The owners of Gediman’s Appliance, which closed abruptly in September, will file for bankruptcy, but customers left without the goods they paid for may never be fully reimbursed, the Maine Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.

In a letter to 40 customers of the Bath store, a complaint examiner from the state attorney general’s office said store owners Peter and Serrene Gagnon will soon file for bankruptcy.

Related Headlines

• Bath appliance store closes mysteriously, leaving customers in lurch

Additional Images

The owners of Gediman’s Appliance in Bath plans to file for bankruptcy, according to the Maine Attorney General’s Office. Chris Chase/Coastal Journal

Gediman’s Appliance closed its locations in Bath and Lewiston abruptly in September, leaving behind angry customers who had paid for goods.

Martha Currier, the complaint examiner in the AG’s office, said she has heard from 40 customers who say they did not receive appliances or services they paid for. Several also said they were consigning appliances with Gediman’s.

“We’ve talked to folks who had just paid for a regular service repair to people who have paid thousands of dollars for appliances for a new home,” she said.

Currier said secured creditors – banks and businesses – will be considered first when any remaining funds from the business are disbursed as part of the bankruptcy process. Customers should file a proof of claim in court once the bankruptcy case is filed, she said.

“Although possible, it is unlikely you will receive a full refund given the limited resources available after the secured creditors receive their funds,” she wrote.

Gediman’s has been a Bath institution since 1924. Originally owned by Arthur and Henry Gediman, the business was sold to Jayne and Russell Palmer in 1986. The Gagnons bought the business in 2006.

Currier said those who did not get products or services from Gediman’s for which they had paid should contact the attorney general’s office at (800) 436-2131.

Related Stories