You know the common advice about keeping business and personal matters separate? These owners haven’t heard of it.

Kathleen Gregorio and two of her adult children are suing a third sibling, claiming he ruined the family florist business by opening a competing shop down the street.

The $3-million suit claims that Kathleen left the third son, Sam, in charge of Gregorio’s Florist while she went on a three-week vacation during the summer. When Kathleen returned from her extended break, she found the shop closed and its items and supplies missing.

During that time, Sam had stolen customer lists, portfolio photographs and floral supplies from his mother’s shop and opened up another business, named Sam T. Gregorio’s Florist, LLC.

Because of the competing shop, the original Gregorio’s suffered a major decline in business, and was forced to close its doors weeks later.

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Tags: Competition, Customer lists, Family-owned business, Florist