TRAIN STATION COFFEE DISPUTE SETTLED

"The Maplewood Concierge Company has modified and extended its coffee cafe hours of operation.

The coffee cafe concession at the concierge booth will now be open weekdays from 9:46AM to 8PM and will also open Saturdays from 8:30AM to 4:30PM and Sundays from 8:30AM to 1PM.

The Heavenly Scent Cafe concession will continue to be open Monday through Friday from 5:30AM to 9:45AM. Also, all dry cleaning drop off services will now be handled by Heavenly Scent Cafe weekday mornings until 9:45AM.

Any questions regarding the new schedules please call Art Christensen 973-699-8276; and thank you for your continued support."

More than four months after their last court appearance, both sides in the train station coffee dispute were back in court Friday and reportedly reached a settlement, according to Maplewood Concierge Boss Art Christensen.

Spotted Saturday clearing items out of the concierge retail space, he said a deal had been reached, but declined to provide specifics. "I think it is good enough," he said.

Reynolds' attorney Diane O'Connell said Monday the settlement would keep coffee lady Joyce Reynolds at the train station, but declined to offer specifics. She also said it was a tentative agreement and some aspects required further negotiation.

Reynolds and Christensen had been at it since mid-2008. That is when Christensen sought an eviction against Reynolds for the space she has leased for 10 years.

Essex County Judge Mahlon Fast ruled against Christensen's effort to evict Reynolds from her retail spot in July 2009. But Christensen had appealed that ruling.

In addition, O'Connell filed a separate action to force another tenant out. That motion was expected to be ruled upon last Friday in Chancery Court before Judge Walter Koprowski

. Instead, the settlement was reached in Koprowski's court, but terms were not released.

O'Connell's action claimed that Mintze Shay, who had been leasing space from Christensen on the opposite end of the station, was not allowed to operate during the morning hours that Reynolds sells her goodies and drinks.

In a related matter, Shay closed her business last week and said she could not make enough money to keep it going. Christensen says he will run the concierge business and plans to hire someone to work for him.

"It goes to prove there is not enough money without the morning coffee business," Christensen said.

Maplewood Concierge Company pays NJ Transit for the right to operate its mixture of retail in the train station. The dispute between Christensen and Reynolds began when her use and occupancy agreement ended in July 2008 and he notified her in writing that he wanted to forge a new agreement in which one entity would lease and run retail service for the entire train station space, including the morning coffee and food service, an evening food service, the newsstand concession, and the concierge pick-up services.

Reynolds, who pays $900 per month for her spot, had said she would like to remain in the current situation, but did not want to take over the entire operation of the station retail services, Christensen said. Her former attorney, Bruce Hersh, contended her agreement allowed her that right and Christensen is not allowed to simply change the terms of the rental situation.

Christensen said he then got Shay to agree to the new set-up and she began to take over in March. Christensen has said he first spoke to Reynolds about allowing her first crack at taking over the entire retail aspects of the train station, but says she declined. He first gave notice on Sept. 15, 2008 that she would have to leave, he says.

By Dec. 1, 2008, he says he did not hear any response and filed for eviction with Essex County Superior Court. Several court dates had been set since then before the eviction trial occurred in September 2009.

O'Connell said terms of the settlement will likely be released within a week, after final negotiations are completed