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Chuck’s Cafe pays debt to food distributor after more than a year in court

Chuck’s Cafe has paid its nearly $7,200 debt to a Pennsylvania-based food distributor after more than a year in court.

The popular Marshall Street bar paid its $7,160.18 debt on April 3. The document certifying Chuck’s had paid its debt was not available online until April 7.

The Pittston, Pennsylvania location of food distributor USA Foods Inc. sued Chuck’s on Jan. 16 over unpaid bills. The lawsuit says Chuck’s Café entered into an agreement on Oct. 4, 2012 with the company for the delivery of $4,341.55 worth of “goods and services.” An Onondaga County Supreme Court judge ruled in favor of the debt collector on Aug. 28, 2014 and ordered the bar to pay $7,160.18.

In October, an attorney for Chuck’s Cafe owner Stephen Theobald and his company asked the judge to overturn his ruling because the bar never received a copy of the summons and complaint for the lawsuit. The court docket shows the summons and complaint was twice served to Theobald’s house: once on March 27, 2014 and again on April 16, 2014.

Theobald said in the lawsuit he did receive a copy of the judgment when it was served to his house in August 2014, however.



Last month, the judge upheld his original ruling, saying Chuck’s failed to provide a reasonable excuse or any evidence that would lead the court to overturn its decision.

Albert DiGiacomo, an attorney for USA Foods Inc., declined to comment. Jacqueline Jones, an attorney for Theobald, did not respond to calls and emails on Monday.





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