon's Edge general partner Paul Yasi, who left the cruise business in 2004 with his brother John due to conflicting schedules with their law practice, said they were two of the original five partners with Zion, Peter Yasi and Thomas Groom.
"It just got to be too much work for us," Paul Yasi said. "We bought the boat in 2000, and then Dan Carnevale (a partner) left in 2003 and then we left in 2004. I know it's tough times to run a boat, but they (Zion, Groom) were pretty good businessmen."
In regards to where the missing casino boat is, Cowdell said he received an anonymous tip from a caller in Florida who read The Item's article about Horizon's Edge, and said that it is docked in Treasure Island where the boat operates in the winter months.
Cowdell said a lien for $65,644.47 has been placed on the Las Vegas-style cruise ship, which featured cards, poker, craps, roulette, more than 225 slot machines, a buffet and live entertainment.
Calls placed to Zion Groom and Chiarello were not returned Wednesday. |
