Teyana Taylor Named In Lawsuit Over $49K In Unpaid Rent For Harlem Nail Salon

The building owner claims the R&B singer is liable for nearly $49,000 in unpaid rent for the space that housed the former salon, Junie Bee Nails, Inc.

Teyana Taylor was named in a lawsuit due to unpaid rent for a New York City space that once housed her former nail a couple of years ago. According to the lawsuit the landlord filed on Aug. 30 in the New York State Supreme Court, that theGrio has obtained, alleges that the singer/director — as the lease guarantor — is responsible for the unpaid rent.

The nail salon that occupied the space was Junie Bee Nails, Inc., named after Taylor’s first daughter, which was located at 2330 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. in Harlem in a building that belongs to 2330 Seventh Owner LLC. Monique Taylor, who is also named in the suit, is listed with New York’s Department of State as Junie Bee Nails’ registered agent. It is not clear what the connection is between the Taylor women.

The suit states that Junie Bee Nails, Inc. entered a 10-year lease for the space in February 2017 but owes nearly $49,000 in rent, dating to January 2019. The suit further states that the salon abandoned the location on Feb. 29, 2020.

Since Teyana Taylor is listed as the guarantor on the lease that Junie Bee Nails, Inc. signed, the suit sustains, the New York native is now obligated to pay the rent owed to the end of the lease, January 2027, or until a new tenant occupies the rental space. Fortunately for Taylor, the 2330 Seventh Owner LLC, which bought the building in February 2020 and all the rights to the lease, found a new tenant in April 2021.

The suit states that Teyana Taylor and Monique Taylor should be accountable to the plaintiff for $48,739.06, comprising $358.52 rent balance as of January 2019, $44,556.00 of unpaid rent between February 2019 and January 2020 ($3,713 per month), and $3,824.54 for February 2020. The plaintiff is also seeking other monetary relief, including interest dating to January 2019 and attorney’s fees.

Although Taylor closed the Junie Bee Nails New York City location, the business’ Instagram still has the Harlem address listed and it remains an “active” business, according to New York’s state department corporations division. In addition, the division’s records indicate that the company has a past due “statement status,” indicating that the “next statement due date is Jan. 31, 2019.

On March 21, 2020, Junie Bee Nails, Inc. announced on its Instagram page that it was temporarily closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and CDC regulations.

A few months later, in June of 2020, the business followed up with an update that they would be permanentaly moving from the Harlem location. The caption mentioned the importance of black ownership and generational wealth.