Crow: I will shut down city's RSA
BY FELICITY ROSS AND MATT RILKOFF
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It's war. The continuing row between the New Plymouth RSA and Auckland businessman Steve Crow and his brother David has boiled over.
Yesterday afternoon the club changed the locks on the front doors and the Taranaki Daily News understands it intended to serve the brothers with trespass notices.
But Steve Crow hit back last night, saying he would shut the club down and lock the members out if they continue this "heavy handed approach".
"The new president, Roy Komene, was of the misconception that he could issue a trespass order against my brother and I, but has been informed that you cannot trespass the owner of the property," Mr Crow said from Auckland last night.
"If anyone was to be locked out we would lock them out. It's not a possibility, it's a certainty and if they don't pull their heads in they will be locked out and the New Plymouth RSA will be shut down."
The Crow brothers own the central city property and rent it back to the club. Part of it has been under the management of David. The relationship between the brothers and the club members went into a tailspin last weekend when the pair dramatically resigned their membership and walked out of the club's annual general meeting.
Steve Crow, best known for his porn empire, said the RSA owed the brothers about $43,000 for bills the club told them it could not afford to pay.
"The reality is the New Plymouth RSA owe my brother for rates, insurance, water and power and with the change of regime last weekend we are putting our hands down."
"We made a promise to our father to save the RSA and we will do everything to save it but if they continue down the current course of action the club will be shut and that will be the end of it," he says.
The Taranaki Daily News understands the club received advice from the RSA's national office that as the brothers were no longer members they could legally be barred from entering.
This action is understood to have been taken by the club yesterday afternoon.
Police were called and the locksmiths were changing the locks an hour or two later.
New Plymouth RSA president for the last five days Roy Komene said legal issues prevented him from talking to the media about the Crow brothers. The action was taken on the advice from the Royal New Zealand RSA in Wellington. He was not available last night to respond to the Crows' latest claims.
Since buying the debt-ridden club last year the brothers had made a number of changes that left members unhappy despite putting the club in a healthier financial position.
"We have tried and we have bent over backwards. We have spent $700,000 and a year of our time to help them. It's very disappointing," Steve Crow said.
One thing he is sure of is that he will get his money back.
"The only losers here are the RSA club and that's really sad, it will become a blood bath and I do intend to walk out owning the property and continue the development because that's business."
Meanwhile a spokesman for the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association in Wellington said only its chief executive Stephen Clarke was able to discuss the issue and he would not be available until Monday.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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I am from New Plymouth(living in Brisbane) and it hurts that this is occurring.My Dads wake(Spike) was held at this R.S.A.(2003)It is apparent that a lifeline was given by the Crows but the finer details of any contract should have been researched with regards to who offers their money or services.I will not condemn any parties involved but wish to offer a suggestion. The R.S.A can be promoted through a younger market of which whom also hold the values of our past and present Returned Services Association members so very highly.This is evident by the turn out on A.N.Z.A.C day each year of the next generation who realize that their sacrifices were not in vain.Through clever and intuitive marketing this can be achieved. -Never be held to ransom by anyone or any corporation Kind regards
Earlier this year I had my father come over from Tauranga and stay for a while..Being a Returned Serviceman himself, his first stop was the RSA. And to put in frankly he joined and tried it a few times and was basically disgusted with it..It was dirty, dated, and empty. He joined the local workingmans club instead, as it seems most of NP has done.
@Rangi - no wars?? Where do you think our army is at the moment?
go for it mr crow! lock 'me out i say. that'll teach them not to bite the hand that feeds.
Cant they live the lease out & find another building? Whats the big deal? Maybe because there are no more wars & RSA's will soon be obsolete...What is so bad about the Crows anyway? Porn is a perfectly legitimate enterprise, the internet suggests its the most popular subject in the world. I would prefer to be a porn peddler than a soldier any day. There is no honour in harming yourself because a bunch of politicians have asked you to. War is all about deception, the despicable act of getting young to die for old. The RSA is stupid to try to trespass the owners! How stupid can you get?? If the RSA want to be stuck in the dark ages, let them. There is no need to seek pity on your way down.
Ya know its always sad to hear this kinda thing when you are reflecting on a New Plymouth institution. I'll always remember the wall outside here with its murals and how happy they made people. But while unpopular, business is business. The concept of Cheap meal, drinks and entertainment is nobel and i totally support it but communities are built on the back of hard work together. Why doesn't the community get together to support the club not encourage a negative course of action but support a positive one. Christmas is coming maybe some local business would like to hold their Christmas functions there if for no other reason then to be community spitrited and support or elders and veterans. Isn't that the least we can do? I'm sure that if the club started to be able to economically support itself then the relationship could be repaired. I'm sure that the Crow brothers would have a lot less to say if efforts were being made from the whole community to support something this important..
The Crows won't win against Ayotolla Komene.
Grandstanding and big noting once again from the crow boys. Oh how they crow about things!! Spose it could become another porn enpire.
The oldies have gotten themselves into a spot of trouble, but with a few sausage sizzles they may be able to tell the Crows where to stick their jafas. The simplicity of it is that RSA groups exist for a certain purpose, not for the expansion of empires, but to provide these groups with a meeting place, cheap meals and cheap jugs.
I'm sure their father would be turning in his grave seeing what his sons have done to cause these stresses on the club and the community.
There is a proposal for a $28m sporting complex at New Plymouth's TSB Stadium. Is that a want or a need?
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Being the daughter of the man who the 'Crow Bro's' are warring with, all I have to say is there's sooo much more to this story than what the media (& the Crows) are giving...