Medford shuts down King Petroleum gas stations over unpaid taxes, fees

MEDFORD, Mass. (FOX25, myfoxboston) - Three gas stations on Salem Street in Medford, owned by the same family, have been closed, and their pumps have been locked. City officials say they failed to pay taxes, fines and fees.

The King Petroleum gas stations were shut down on Friday.

“Saturday and Sundays are my busiest days. Shutting me down on a Friday, they know what they were doing,” said Jacqueline Eskanian, who took over the company from her father.

The owners have put up signs protesting the city, but the city says they’ve heard their case over and over.

The city council chose not to renew the permits earlier in the week due to more than $100,000 in back taxes, $13,000 in fines and fees and “failure to be a good neighbor.”

Council members told FOX25 that the decision was not easy, but after two public hearings and years of non-compliance, they had no choice.

The vote was unanimous.

“They don't want me in this town. They don't want my family in this town. They're forcing us out of there and they want to take these properties,” said Eskanian.

Eskanian recently took over the company from her father and says she's been trying to pay down back taxes and fees and work with the city to deal with some of the neighbors’ complaints.

But the city is not budging.

In 2007, the attorney general’s office won a suit against Tony Eskanian for $600,000 for improper clean up and disposal of fuel at his three gas stations in Medford and one in Malden.