Autos Freed From Lockup in Dealer Dispute

As Norma Aguirre watched workers at Tri-Star Toyota fetch her red 4-Runner from behind a locked gate Wednesday, she was, in a strange way, lucky.

The dealership had been shuttered with an eviction notice Tuesday morning, the result of a dispute between the owners of the business and the owners of the land it sits on. All the cars there for service, including hers, had been locked up with the rest of the property.

But Wednesday, under the watchful eyes of a security guard and a lawyer representing the property owners, Aguirre and other customers were allowed to pick up their cars. Fortunately, her vehicle, brought in last month in need of a new engine, was all in one piece.

“I wasn’t sure if my car was going to be put together or not,” she said. “I didn’t know if it had an engine.”

Three customers claimed their cars Wednesday as lawyers from both sides continued trying to work out an agreement.

Ventura attorney William Schneberg, representing the property owners, said he could not allow any business to go on inside the building, but he had no problem with letting people pick up their cars.

“We’re trying to satisfy the customers,” he said. “We’re trying not to harm the dealership, which may very well be back in business.”

Both the business and the property it occupies, at 2380 1st St., have recently changed hands, and therein lie the roots of the dispute. Once owned by the Nesen Investment Co., the property was purchased in November by Harbor Town LLC, which Schneberg represents.

Under the name Toyota of Simi Valley, the business had filed for bankruptcy protection in February 1996. The new owners of the dealership, who renamed it Tri-Star Toyota, continued to do business after Harbor Town assumed ownership of the underlying property.

In November, Harbor Town gave Tri-Star a 30-day notice terminating the dealership’s lease on the lot. The dealership stayed put, and Harbor Town began legal action against it.

Schneberg said that in April, the two parties reached an agreement allowing Tri-Star to remain on the property. However, he said the company has now violated certain terms of that agreement. Although he would not disclose the terms, he said the dispute involved money.

Lawyers representing Tri-Star could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Schneberg said that if the dispute is not settled within 15 calendar days, Harbor Town has the right to sell the property.

Car owners who did not pick up their vehicles Wednesday can contact one of the dealership employees through the security guard at the site.