Cruchelow's in Marietta - Now out of business

1/20/19  Misc Info FYI:

This is one of at least half a dozen+ blogs that I have about Kennesaw and all of them are pretty much out of service as I have been gone from K for just over 3 yrs, after 15 years living there.  

So with the passage of time I have posted less and less.  The site 'may' now and then have another post but it is pretty much off my radar scope these days.  So take a look, you might find something of interest, I see that several folks come back repeatedly and are probably disappointed to find nothing new here.  Thanks for looking in -

Bill Harris, Canton, Ga.

  consumer2014@aol.com

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3/19/17
Wonder where they ended up?  Maybe back to Texas or perhaps they are running some pawn shop operation in another state?

Anyway they are long gone from Kennesaw and Marietta and even the State of Ga has decided to Dissolve/revoke their registration.

6/28/16 Update:  

CRUCHELOW JEWELRY & LOAN, LLC, KENNESAW - MARIETTA

Old Kennesaw hands might recall that some years ago there was a big controversy about a Pawn Shop opening in a strip mall at Mack Dobbs and Cobb Pky.

This usage was barred from that strip mall but due to a Planning/Zoning error it slipped in anyway and this caused quite a big reaction from local residents.

FYI: Cruchelow departed for a new Pawn Shop in Marietta where they did virtually no business and the LLC was administratively dissolved 12/31/15 and the location at 1245 Bellemeade was taken over by Erik Dahlquist’s SLT Motors, LLC.  (Shown in Photo above).

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3/29/13

Mall Owner Mr. Venturi takes major hit despite $14K award.

On or about June 13, 2012 the Kennesaw Pawn Shop location closed down. Units 1 & 2 were occupied by the shop, this is a double wide unit with 3,189 sq ft which rented for $14.50 pr sq ft yearly for $46,240 or $3,853 on a monthly basis. 

At this writing the units have been empty for 9 1/2 months with no sign of any interest by other stores for these 2 units or 2 other empty units in the Mack Dobbs strip mall.

The recent award of $14,000 in arbitration to property owner Venturi represented about 3 1/2 months of rental income. This arbitration award probably was enough to pay his lawyer Mr Sams. 


Clearly Mr. Venturi took a heavy hit in his pocket book which is just fine with area home owners, perhaps it will teach him a lesson about double crossing us by putting in a Pawn Shop when he well knew it was prohibited by his own stipulation years ago.

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See also: http://georgia.arrests.org/Arrests/John_Cruchelow_6127107/ for mug shot.


Last time I was by the relocated Cruchelow's pawn shop it was 3/30/13.
Dropped by today, they have on outside display baby strollers, lawn mowers and leaf blowers.

What they do not have is customers.

The old Cruchelow's location in Kennesaw is now a loan company

For those few who drop in here from time to time, here is a minor update on what is going on at the site of the 'old' Cruchelow Pawn Shop. Unit #1 is now a loan company. 

The Unit #2 remains empty as do units 14-17.

Venturi's strip mall continues to limp along

Just recently unit #2 has been rented to InstaLoan (ie: Title Pawn) but 5 units remain empty and you have to wonder just how long it will be before the mall goes under.

Updated

If you wandered in here accidently you might wonder what this site is all about and why there are so many photos at the top of the blog showing a building with, usually, only the same 2 vehicles in the lot.

This site was set up to document problems with both the owners of a (then) Kennesaw Pawn shop and the owner of the strip mall where it was opened.   The site has many press reports about the shop, how it was illegal from the start, how it eventually moved, how the strip owner sued the City etc.

So scroll through it and perhaps you will find something of interest. The site will remain up but unless there are further developments no new material will be added.

The mystery of how a business that does no business stays in business. remains unanswered.  If you figure it out drop me a line as I would like to know the answer.  

I updated the site today, last time I looked at the Marietta pawn shop was 59 days ago. Same lack of business. The photos of this shop could all have been taken on the same day as they all show the owners 2 vehicles, just parked slightly differently in front of their shop. Never any customers!

Bill Harris at:   Computer660@hotmail.com

Monkey Business?

Checking in now and then since the shop moved to Marietta from kennesaw has never found them to have ANY business. 

With the minor exception of work trucks during the remodel, the only vehicles ever seen at the shop were the car and pick up truck which belong to the owners. Since they actually do no business it makes you wonder what the purpose of the shop is?

Marietta Daily Journal

City settles suit over shuttered shop for $14K

by Lindsay Field The Marietta Daily Journal

December 04, 2012 12:31 AM | 71 views | 0 | 1 | |

KENNESAW  — The city of Kennesaw and Mack Dobbs Properties LLC have settled for $14,000 in the developer’s lawsuit over a now-closed pawnshop.

Celestino Venturi, who owns Mack Dobbs Point strip mall, filed a lawsuit in June against the city arguing that zoning stipulations enacted in 2004 that prohibit several types of businesses in the strip mall deny property owners like himself “an economically viable use” of the property.

Kennesaw city manager Steve Kennedy said that under the settlement made Nov. 13, the city will pay Mack Dobbs Properties $14,000 through its insurance provider, Georgia Interlocal Risk Management Agency, and give Cobb Superior Court Judge Grant Brantley $1,200 for mediating the case.

Mediation began Nov. 1.

“This should be it,” Kennedy said Monday. “They pretty much agreed to hold us harmless.”

However, Kennedy said the city has held themselves to some accountability in the past by admitting their error in granting Cruchelow Jewelry & Loan a business license in 2011 to open in the strip mall.

Kennedy also said he doesn’t anticipate insurance costs in the city going up because of the settlement and that there will be a prohibition against pawn shops at the location until the stipulations get changed, should that ever take place.

The Kennesaw City Council signed off on approval of the settlement before Nov. 13, but Kennedy could not recall the exact date.

Garvis Sams, who represented Mack Dobbs Properties, said, “My client is satisfied with the settlement and we thought the mediator did an excellent job bringing the two sides together.”

The business, which was located in the strip mall at North Cobb Parkway and Mack Dobbs Road in Kennesaw until it was vacated in June, has moved to the corner of Powder Springs Street and Bellemeade Drive in Marietta.

Neighbors in the subdivision behind the strip mall contacted the city around the first of the year to complain about the zoning violation.

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - City settles suit over shuttered shop for 14K

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From the Kennesaw Watch:

City to pay in Pawn Shop Settlement Agreement

Admin on December 1, 2012

To conclude the pawn shop zoning fiasco that plagued the city earlier this year, the city of Kennesaw has agreed to the following in a recent mediation with Venturi properties regarding Cruchelow Jewelry and Loan:

1) Mutual release of all further claims between parties,
2) City pays through its insurer $14,000,
3) City pays through its insurer all costs of mediation,
4) Mack Dobbs indemnifies City/Defendants from all claims which may be raised by Cruchelow Jewelry and Loan,
5) Settlement contingent upon Mayor and Council approval

The settlement includes paying out $14,000 as well as costs of mediation. While the city will not actually be paying this out of the their fund, this money will once again come from the insurer.

For more details, please visit Bill Harris’ site at: http://kennesawpawnproblems.blogspot.com

The Watch would like to thank Mr. Harris for his continued efforts to keep the taxpayers updated on the pawn shop zoning issues and its financial impact on the taxpayers and businesses.

Settlement Agreement Between Mack Dobbs Properties and City of Kennesaw

The 3 page 'Settlement Agreement' of 11/13/12 provides:

1) Mutual release of all further claims between parties,
2) City pays through its insurer $14,000,
3) City pays through its insurer all costs of mediation,
4) Mack Dobbs indemnifies City/Defendants from all claims which may be raised by Cruchelow Jewelry and Loan,
5) Settlement contingent upon Mayor and Council approval

For larger image:  right click and open in new window.

 

Gone and pretty much forgotten -

Cruchelow's left 5 months ago for Marietta and the old location remains unrented. The only reminder that the Pawn Shop was there is a small sign which has not yet been taken down.

The shopping center has 4 empty units out of 17 and the foolish civil suit filed by property Owner has now been settled in arbitration, although the settlement remains unknown at this writing.

 

Below Photo:   John and Serena Cruchelow from May 2012 City Council Hearing

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11/15/12

Details on settlement to be available soon-

Thurs. Nov 1st is the mediation hearing between Venturi and the City.  The case title is Mack Dobbs Properties, LLC vs. The City of Kennesaw, Georgia.  The cost for arbitration is $300 an hour, but the City has insurance and after the deductable of $1,000 is paid the lawyer fee, court costs and arbitration is covered.  So we are not out all that much for this useless BS of Venturi and Sams.

It isn't open to the public but any resulting settlement will be published on the Cobb Court web site and if no agreement can be reached it will then go back before a judge for a trial.

If you want to keep up on this yourself you can go to:  http://www.cobbsuperiorcourtclerk.org/courts/default.htm and click on for 'Civil Search' then enter Kennesaw and after that choose which item you want to look at.  Or you can just come back here and I will have the info posted FYI.

Still Open - No Business

The truck is John's and the car is Serena's, still no customers.  I have never seen any business at this shop.

Place of Mediation changed

Click on for larger image then open in new window

Shop remains open but has no customers.