Bowling company was ordered by court to close
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The last week has been a contentious one for a local business culminating in a Facebook announcement on Saturday announcing its temporary closure.
As The Post-Journal reported recently, a receiver has been appointed by the state Supreme Court in Mayville as a dispute is resolved amongst the ownership group of Jamestown Bowling Company on Foote Avenue. In late June, Leonard Pimm filed suit in state Supreme Court asking the court to resolve a deadlock between equal owners of Pimm Mee Corp. and BC Bowl Corp., two closely held corporations. The dispute includes what Pimm terms “financial mismanagement of the corporations by one shareholder over the other shareholder’s objections, and presents an urgent need for court intervention to stabilize the corporations’ financial operations and preserve their primary and most valuable asset.”
On Saturday, it was announced that Jamestown Bowling Company and the Gametime Restaurant will be closed temporarily.
"At this time we don't know for how long but we will keep everyone posted as information becomes available," the Facebook post said. "We are incredibly grateful for all of our friends, customers, employees, and bowlers who have supported us over the years and we ask for everyone's patience while we work through our issues right now
Court documents in the receivership case show there is more to the temporary closing than meets the eye.
In an affidavit filed on Friday by Brian Pimm, the son of Leonard and Carol Pimm, said he was told Jamestown Bowling Company was to close July 30, under the direction of the court-appointed receiver, during a Teams call on July 30. The business remained open, with Pimm saying he had been told by city residents that the business had remained open after the July 30 closing ordered by Tristan Hujer, the temporary court-appointed receiver, while Pimm said he was also seeing new sales, employee clock-ins and credit card receipts in the business’ operating systems. Hujer said he had ordered Jim Mee to close the bowling company and restaurant immediately due to its financial status. While the numbers were redacted in the court documents filed on Friday, Hujer said the business had lost money from July 1 through July 31.
“Based upon the foregoing, it is my judgement as temporary receiver that the business cannot responsibly remain open,” Hujer said in his affidavit. “The companies cannot meet their obligations as they come due, continued operation commits the companies to further weekly payroll and lottery obligations they cannot fund, and each additional day of operation increases the liabilities that may ultimately be satisfied out of the companies’ assets.”
Court documents filed Friday show several emails sent between attorneys in an attempt to close the business before Hujer filed a motion Friday asking state Supreme Court Emilio Colaiacovo to order the business to close. Colaiacovo granted the motion while setting a court date for August 17 in Colaiacovo’s Buffalo courtroom. In addition to confirming the receiver’s July 30 order, Colaiacovo further directed Mee, upon service of the court order, to cease and desist from operating, from selling any food, beverages or merchandise, or to conduct any bowling, lottery, gaming, amusement or entertainment activity or from accepting reservations, booking, league play, events or deposits.
The judge also ordered that Mee not incur, authorize or commit the companies to any further spending or obligations – including payroll, purchase, order, service or contract – without approval of the temporary receiver. Mee also had to turn over to the receiver, by Saturday, Aug. 8, all cash on hand, receipts, deposits and other funds in his possession as well as all books, records, register and point of sale reports, lottery records and settlement statements for the businesses from June 25, 2026, through Aug. 7. Mee was also ordered not to remove, transfer, sell, conceal, encumber or otherwise dispose of any asset, inventory, equipment or property.
“Continued operation of the business is contrary to my directive,” Hujer wrote in his affidavit. “It is causing the companies to incur further payroll and other obligations without sufficient revenues to pay for these costs. Considering the foregoing, including prior efforts to secure compliance, I respectfully submit that an order of this court is necessary to confirm my directive that the companies’ cease operations.”