West Palm Beach hopes to position itself as a major finance center. But that ambition has taken a blow with the Argent Group leaving its luxury Clematis Street digs. Moreover, a lawsuit alleges the firm didn’t pay rent.
Over the summer, Clematis Street Property sued Argent Asset Group, a Delaware company, in Palm Beach County Circuit Court for eviction and back rent after Argent “abandoned” its Southeast Headquarters in late August, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Landlord William Weisman claims Argent was only in the third-floor space, located at 221 Clematis Street, for only a few months during the five-month period of free rent.
But according to Argent Group co-president Robert Higgins, the firm still wants a presence in Palm Beach. He claims a death in the family, plus problems with an employee, led to a temporary shutdown. Higgins said he plans to go to West Palm Beach in a couple of weeks to see if “we can resurrect” the deal. [Miami Herald] – Christopher Cameron