(Updated at 9:40 a.m.) Staff at A-1 Arlington Clarendon Valet — a dry cleaner at 3110 Washington Blvd. in Clarendon — said a financial dispute has led to the store closing next month.
The store is closing because a person who purchased the business was defaulting on their payments, an employee said. The original owner is now back running the business, but planning to close it, we’re told.
There was also a sign taped to the front desk explaining the closure and cautioning that customers who dropped off items under its previous ownership might not get their clothes back. The contents of the sign — minus the names of the parties involved, who ARLnow was not able to reach for comment — are below.
A1 Clarendon Valet was sold to [REDACTED] on 13 October 2018 on a five-year payment plan. He appointed his nephew… to operate the business and after only one payment, the business defaulted on their payments. On Wednesday 8 January 2020, the Arlington County Sheriff’s Department executed the Court ordered eviction and changed the locks.
Since 9 January 2020 we have been trying to locate your items. If we cannot locate your missing items, you should lodge a direct complaint to [REDACTED]. Please understand that while we are making every effort to locate your items, we are under no legal obligation for items that were left in their care between 13 October 2018 and 8 January 2020. We will continue our efforts to find those missing items until 12 February 2020, after which A1 Clarendon Valet will close its doors.
The store also offers leather and shoe repairs, key duplication, and other services.
A-1 isn’t the only dry cleaner to close over the last year. Family Dry Cleaners on Columbia Pike closed last July and Georgetown Valet dry cleaners closed last January.