Tulsa furniture store's 'going out of business' sale has employees and customers upset

A "going out of business" sale has left some people out in the cold. Employees at Halsey's Furniture say they're not getting paid, and customers say they haven't gotten their merchandise.

Friday, December 6th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A "going out of business" sale has left some people out in the cold. Employees at Halsey's Furniture say they're not getting paid, and customers say they haven't gotten their merchandise.

News on Six business reporter Steve Berg tells us about the stores liquidation sale, that has many saying "they're" the ones taking a bath. David Marchewka knew he wouldn't have a job, but he never dreamed he wouldn't get his last paycheck. "The paychecks that we were all planning on living on for the next month until we all found jobs, and with Christmas coming, it's tough for us."

The workers had just gotten out of a bankruptcy hearing where they say Halsey's switched from a Chapter 11 reorganization to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Putting their paychecks in limbo. Which they say is even more insulting when you consider that they've been helping sell the furniture to get the store through bankruptcy. â€œHad we not been there to do the labor, they wouldn't have any money to fight over, so why are they cheatin' us."

The furniture workers are not the only one who say they've gotten the chair yanked out from under them. Several angry customers were outside the store saying they've paid for furniture they never got. "They're gone." Lynda Johnson says she's waiting on about $800 of living room furniture, but all she found Thursday was a locksmith changing the locks on the store. "And he was told that there would be no more deliveries and you could not come and pick up your furniture, it was over."

Mardi Gray says what she did get was damaged. "Luckily they delivered our stuff last week, but there's stuff missing and they promised us that it would be delivered, but so I guess I'm not getting the rest of it anyway.â€ And workers are guessing they might not see the rest of their salary. They say they've been told it could take months to resolve the bankruptcy, and they don't have time to wait.

Another employee Ed Tittle, "Y'know, I'm like the average American, we live payday to payday we miss a payday, we're in trouble, we're in trouble."

Steve Berg did talk to the owner of Halsey's who says she's upset. But she also says their main creditor, Community Bank, is calling the shots on the bankruptcy.

We tried calling the bank but got no response.