Chelsea
Flanders Market, Chelsea’s Pizza House and the North Tunbridge General Store were closed after the businesses’ owners failed to take out a bond to ensure they meet their financial obligations, such as taxes, penalties and interest payments to the state.
Department of Taxes Deputy Commissioner Gregg Mousley said he couldn’t comment on specifics regarding the closing of Eric and Stacey Flanders’ businesses, but said owners generally are asked to take out a bond only when they owe the state tax money.
“Our goal is to collect the tax money and not to shut down a business,” Mousley said in a telephone interview on Friday.
The businesses were ordered closed on Monday and large yellow signs were affixed to each one’s storefront reading, “Please take notice that (this business) failed to post the bond required by the Vermont commissioner of taxes.” In bold red lettering, the signs say that the owners “may not conduct business” until further notice.
Stacey Flanders deferred comment, saying she was busy trying to remedy the situation.
“We are working diligently on trying to reopen,” she wrote in a social media message on Friday. “We are hopeful. We are experiencing a hardship. … We are sincerely apologetic to the town for the inconvenience.”
The Flanderses have owned the North Tunbridge General Store since 2002, Flanders Market since 2006 and Chelsea’s Pizza House since 2009, according to the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office.
Mousley, the deputy tax commissioner, said a bond is akin to a loan that some business owners must take out to help pay their tax debt. The owners would then owe the money to the bond issuer instead of to the state, he said.
The bond could cover an array of things; the department collects roughly 30 different taxes, including income tax, sales tax and rooms and meals tax.
In some situations, he said, businesses fail to collect the tax in the first place, or they collect the tax and neglect to send the money to the state.
Mousley said he couldn’t comment on how long Flanders Market, Chelsea’s Pizza House and the North Tunbridge General Store would be closed, or if they would reopen.
If tax issues are rectified, businesses are allowed to reopen, he said.
Meanwhile, Chelsea residents are coping with the loss of an eatery and a market with gas pumps, and North Tunbridge residents are trying to get by without a country store for miles.
Chelsea’s Flanders Market was a staple for meats, cold cuts and household items, while Chelsea’s Pizza House offered a place to grab a quick bite.
Only two food-related establishments remain open in Chelsea during the daytime: Dixie’s 2 and Will’s Store.
Neither has gasoline, though. That has put a strain on the community, several residents said on Friday.
Flanders and the North Tunbridge store had offered fuel at times throughout the past year, but customers said they recently hadn’t been able to rely on either store for gas. When they went, sometimes there would be bags over the pumps.
“It got to the point where you’d say to hell with it,” said Bob Beauchesne, who has lived in Chelsea for 25 years.
Peter Ballou, who lives two houses down from the North Tunbridge store, felt Beauchesne’s pain. He said he now has to travel out of town.
In addition, the North Tunbridge store’s closing has taken away the convenience of having a nearby store in the rural town.
“Before it was a two-minute walk to the store to get what you needed and then you were done,” Ballou said. “It’s not like that anymore.”
On Friday, no one could be found inside or around the grounds of Flanders Market, Chelsea’s House of Pizza or the North Tunbridge General Store. Flanders Market had partially bare shelves, while Chelsea’s Pizza appeared fully stocked.
Will Gilman, the owner of Will’s Store, said “naturally” he has seen a recent uptick in business because of the closings.
He said he wishes the Flanderses the best with the ongoing situation, which he knew little about.
His cashier, Liz Connor, said many people have come into the store and asked about the situation with the Flanderses’ businesses, but other than the placard on the door, nobody has any information.
Although Will’s has seen an increase in business, as has Dixie’s, Connor said she hopes the Flanderses can get back on their feet soon.
“We wouldn’t want to benefit from someone else’s misfortune,” Connor said.
Dixie’s owner Brigetta Johnson agreed.
“I do wish Eric the very best, and I hope they will be up and running again soon,” Johnson said.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.