Contact: Sue Rogan, 240-777-3722
For Immediate Release: July 9, 2001

County Offers Residents a Chance to
Retrieve Clothing After Owner
Abandons Dry Cleaning Establishment

Customers of Westchester Cleaners, located at 6931 Arlington Blvd. in Bethesda may still be able to retrieve their clothing, even though the facility has been abandoned.

The Consumer Affairs Division (DCA) of the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) has been notified by the drycleaner's landlord that the owner of Westchester Cleaners, Joe Urciolo of Bethesda, has abandoned the dry cleaning establishment. More than 150 bundles of clothing remain in the store.

The landlord has subsequently rented the premises to new tenants and cannot allow the clothing to remain on-site. At the landlord's request, and as a public service to consumers who still have clothing at the store, DCA agreed to take custody of the clothing. DCA will remove the clothing and store it in its offices in Rockville for a reasonable period of time, allowing consumers to claim their property.

Westchester customers who wish to pick up their clothing should call DCA at 240-777-3636 for information and instructions. Since most of the clothing is not labeled, consumers should provide DCA with a written description of the clothing and be prepared to bring personal identification when picking up the clothing. Clothing not claimed within a reasonable time will be donated to charity.

"We cannot guarantee that everyone's clothing will be returned,” warned DCA Chief George Rose. “We can only return what we find in the store. Consumers with claims for damaged or lost clothing will have to sue the store's owner."

This is the second time in a year that DCA has had to step in to rescue consumers' clothing from dry cleaners who have gone out of business. The previous incident involved "Cleaner Than a Whistle" in Takoma Park.

For more information, call 240-777-3636.