| Sarah Hill was shocked when insolvency agents arrived at the popular music venue at lunchtime yesterday to hand out severance notices to staff and inform Sarah she had been sequestrated due to unpaid non-domestic rates.
The city council had been granted the order by Dundee Sheriff Court on February 17. However, Sarah said the news came as a devastating shock to her.
It’s believed that, following default by Ms Hill on some payments to her arrears, the council added the remainder of the year’s rates on to the arrears to bring the total debt up to around £10,000.
“It’s awful, I can’t believe this has happened, I was owing about £12,000 and I got it down to about £7000 by paying £2000 a time,” she said.
“I can’t believe the council would do this over such a small debt, especially as so many small businesses are struggling to keep going just now.
“The worst thing is it’s just coming into the busy time for us.
“You’d think the council would have been wanting to help promote the local music scene by giving us a little leeway instead of closing us down.
“All the bands are really upset and wondering where they’re going to play and hang out.
“This is like a community centre for them, a lot of young bands rehearse here and store their equipment and they all join in on the open mic nights.
“Where are all these bands going to play now?
“This will leave a huge hole because there’s nowhere else this size putting on decent gigs four or five nights a week?
“What makes it even worse is that this is the first year since I took over that we’ve been making a profit.
“It’s been a real struggle, but we’ve been working really hard to keep the place going.”
Ms Hill said she was due to meet her solicitor today.
A spokesperson for Punch Taverns, who leased the Brown Street building to Ms Hill, said, “Obviously we are disappointed by this because we like The Doghouse. We’re fully behind it and we will be doing our best to ensure it reopens again as a live music venue as soon as possible.”
Bemused customers were told to leave the building while the administrators from the Dundee branch of Corporate Rescue and Recovery specialists Begbies Traynor assumed control of the former schoolhouse — which was voted Scottish Licensed Trade News Music Pub of the year 2007 — changing the locks and allowing bands to remove instruments and equipment.
Dundee band Luva Anna, who played a successful return gig there on Saturday night, were among those who arrived to rescue their gear before the building was locked up.
A spokesman for the council said, “Dundee City Council was granted a sequestration order against the publican at The Doghouse at Dundee Sheriff Court on February 17.
“More than £10,000 of unpaid non-domestic rates are currently owed to the council.”
n Saturday’s gig with chart band Goldie Lookin’ Chain has been moved to Fat Sam’s.
Doghouse booker Jonathan Dawson added that the Rumble Strips gig scheduled for Sunday night has also been moved — this time to Dexter’s in Castle Street.
All tickets for both gigs will be valid on the nights and there are still tickets on sale at Groucho’s. |
