Pygmy Pinscher Antiques Faces Uncertain Future

Update: As of Monday morning, Pygmy Pinscher Antiques owner Allen Hatch still doesn’t know what will become of his small Franklin Village antique store and repair shop. Hatch did not open his store over the weekend, but did receive another letter from his building’s management company reiterating their earlier requests. Patch will have more information on this story as details become available.

After several months of an escalating landlord dispute, Hatch is not sure whether he will be able to keep his shop open. He has been told by the apartment building's owner that he needs to remove all signs and furniture outside of his store. But Hatch said he is reliant on foot traffic, and if he removes all signs and furniture from the sidewalk, people will assume the store is closed and he will lose business.

It all came to a boiling point on Feb. 12, when Hatch said the building’s owner, Paul Cooper, came into the shop and insisted he look around. Hatch said he was surprised by the visit and felt intimidated by the landlord.

“He came in while I was on the phone with a customer and demanded that I hang up immediately,” said Hatch. “At first I didn’t even know who he was. He demanded to look through everything, even looking through some of my drawers.”

Soon after, the building’s management staff drafted a letter stating that the furniture on display and signs outside the shop would need to be immediately and permanently removed.

Initially, representatives at Cooper Properties, the management company that owns the building at the northeast corner of Franklin Avenue and Gower Street, had no comment about the situation. But Thursday afternoon, someone responded. 

“Mr. Cooper simply wanted to have the furniture removed from the sidewalk,” said Anari DeSousa, the managing supervisor for Cooper Properties. “It’s a violation of city code to block the sidewalk.”

Hatch said he did not know he was breaking any rules by putting furniture from his store on the sidewalk—as he’s been doing for years. Several other Franklin Avenue shops (such as Native clothing store and Counterpoint Records and Books) place merchandise on the sidewalk.

But, according to Doug Mensman, assistant director of planning for City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who represents parts of Hollywood, said there is a difference between what Hatch was doing and the other Franklin stores' actions.

“Technically, you can’t really put anything in the public right of way,” said Mensman, referring to the city's municipal code. As for the other stores on Franklin selling their merchandise on the sidewalk?

“Most of those stores have a property line that extends beyond their front door. So even though it’s paved, it’s still considered property of the store.”

Pygmy Pinscher Antiques opened in 2007 and is open only on the weekends. During shop hours, Hatch usually places his colorful, handmade signs and a few pieces of furniture to attract customers.

“I’ve been in business at this location for almost four years and I’ve never had a complaint before this,” said Hatch.

People in the Franklin Village neighborhood have come out in support of the small antique shop. As word spread about Hatch’s situation with his landlord, friends, neighbors and customers put flowers and notes of support on the gate that leads to the basement-level shop.

“I really like having a shop like this in the neighborhood,” said Matthew Roiz, who lives just a few blocks away from the store. “Allen is a neighborhood fixture now. The things he sells are really well priced. Stopping by the shop is a regular weekend activity for me.”

But Hatch doesn’t believe that’s all the landlord wants, citing what he said were numerous sudden visits without the customary notice landlords are required to give. Hatch also described an out of the blue changing of the door locks, which he initially thought was someone trying to break into the shop.

“They gave me no notice of that,” said Hatch. “I arrived at the shop and saw someone jimmying with the door lock. I had no idea what was going on.”

DeSousa said that 24-hours notice is always given before entering a property.

“I really like this space, I really do,” said Hatch. “They just keep changing the rules and asking me to do more and more.”

DeSousa says that's not the case.

“We really like him as a tenant,” DeSousa said. “Other than the code violation, there has never been a problem."

As of now, Hatch says the shop might not be open this weekend because he’s been busy dealing with this dispute and hasn't had time to restock the store with furniture and other items. He wants to keep his shop running, and he isn’t ruling out changing locations.

“Without the furniture and signs out front, I’m not sure how I will get customers,” said Hatch. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”