Lindsey Hilt lost $150 when Sahara Sun Tanning in Quarry Village closed Dec. 12.
Hilt emailed The Park Record that she had recently purchased a package of services just two weeks prior, and when she called the managing partner Neil Blosch, was told there was nothing he could do.
“He told me that the business no longer existed and that I had no recourse to receive a refund for payment made for
services not delivered. I find this very upsetting, and I feel like I was
deceived and robbed,” she said.
Blosch said the speedy closing was due to a notice from the landlords at Santa Fe Partners that caught him by surprise.
He expressed frustration at the way everything turned out, but said he’s only a managing partner and there’s little he can do. He simply closed the store and took little with him besides his files.
“Unfortunately some people have some services that we could have provided, but we were given 24 hours notice to get out, so by advice of our attorney we left. We were not evicted. We were negotiating for a month to end this in way that was least hurtful,” he said in a telephone interview.
The business had been struggling and the cold snap in economy was the straw that broke its back, he said.
Santa Fe Partners CFO Steve Sala said he empathizes with customers like Hilt, but that they’re owed money as well. The business defaulted on the lease and now attorneys are involved.
“We’re taking actions to enforce our position,” he said.
His company is now in control of the tanning salon and he invites anyone interested in purchasing the store, the equipment or to lease the space to contact him.
“As a local who works hard to contribute to local businesses, I feel like I have been let down,” Hilt said.
The Better Business Bureau of Utah and the County Attorney were both unavailable for comment on account of the holiday.