The Block Arcade

^{Last update – 26 – January – 2022}

The unconscionable conduct and the actions taken by the owners of the Block Arcade to make sure that they were successful in the demise of the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ run and operated by Kelly & Kon Koutoumanos since 2010.

In order for the Block Arcade to prevent me and my husband from asking any questions – an Intervention Order was applied against us in December 2020. An attempt to silence us, but we will not be deterred.

It is not a CRIME to report a CRIME

The ‘Key Players’

The ‘key players’ that have been instrumental in the loss of the original Hopetoun Tea Rooms est, 1892 ™ are as follows:

• Allard Shelton – the landlord’s Managing agent

• du Chateau Chun – Building Surveyor – for the expansion project Hopetoun Tea Rooms (2)

• Lexon Group – landlord’s builder – for the expansion project Hopetoun Tea Rooms (2)

• Tisher Liner FC Law – law firm representing FineTea Pty Ltd t/as Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™

• SV Partners – Administrator / Liquidator appointed by FineTea Pty Ltd t/as Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™
  
• Sinisgalli Foster – law firm representing FineTea Pty Ltd t/as Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 1892 ™ during Administration / Liquidation

No response from the Block Arcade
since 14th Jan 2022

3rd February 2022

Amended Intervention Order for my, husband Kon Koutoumanos

This is Grant Cohen’s and the Block Arcade’s response to the website.

All Intervention Orders will be contested. We will not be silenced.

30th January 2022

Does anyone know Olivia Chang?

This is Grant Cohen’s and the Block Arcade’s response to the website.

26th January 2022

The Intervention Order for me, Kelly Koutoumanos

This is Grant Cohen’s and the Block Arcade’s response to the website.

• I was required to attend and collect the above Intervention Order from my local police station – applied by the Block Arcade – Mr. Grant Cohen.
• My husband and I will not be ‘gagged’ into silence and prevented from telling our story – The Truth and The Facts.

14th January 2022

The Intervention Order for my husband, Kon Koutoumanos

• My husband, Kon Koutoumanos received a phone call from the local police station to attend and collect an amended Intervention Order – applied by the Block Arcade – Mr. Grant Cohen
• My husband and I will not be ‘gagged’ into silence and prevented from telling our story – The Truth and The Facts.

We will not be silenced by the Block Arcade and Mr. Grant Cohen

2nd January 2022

The Block Arcade lies continue

November 2021

The Block Arcade discrediting my husband and I

• The Tea Rooms 1892 has a google review page – where diners can leave their reviews on their dining experience.

• Any reviews received, can be responded to by the owner of the Tea Rooms 1892, aka, The Block Arcade.

• The Block Arcade has responded to many of reviews as follows:

• As discussed in the SV Partners section of this website – Failed Negotiations, the Block Arcade was instrumental in not allowing me to sell my business to the open market to repay the debt to them and to all of my creditors.
  • Had the Block Arcade allowed me to sell my business to the open market, I would have been able to repay the debt owed to the Block Arcade, as well as pay all of my creditors.
  • We received 47 interested parties, for the purchase of the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™.
  • These 47 interested parties were all threats to the Block Arcade, as they had the opportunity to buy and acquire the Hopetoun Tea Rooms brand and Trademark, which was not part of the Block Arcade’s plan.
  • But, it was the Block Arcade’s intention to financially cripple me, and have every opportunity to send me to the Administrators, where the Block Arcade would have exclusive access to any negotiations in order to secure the Hopetoun Tea Rooms and the brand for themselves.
  • The Block Arcade were not interested in the $millions that were owed to them – allegedly by my company.
  • The Block Arcade had their eye on the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ as this was the anchor tenant that was bringing crowds to the Block Arcade, and the drawcard for vacant tenancies at the Block Arcade.
  • Without the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ at the Block Arcade, who would want to lease a tenancy at the Block Arcade?

The Block Arcade did not allow me to sell my business “Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™” in order to pay the $1.5 m that was owed to them.
The Block Arcade wanted the business – for free – and the $1.5m

• So, unfortunately, the Koutoumanos family owed $millions to creditors, because the Block Arcade setup the Koutoumanos family demise.
• As quoted by Grant Cohen, in the above reviews “The business name was sold by the liquidators..” then do the right thing Mr. Grant Cohen, and remove the Business Name – HOPETOUN TEA ROOMS est. 1892 ™ – from your tenancy, and stop pretending & defaming the Hopetoun Tea Rooms.

So the Block Arcade failed in securing the Original Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ and failed to get their $1.5m.

All the Block Arcade has, is an attempted poor imitation, created by a vacuum cleaner salesman.

23rd September 2021

Magistrates Court Intervention Order

• The Magistrates Court hearing into the Intervention Order issued against my husband Kon Koutoumanos.

Updates coming soon

16th December 2020

The Intervention Order from the Block Arcade

• My husband, Mr. Kon Koutoumanos received a Personal Safety Intervention Order (PSIO) from The Block Arcade, Mr. Grant Cohen.

• Some very interesting responses provided by Grant Cohen during questioning

Updates coming soon

13th December 2020

Attempts to keep us away from the Block Arcade

• 13th December 2020 – My husband, Kon Koutoumanos, attended the Block Arcade and was attending the Haighs store
  • When he exited the store and was walking towards the Collins Street exit, he was stopped by the Block Arcade security guard and requested to leave.
  • The Block Arcade security guard was the same guard Mr. John Van Roohan – (see SV Partners – August 2020 – Criminal Activity Continues) who accessed the premises on instructions from Mr. Grant Cohen to steal assets from the premises of the former Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™.
  • My husband, reacted to the demands of Mr. John Van Roohan – reminding him that he was caught on camera stealing from our store, and that he was a thief and a liar.
  • Mr. John Van Roohan, denied everything. Mr. Grant Cohen had instructed Mr. John Van Roohan to deny everything.
  • However, the evidence of the theft, by Mr. John Van Roohan (video and pictures) tells a different story – (see SV Partners – August 2020 – Criminal Activity Continues)
  • My husband was angry with Mr. John Van Roohan’s lies, and continued to walk towards the Collins Street exit.
  • Mr. John Van Roohan, continued to block the path of my husband, resulting in a vocal argument – between Mr. John Van Roohan, Mr. Alex Sutherland Block Arcade Security guards) and my husband.
  • After all, Mr. John Van Roohan, was the thief that was caught in the act stealing assets of my company.
  • Note: Mr. John Van Roohan and Mr. Grant Cohen, were part of the theft of our company assets and they are now trying to restrict our access to the Block Arcade. (more details on this soon)

1st December 2020

The imitation business setup by Mr. Grant Cohen c/o Block Arcade

The Tea Rooms 1892 – A ‘passing off‘ business and committing Trademark Infringement

If one imitates something another person does, it means one admires that person and wants to be like him or her. The proverb imitation is the sincerest form of flattery means that one imitates someone else because one admires that person or values what that person is doing.

Mr. Grant Cohen, its obvious you admire my hard work in making the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ an anchor tenant and the success it deserved for the Block Arcade since 2010. Something the previous owners, since 1892 were not able to do.

1st December 2020 (continued..)

The imitation – from the Block Arcade

• Mr. Grant Cohen below, in front of the Block Arcade advertising his proud opening of his new imitation business.

• Prior to 2014, Mr. Grant Cohen, was a vacuum cleaner salesman.

• Now, Mr. Grant Cohen manages the Block Arcade.

• A blatant attempt by the owners of Block Arcade to replicate / copy & imitate the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™

• In addition I also have evidence of plagiarism which is a type of intellectual theft, and can take many forms, from deliberate cheating to copying of other people’s work.

• The Original Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ has relocated and under renovations to 421 Bourke Street Melbourne, 3000 – The Hopetoun House.

Updates coming soon – on the constant lying this vacuum cleaner salesman with no credentials to run a shopping center.

20th August 2020

Block Arcade caught in the Act – Theft

• See SV Partners section – August 2020 – Criminal Activity Continues

June 2020

The Block Arcade sabotages the Sale process – terminates the lease

• 4th June 2020 – The Block Arcade terminated the lease on the 4th June 2020 – SV Partners
  • The Block Arcade by terminating the lease killed any opportunities for 47 interested parties to purchase the business, and allow me to pay all of my debts, including the Block Arcade $1.5m
  • The Block Arcade had a plan, and that plan was based on greed & corruption

• 5th June 2020 – It was determined by the Victorian Small Business Commissioner, that the increase in rent should be no more than – 48.4084% – equating to $245,000 x-GST per annum
  • The Block Arcade, rejected the VSBC determination and claimed that they were able to get much more than the 48.4084% increase in rent.
  • I ask you Mr. Grant Cohen – “More than the $245,000 per annum ? “
  • I wonder (since December 2020) “What the Block Arcade is getting as rent – for Shop 1 & 2” – former premises of the Original Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™
  • The Answer is $0 – as it is run and operated by the Block Arcade

• 10th Jun 2020 – Grant Cohen (BAM – Block Arcade Melbourne) filed the following affidavit into court, whilst FineTea Pty Ltd t/as Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ was in Administration with SV Partners.
  • The affidavit was in response to the Administrator SV Partners – BAM wanting to get their money owed $1.5m
  • All I can say is I hope that the BAM is getting market rate for their premises now
  • If the Block Arcade wanted to get their $1.5m they should have allowed me to sell the business

• In relation to the dream world Mr. Grant Cohen lives in and his sworn affidavit above – he has no respect for the Judicial system and has no integrity:
  • 13. Did you get what you were looking for Mr. Grant Cohen for the Shop 1 & 2?
  • 14. Really, I saw the many tenants that made a killing during COVID.
  • 15. Really, remember you’re a vacuum cleaner salesman as you noted in the court case I was in dispute with you, and you will say anything to ‘suck’ people into your imaginary world.
  • 16. I see you have traded as take-away during COVID, and been able to operate during boxing days and public holidays.
  • Mr. Grant Cohen – the lying has caught up with you.

May 2020

• 8th May 2020 – I had no further options and I placed my company FineTea Pty Ltd into Administration with SV Partners.

April 2020

The Block Arcade want their money from my company

• 13th April 2020 – The Block Arcade issued a winding up application to the Supreme Court for my company FineTea Pty Ltd t/as Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™

March 2020

Block Arcade want the Hopetoun Tea Rooms – for free

• The Block Arcade wanted the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ for free

• See letter from my lawyers to the Block Arcade lawyers.

• The Block Arcade rejected the above, and declined to further negotiate and issued a Winding Up application to the Supreme Court.

November 2019 – May 2020

Updates coming soon

October 2019

The Block Arcade increases the Hopetoun Tea Rooms rent

• We received the increase in rent from Allard Shelton c/o the Block Arcade an increase of exactly – 103.286% – to $335,600 per annum.
  • That’s right the Block Arcade wanted the Hopetoun Tea Rooms est. 1892 ™ to pay $335,600 x-GST per annum in rent.
  • It was clear that the Block Arcade wanted me out of their arcade, and an attempt to take over my business.

• I immediately rejected the Block Arcade’s proposed rent

• I made a claim to the VSBC (Victorian Small Business Commissioner), for a determining valuer to be appointed in accordance with the Retail Leases Act 2003 (“Act”), the determination of market rent must be made pursuant to the criteria set out in Section 37(2) of the Act.

Updates coming soon

November 2016

The Cohens at their best

• The Cohens were instrumental in leading a claim for compensation – “Bold Metro Tunnel compensation bid”

• In summary the consortium of owners, led by the Cohens – the owners of the Block Arcade, who owned the Nicholas Building, issued a claim to the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, that they had a planning application with the City of Melbourne to develop the Nicholas building to the cost of $12 million dollars.

• An application and a cheque of $8,189.80 had been made to the Melbourne City Council by Allard Shelton.

• The cheque was to cover the permit fee.

• Allard Shelton was registered to make submissions to the planning panel, in relation to the planned $12 million renovations, but failed to do so.

• The Cohen led claim, was an attempt to receive compensation from the govt. on renovations that were supposedly planned, but could not be executed due to the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project, hence a “bold Metro tunnel compensation bid”

December 2015 – November 2020

(more updates coming soon..)