Dozens of J.Crew Group Inc.’s landlords, including some of the biggest mall owners in the country, are seeking rent payments from the retailer’s stores as they reopen, according to court filings, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. The chain’s landlords — including Simon Property Group Inc., CBL & Associates Management Inc. and Brookfield Property REIT Inc. — say that they deserve to be paid rent on stores as malls and shopping centers reopen. Many states are gradually easing restrictions on retailers that were forced to close stores to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, and have issued guidelines for restarting operations. J.Crew has asked the bankruptcy court to allow it to stop paying rent on all its stores for 60 days — until July 6 — saying that it needs to preserve cash after closing about 500 locations in March. J.Crew filed for chapter 11 protection in early May after struggling for years before the coronavirus pandemic prompted it to close stores and scrap plans to raise cash by spinning off its Madewell chain. A committee representing J.Crew’s unsecured creditors has also objected to the retailer’s request to defer rent payments, pointing out the company hasn’t promised to pay back the deferred rent.
