When a company owner goes to court to seek justice and the trial lasts longer than planned, the business can go bankrupt, said the manager of “Vintage Avenue” Eugen Bogatyi, who had been in litigation for three years and could not continue production in the period and could not implement the planned investment projects. He ultimately won the case by an irrevocable court decision, but the defendant didn’t repay the debt of 4 million lei to him.
In a news conference at IPN, Eugen Bogatyi said that since 2005 it has processed grapes and made wine in bulk in Bucovăț town of Strășeni district. In the winter of 2017, he signed a contract for the sale of wine with a company based in a southern district. Until February 2018, the agreed quantity of wine was supplied to this. The company was to make payments to the winemaker until May, but didn’t do it. In June 2018, he sued the company in order to recover the debt of about 6 million lei. A definite judgment in this case was passed by the Supreme Court of Justice in October 2019. In the period, the entrepreneur fulfilled his obligations to the state and regularly paid taxes.
Later, the sides signed a debt repayment agreement in the presence of the bailiff. Under this, the debt was to be cleared between November 2019 and April 2020. But only the first two tranches were paid and the outstanding debt is now of 4 million lei. It’s August soon, but the debt hasn’t been yet cleared.
Eugen Bogatyi wondered how one can go to court with all the documents in order, but the trial lasts for over a year and a half. In the period, any company can go bankrupt if 30-50% of its working assets are taken out.
The created situation didn’t allow them to develop and to implement investment projects. For the first time in 15 years, he cannot work and could not pay the farmers who supplied him with grapes.
In the same news conference, representatives of farmers from three localities called on the authorities and the law enforcement agencies to intervene and do justice to them. The winemaker said he will file petitions and all the required documents to the state institutions, including the Prosecutor General’s Office.
