Strip property sues tenants over leases

Grace Leong

Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999 | 10:58 a.m.

Grand Casinos Nevada I Inc. sued three of its former tenants, alleging they defaulted on their lease agreements when they vacated the property before their contracts expired.

In three separate Clark County District Court suits, Grand Casinos said the defendants Haruko Tamaki, Harvey Higa and Jerky's, and Resort Medical Center LLC agreed to rent property for a five-year term from Grand Casinos' subsidiary Nevada Resort Properties Polo Plaza Ltd. at 3743 Las Vegas Blvd South.

Polo Plaza is near the Polo Towers timeshare development. The two properties are owned by different companies.

In a suit against Tamaki and his guarantor Steve Conn, Grand Casinos alleged Tamaki, who it said agreed to rent Suite 103 at the Polo Plaza, paid only part of a minimum monthly rent of $17,000 without Nevada Resort Properties' consent. Grand Casinos said Tamaki, who it said began paying only $10,000 starting June 1998, vacated the premises in July 1999 before his lease was due to expire in Oct. 13, 2002.

In a separate suit against Higa and Jerky's, Grand Casinos alleged the defendants, who it said agreed to rent suite 105 at the Polo Plaza for $4,455 a month, vacated the premises in October 1998 before their lease was due to expire in Nov. 1, 2001. The suit said the defendants didn't pay rents since September 1998.

In a suit against Resort Medical Center and its guarantor Jerald Malone, Grand Casinos alleged the defendants, who it said agreed to rent suites 106-108 at the Polo Plaza for $7,260 a month, vacated the premises on Oct. 26 before their lease was due to expire in Aug. 1, 2002. The suit said the defendants didn't pay rents since Oct. 1.

The defendants could not be reached for comment on the allegations.

Grand Casinos Nevada I Inc. is owned by Lakes Gaming Inc. of Minneapolis.