Independence Mall representative responds to Hardwire Tattoo sudden vacate notice

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A representative with Independence Mall has responded to a recent vacate notice given to Hardwire Tattoo.

According to manager and partial owner, Matt Fischer, the tattoo shop received a notice from mall management on December 14th that the business had to vacate the mall by December 31st.

“There was no reason given, they just told us that we needed to vacate, that they didn’t renew our lease back in July, and that they chose, apparently, two weeks before Christmas to let us know that it was time for us to go,” Fischer said.

Mall representative Lindsay Kahn says Hardwire Tattoo had a limited license agreement with Independence Mall (and Brookfield Properties) to operate. That means there is a finite length of time the business would have a license to operate within the mall.

A new agreement between the business owner and mall would have to be reached prior to that time period ending in order for the business to remain in that location.

Kahn says the owner of Hardwire Tattoo was aware of this and signed the limited  license agreement.

She says the agreement was not terminated early, or that they put Hardwire Tattoo out without cause. The agreement simply expired.