Stafford Files Lawsuit Against Country Village Shoppes Owner

It has been more than a year since Dunbeath LLC, the owner of the property at 32 West Stafford Road, received site plan approval, along with a list of conditions from the Planning and Zoning Commission for a self-storage facility. Not much has changed at the property in the last 12 months, but that doesn’t mean the town has forgotten about the rundown property.

According to court documents, the Town of Stafford filed suit against Dunbeath LLC, the owner of the property at 32 West Stafford Road, also known as The Country Village Shoppes. The suit alleges that significant back taxes and blight fines are owed and requests a foreclosure of the liens on the property, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs, and, if necessary, possession of the property.  

The suit does not specify the total amount of all taxes and blight fees the town seeks to recover, but lists the individual amounts. If my math is correct (and every math teacher I have ever had would suggest you double-check me), the suit is seeking more than $63,821 in back taxes and unpaid blight fines. 

As of this writing, no response from Dunbeath LLC was available in the court records. Civil court moves slowly, so stay tuned.  

Update: On Friday, September 27, 2025, people in town began noting that Hang's Asian Bistro (the only remaining business in the Country Village Shoppes plaza) is closed. According to the sign in the window, it is due to a judgment against the owners. This is likely referring to the judgment against Dunbeath LLC in a suit brought by The Connecticut Water Company. According to the court documents, Dunbeath LLC owed more than $10,800 to the water company. The judgment says Dunbeath is restricted from collecting rents, and any collected after the judgment must be turned over to the "petitioner" (in this case, that's Connecticut Water). The court made its decision in May, and that concludes the legal record, at least for now.

Update, 10/9/25: After a bit of legal wrangling, the water may be back on at Hang's soon. I talked with First Selectman Bill Morrison, and he says the owners approached him for help after the water was turned off. He connected them with local attorney Wendell Avery, who helped them deal with the water company. But once the water was back on, it became apparent that there was a leak in the water main. Unable to contact their landlord, the owners asked the Stafford Building Department for advice. They suggested, again, that an attorney get involved. And as of this morning, Morrison said the water main leak was being addressed. So, Hang's could be open again soon.