blevkog

No doubt this is good news for Halifax-area sad-asses that can't have normal relations with women; it appears that Javis Roberts intends to keep his porn establishment operating on Wyse Road as long as he can. He is currently "seeking clarification" of the meaning of the word "adult" in the Utility Review Board's decision to strip the operation of its liquor license. Readers will be forgiven any memories of Bill Clinton at this juncture.

In the meantime, dancers are clothed and he his busily constructing a non-licensed section that will run as a separate establishment and will offer lap dances and other "services".

Again, this is good news for guys that can't get it any other way, but decidedly not good news for the neighbours, who will continue to face the problems associated with guys "gettin' it" in their backyards in the middle of the night.

Just for the record, and to prevent it from slipping down the memory hole, here is the real reason that Mr. Roberts is so desparately trying to keep this establishment going. It might also have something to do with why his wife actually owns the joint and he appears in public as "spokesman".

Strip-club owner owes $1.6m bank
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter

Javis Roberts owes more than $1.6 million to the Bank of Nova Scotia, court documents say, and in March the bank sought a court-ordered receiver to examine the metro entrepreneur’s financial records.

The legal matter is one of many on file at Nova Scotia Supreme Court and small claims court in Halifax in which Mr. Roberts, one of his companies or his wife is listed as a defendant, court records show.

In an affidavit sworn on March 22, a Bank of Nova Scotia employee says Mr. Roberts, whose businesses include the controversial Sensations strip club in Dartmouth, has not been co-operating with the bank’s efforts to hire a receiver to review the books of one of Mr. Roberts’ companies, DRL Vacations Ltd.

"In total, the amount owing to the bank from DRL Vacations as of March 7, 2006, was $1,685,475.82 with interest accruing daily thereafter," says the affidavit from account manager Brian Pike. The amount stems from money owed on DRL’s line of credit and a corporate credit card bill, a court document alleges.

Mr. Pike, in his affidavit, says "it is necessary to have the court appoint a receiver in order to take possession of the books and records of the company and ascertain the amount and validity of DRL Vacations’ receivables," because Mr. Roberts "will not co-operate" with the bank’s attempt to use Ernst & Young to review DRL’s records.

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board pulled the permit for another of Mr. Roberts’ businesses, DRL Coachlines, last summer because of safety violations.

The affidavit sworn by Mr. Pike said Mr. Roberts tried to settle some of his debt with the bank but the cheques were returned due to insufficient funds. A court document said discussions between Mr. Pike and Mr. Roberts prompted the bank to finally seek a court-ordered receiver.

"Based on . . . my history of dealing with Mr. Roberts, I believe that he will not co-operate with (Ernst & Young) as a receiver," the bank staffer says in the affidavit.

David Farrar, a Halifax lawyer representing the bank, said the court, in a written decision delivered in late March, appointed a receiver to probe the books of DRL Vacations Ltd.

"The receiver (now) goes about investigating the assets of DRL to determine what assets DRL has for realization and will at some point in time report back to the court," Mr. Farrar said in an interview.

Mr. Roberts couldn’t be reached Friday.

On Thursday, he told The Chronicle Herald he plans to expand services at his Wyse Road strip club in the wake of a Utility and Review Board decision that renewed the bar’s alcohol permit but discontinued adult entertainment there.

Mr. Roberts, who owns the property housing Sensations, said the nightclub will now offer a licensed section with dancers wearing G-strings and pasties and a separate section where alcohol won’t be served but table dancing, contact between performer and customer and lap dancing will take place.

Municipal officials intend to monitor the club closely. A staffer said Thursday that Sensations could be prosecuted if the city’s laws are being flouted.

Mr. Farrar, a lawyer with Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales, acknowledged that Mr. Roberts and his DRL group of companies are involved in more than a few legal battles.

"There’s probably in excess of 20 actions outstanding at the present time," he said.

According to Frank magazine, Mr. Roberts is involved in a small claims matter over a commercial lease dispute. A former landlord alleges the businessman defaulted on his lease, the magazine says, citing a court document.

A quick web search for "DRL Coachlines" landed me this snippet from Atlantic Business Magazine (emphasis mine):

DRL buses ordered off the road

Jarvis Roberts, CEO of the DRL Group of Companies, is shocked and appalled by the Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board’s (NSUARB) recent decision to revoke DRL Coachlines Ltd. bus licences, a pronouncement that he believes “in every way, shape and form, is wrong”.

The NSUARB’s 98-page decision, released July 18th, criticized Roberts and DRL manager John G. Harding for their dealings with motor carrier division staff and for repeatedly giving misleading or evasive answers during hearings held in November and March. The board’s heaviest admonishment was given over the company’s alleged disregard for safety.

In its report, the Board concluded that DRL management was “contemptuously dismissing regulatory convictions (including those for safety violations) as a cost of doing business [and] delaying maintenance issues until problems arise (rather than taking a proactive approach to address such matters)…”

The board was further disconcerted over the dozens of party and passenger complaints filed with them against DRL, the nature of the alleged infractions and what it described as the company’s cavalier, dismissive responses to these issues.

Roberts is skeptical of the decision, which was influenced in part by evidence provided in the testimonies of Dennis Campbell of Absolute Charters and Sylvain Langis of the Acadian Bus Group. Said Roberts: “You’re talking about competitors here. You’re talking about a group that would love to have our multi-million dollars’
worth of business…” Four days before DRL Coachlines Ltd. was to cease operating its buses, the NSUARB approved an application by DRL-subsidiary Acadian Intercity Coaches LP to continue transportation service along DRL’s Halifax-Yarmouth run.

However, the NSUARB said it was not convinced of the claim made by DRL that its violations were no greater than those of any other carrier, and felt a clear message had to be sent to the company that such actions would not be tolerated. Roberts has stated he will consult his lawyer regarding the decision and may file a court appeal.

"Contemptuously dismissing regulatory convictions (including those for safety violations) as a cost of doing business [and] delaying maintenance issues until problems arise." If I reword this slightly and replace "delaying maintenance issues" with "ignoring residential concerns" that exactly sums up the issue here.

I think that we're dealing with a compulsive disorder here - an inability to plan ahead combined with utter disrespect for others. A winning one-two punch in an entrepreneur... not.

Posted by kevvyd on Saturday, May 27, 2006 at 12:03 PM | Permalink