The Arizona Coyotes are all caught up on their bills. No eviction necessary.
The hockey team in the desert paid off its overdue bills Thursday, a day after receiving word the city of Glendale was going to lock them out of Gila River Arena if they didn’t get caught up.
Glendale city manager Kevin Phelps sent a letter Wednesday informing the Coyotes they owed US$1.3-million, including US$250,000 to the city.
Phelps informed the Coyotes that the Arizona Department of Revenue had filed a notice of tax lien for unpaid state and city taxes owned by IceArizona, the Coyotes’ ownership company. Phelps also said in his letter that he had instructed ASM Global, which manages Gila River Arena, to not allow the Coyotes in the arena if the bills were not paid by 5 p.m. on Dec. 20.
The Coyotes issued a statement late Wednesday saying the unpaid bills were an unfortunate human error and they would rectify the situation quickly. They did on Thursday, avoiding what would have been an awkward situation.
The Coyotes have been leasing Gila River Arena on an annual basis since the Glendale City Council voted to opt out of a multimillion-dollar long-term deal in 2016. The city has announced it will not renew its agreement with the franchise beyond the 2021-22 season.
The team has submitted a bid for a tract of land in Tempe in what could be its first step in landing a permanent home.