Some customers, unaware of everything, parked and got out with their bags, ready to train. What they couldn’t know is the gym The new Infinity fitness di Castelfranco di Sotto today (April 30) remained closed. One could think of an early rest day before May Day, but Stefano FranceschiniCEO of Blue Drink is of a completely different opinion: “They knew we were coming to get our things and they were not found“. So customers, instead of lights and music, found a garrison of the City Guards of Pisa and an articulated truck ready to load the equipment and take it away.
The story, as told by Franceschini, is incredible and comes at the height of a dispute that has lasted for months. “Almost all of the equipment inside the gym is ours – explains the CEO of the company that works in the world of fitness – but for a year the manager of the gym has not paid us the rent of the material “. From the most common gym equipment such as benches, treadmills, weights, to furnishing and plant elements such as changing rooms, boilers, air conditioners, boilers, lockers, mirrors. All the material would be owned by the Blue Drink though for a year has not seen a euro for the rental. “I have the invoices for everything”, assures Franceschini while he also pulls out the correspondence of his lawyer who has not received any answers for months.
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“Before we asked for the contract to be signed – explains Franceschini – now, from February, we have ordered the return of all our equipment“. But the question starts from afar and deserves to be told step by step.
The gym that overlooks Via Francesca Sud, just before arriving in the historic center of Castelfranco, has been open for a few years and has changed management with Covid. “Some problems – explains Franceschini – there was also with the old manager, when the gym was called Greenfit, but then we managed to close the accounts and he paid everything he owed me for the rental”. Covid and the lockdown for Greenfit were a blow that forced them to close, bringing in a new manager about a year ago who took over the reins of the gym with all the equipment already set up. The same equipment that was in Greenfit is now in The new Infinity fitness ”.
The management handover phase is a crucial moment. “We – says Franceschini – we had a preliminary that the new manager was supposed to sign, but he never did“. In the preliminary there is a list of all the Blue Drink material present inside the gym, as well as the monthly amount for the rental. About 800 euros a month, which, multiplied by twelve months, makes a good amount. In addition to the fact that equipment and machinery are also valuables. “We had also talked about a subsidized rent for the first months – explains Franceschini – perhaps starting from a lower figure and then arriving at what the old manager paid. We had just come out of two lockdowns, it was a period of chaos for everyone because after a long time we stopped working ”.
“We have urged him in every way to sign – explains the CEO -. First with informal, friendly messages, but he made up all kinds of excuses to postpone the signing. When we arrived in the summer of 2021, he asked us to come and meet him, given that it is a period in which gyms work less, starting the contract in September “. Accepted the proposal to leave with the contract from September the summer months pass, but then nothing happens. Franceschini’s messages and calls would have been echoed with excuses of circumstances aimed at delaying the signing as much as possible. “From September it sends us back to October, from October to November and us in December we decide to have the lawyer write to him“. So, from April, the first pec of the lawyer starts in December 2021.
“We ordered him to close the agreement and start paying – says the CEO -. We did not receive any response and in mid-February with another certified e-mail and a registered letter we ordered him to return the goods “. Again no official answer and so we come to today. Last week, with a new letter from the lawyer, Drink Blues announced that today, April 30th, its representatives would come to take back the assets owned by it. “Knowing of our visit, he closed the gym and was not found,” comments Franceschini.
His is a demonstration of strength, aimed at making evident “the lack of will to return the assets on the part of the new manager”. Net of twists and turns and positive resolutions (a payment of all arrears and the signing of the preliminary) Franceschini will continue to take legal action. The carabinieri were informed just this morning and the complaint “is a fundamental tool to then turn to the judicial authority to obtain an immediate seizure: this is what we will ask”.
Also useless calls to the manager, who was unreachable for a clarification.
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