The club closed April 14 over what the club’s owner, Robert E. Rainville, described as a rent dispute with the owner of the land and building, New England Institute of Technology. According to Rainville, the dispute revolves around “significant improvements to the building and the golf course.”
A dispute between the owner of a East Greenwich (R.I.) Golf and Country Club and the owner of the land and building that housed the club has left members unable to play and the future of the club in doubt, the Providence (R.I.) Journal reported.
The club closed April 14 over what the club’s owner described as a rent dispute. The owner of the land and building, New England Institute of Technology, declined to discuss the substance of the dispute, but acknowledged that the business had closed, the Journal reported.
“We are looking for a new tenant to operate both the golf course and restaurant,” said New England Tech spokesman Steven Kitchin. “We own the golf course and lease it out to a third party.”
That third party, at least until last week, was Robert E. Rainville, who insisted several times during an interview on April 17 that he was hoping to work out a resolution with New England Tech that allowed his business to continue running the golf course and restaurant. He said the dispute revolves around “significant improvements to the building and the golf course” that he made at his company’s expense and to which he hoped New England Tech would contribute, the Journal reported.
While he was trying to work out an agreement with the school, Rainville said he fell two months behind on the $9,558.10 monthly rent. While Rainville said he was trying to work out an agreement over the rent, New England Tech took court action to seize control of the club. He said he was trying to work out a resolution to the court action when the school changed the locks on the building and barred members of his club from using the course, the Journal reported.
School officials have indicated to him that they are willing to work something out, Rainville said, but their lawyers haven’t been as understanding, the Journal reported.
“I’ve told members over the last several days to sit tight while I’m hopefully going to work this out,” Rainville said.
The golf course has nine holes on 75 acres, the Journal reported.
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