CITY HALL The investigation of a high-end home decorating store that closed on Montana Avenue last year is still ongoing as the City Attorney’s Office looks to compile information based on allegations that the business ripped off customers.
Paula Rockenstein, the consumer affairs specialist with the City Attorney’s Office, began receiving calls last fall after Room with a View shut down for business, calls from customers who claimed they had paid for services that were allegedly never delivered.
The Consumer Protection Unit at City Hall has received approximately 30 phone calls since Room with a View, formerly located at 1600 Montana Ave., closed in May. But many of the callers never put their complaints in writing, making it difficult for Rockenstein to follow-up on the accusations.
“At that time, I referred them to small claims court or if they paid with a credit card, to contact the credit card company to put in a dispute and see if they could get the charges credited back to them,” Rockenstein said on Wednesday.
The company, owned by Elizabeth Lamont and Tom Alesio, filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on Nov. 16. Their attorney, David Shemano of Los Angeles, declined to comment and referred inquiries to the business owner’s Bankruptcy Trustee, Brad Krasnoff, who did not return numerous calls seeking comment on Wednesday.
The couple owned Room with a View, which also operated an online business, for 17 years. The business was also featured on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004 as part of the talk show host’s favorite things series.
The business also owes money to people other than its customers. In October, Dave Oh of Nick’s Dry Cleaners on Montana Avenue said that Alesio owed him approximately $6,000 for dry cleaning.
Ann Millang, who owns home furnishing business St. Barths Home, said she subleased the space from the couple and was paying them rent while they were in default with the landlord.
Rockenstein said the phone calls have died down from customers.
“The calls need to be put in writing because I need the receipts, the names of people they spoke to,” Rockenstein said. “I asked them to do a timeline, asked what occurred because I need to have a good sense of what happened so I can call the business on their behalf.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 31, 2008. Read the original PDF.