27-January-2022 – CBD News

27th January 2022

Reporter – Brendan Lees

Read the Article

Mr. Grant Cohen certainly has a slimy way of spinning a story.

He purposely deflects from talking about the criminal conduct he has engaged in, as raised on this website.

He uses distractions to hide his wrongdoing and blames us.

He has been caught stealing, lying, and acting with criminal intent, yet he claims to be the victim. Trying to talk up his replica tea rooms and distract the public from his crimes; honouring himself as the saviour.

Below, are excerpts from the CBD News Article – published on the 27th January 2022, and my responses.

It was the myriad of lies that Mr. Grant Cohen and his family told during the VCAT Tribunal that led Senior Member Walker to make an adverse decision against me.

This website will provide evidence and expose the Cohen family’s lies.
Grant Cohen accuses us of things that he is guilty of himself. Narcissistic projection.

It is my strong conviction that enables me to write my story.

I am more than aware of the Administration / Liquidation process. The Administrator / Liquidator had an obligation to me and the creditors to get the best outcome from the sale of the business.

This was completely eroded by Grant Cohen, who terminated the lease and refused to reassign it to any potential buyers, in order to place himself as the only interested party.

The Cohen family forced me down this path of Administration/Liquidation.

Mr. Grant Cohen stole not only from me, but from the Liquidator SV-Partners.

This website is revealing what lengths Mr. Grant Cohen will go to, to take what does not belong to him.

Mr. Grant Cohen diverts attention away from the theft of assets from my company and the Liquidator SV-Partners.

Despite our complete disagreement with the VCAT orders, I was prepared to honour Senior Member Walker’s decision and pay the $1.5M debt.

The only way this was possible was to sell the business.

I pleaded on several occasions with the Cohens to allow me to sell the business to repay the debt, and also allow for a smooth transition of ownership, however this was rejected every time.

They further sabotaged the sale of the business during the liquidation of my company, again diminishing the chance of any creditors or themselves ever being repaid.

The Cohens cannot be crying over the $1.5M anymore, as they lost that opportunity when they blocked every proposal put forward. It was apparent then and even more so now, that they didn’t want anyone but themselves to own the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892™.

They have certainly demonstrated this with the extraordinary, premeditated actions they have taken since acquiring the Block Arcade.

Mr. Grant Cohen, is incorrect in describing the signage as being of “historical significance”. The Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892™ has historical significance, but the Block Arcade let it go.

Since December 2020, Mr. Grant Cohen continues to commit the tort of “passing-off” and Trademark Infringment, to confuse customers and diners that they are dining at the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892™.

“Historical significance” is a way of Mr. Grant Cohen continuing to ‘pass-off’ the business name and attempt to attract attention and trade on the goodwill and popularity of the former business Hopetoun Tea Rooms est.1892™.

There is no regulation that Mr. Grant Cohen can rely on to keep the signage at the location.
Heritage Victoria has confirmed in writing, that there is nothing that has any heritage significance or protection in that tenancy, apart from the etched mirror and the wooden staircase leading to the basement kitchen.

Grant Cohen again spinning another BS story to the media about everything, including the signs are protected by Heritage Victoria. The Hopetoun Tea Rooms est.1892™ signs were replaced in 1976 and this has been proved and confirmed.

These signs belong to the new owner of Hopetoun Tea Rooms est.1892™.  Since 2010, more than 30 retailers departed from the Block Arcade, including Dafel Dolls (which was a tenant at the Block for 77 years).

None of these retailers were prevented from removing their signage when they vacated.

Since the VCAT orders were handed down, we have conducted several investigations to get answers. It is incredible how when you start asking questions that people don’t want to answer, you are served with an intervention order.

My husband has received 3 personal intervention orders and I’ve just received one myself for starting this website. This is how the corrupt work to intimidate and silence us.

I will not be silenced.

With all due respect, Senior Member Rohan Walker, was WRONG in describing the Cohen family as “honest” witnesses. This website will reveal how WRONG Senior Member Walker was, and I now have the evidence to support my claims.

The Cohen family have continued to act dishonestly, and their conduct is criminal. It will be revealed how WRONG the judicial system was.

Perjury has been committed and I will call it out.

My husband and I answered every question truthfully at VCAT. So far on this website, I have only reported the criminal activity after the VCAT hearing. I haven’t even started with what happened in VCAT.

It is understandable that my website concerns and alarms Mr. Grant Cohen. He can no longer hide behind his lies.

I have every right to present the truth and let the public make up their own minds. People need to be protected from firms & organisations such as these mentioned on this website.                      

Grant Cohen must cease and desist from “passing-off” the original TradeMark of the brand Hopetoun Tea Rooms est.1892™. Also committing Trademark Infringement of the brand.

I, Kelly Koutoumanos accepted VCAT’s decision and offered to pay what the Tribunal had ordered. However, the Cohen’s were not interested in getting repaid.

Maybe it’s because they knew they interfered in my business causing damages to their own building and ultimately paying the price for their own poor decisions.

The Cohen’s have defrauded me of my business and are causing ongoing irreparable damage to the brand.

The extraordinary thing about all of this is, that the Cohen family think they got away with it.

Another BS spin. It’s delusional. There is no history associated with a business that started in December 2020. The landlord stole all of Hopetoun Tea Rooms assets to re-open as a replica, copycat, wanna-be.

I remind Mr. Grant Cohen the response he gave in the VCAT Tribunal hearing, when asked by Barrister Mr. Virgona, (legal counsel for the Koutoumanos family):

“The Cohen family’s intention in lending monies to the Koutoumanos family to renovate the Cohen Block Arcade tenancy, was to own the Hopetoun Tea Rooms should the Koutoumanos family default on the loan?”

Mr. Grant Cohen responded as follows – 5th April 2019 VCAT Hearing:

“The answer is no, Mr. Virgona. The last thing I would want to do as a landlord is to start running a kitchen operation of Hopetoun Tea Rooms. We are not in the business of running retail premises.”

 Well, that was clearly a One of many.

Mr. Grant Cohen, you need to be reminded that you are committing Trademark Infringement with the business – Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ that was Sold to Mr. Vikramjeet Singh and has relocated to 421 Bourke Street Melbourne.

Your business has no association to the year 1892. You started this copycat business by stealing all the Hopetoun Tea Rooms’ assets and recipes on the 1st Dec 2020.

Who are you trying to ‘suck-in’?

Next time, one of your Block Arcade tenants leave:

Will you require them to strip down the tenancy to the bare walls, and remove all equipment ready for the next tenant as per the lease ?

It’s specified in the lease to do so, for every tenant vacating their tenancy.

Why is it, in the case of evicting the Hopetoun Tea Rooms, you did not allow any of the walls to be stripped and the equipment to be removed from the tenancy?

It was so that you can continue your criminal intentions and try and recover from the damages you and your family caused yourselves at the Block Arcade. In the hope that you can continue to falsely advertise that the Hopetoun Tea Rooms is still in the Block Arcade and trade on their extraordinary popularity and goodwill.

Mr. Grant Cohen you are a pathological liar, a thief and a criminal.

Should you wish to defend those allegations, then I encourage you to deal with me in Court, where your dirt will be revealed.