A renowned Deerfield Beach bar and restaurant that was destroyed by a fire over the weekend was the subject of an ongoing eviction case that was set to go to trial next month, a report said.
Crabby Jack's, a staple of Deerfield for over 20 years, was consumed by flames during an early Sunday morning blaze that took over 50 firefighters to extinguish.
The fire gutted the landmark building and put over 40 people out of work.
But now fire officials say they're investigating any possible link between the fire and the ongoing eviction case between the operator of Crabby Jack's and the building's landlord, a Deerfield Beach fire official told the Sun-Sentinel.
"That would be something that the state fire marshal would be interested in," Assistant Fire Rescue Chief Gary Fernaays said.
Arson hasn't been ruled out as a possible cause of the fire and investigators are still trying to determine the cause.
The landlord, Ramco-Gershenson Properties, sued to evict Crabby Jack's operator, Tanson Corp., in February, claiming the restaurant wasn't paying their bills. Lawyers for the two side met Friday in Broward civil court, where an agreement couldn't be reached, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
The eviction case was set to go to trial in early September.
Eric J. Partlow, attorney for Ramco-Gershenson, said the fire seemed suspicious.
"The landlord is disappointed and concerned in the manner in which it lost its property," Partlow said. "We find it too much coincidence to be coincidence, frankly."
Andrew Schwartz, attorney for Tanson, said Partlow's comments were "premature in every respect and irresponsible at best," adding that they "were extremely disappointed about the fire and how over 40 people have lost their jobs."
As for the employees, they might not be out of a job for long, unless they object to nudity. The owner of Hallandale Beach's Cheetah Club is offering Crabby Jack's employees jobs at the strip club.
