Inntrepreneur licensees may be too late to follow Crehan's lead
Hundreds of publicans who are awaiting a High Court ruling on the dispute between publican Bernie Crehan and Inntrepreneur could be left disappointed.
Mr Crehan is taking the company to court alleging he was ripped off by its restrictive tie agreement. He says Inntrepreneur maximised rent prices while supplier Courage maximised beer prices.
But while hundreds of other publicans will be watching the six-week trial, which started last week, to see if they have a case, it may be too late if they have left it for more than six years before claiming.
Alan Temple was the head of the Courage Leaseholders' Association when members started to complain that the beer tie agreements were losing them business.
He has been involved with the case ever since but now he is concerned that up to 90 per cent of the licensees wishing to make claims will not have a leg to stand on if the judge rules there is a maximum time period in which claims must be made.
"It's usually six years," Mr Temple said. "If this is the case it will mean something like 800 licensees will not be able to claim damages."
Mr Crehan is arguing that the lease he signed with Inntrepreneur in the 1990s breached competition laws. If he and other licensees are successful, it could mean a bill of millions of pounds for Japanese bank Nomura, which bought the company in 1997, but Inntrepreneur is confident it can win the case.
The move by English courts to follow European law on the matter means hundreds of other tenants may now proceed with legal action against the pub company.
Related articles:
Licensee's dispute with Inntrepreneur reaches High Court (13 February 2003)
