MONROE - Newspapers sat outside the door of a darkened BP station this morning, growing soggy in the midmorning rain. Gas pumps had paper notices telling customers that no gas was available, and the parking lot sat empty.
But shortly before 10 a.m., manager Andrew Engebretson was in the store at 907 20th Ave., working even though he had told his boss over the weekend he was done.
"I quit," he said, but came in when the employee scheduled to work didn't show up. "I don't have much of a backbone."
Monday morning's late start is another in a string of mishaps at the station that Engebretson said are caused by poor management and owing vendors money.
"Nobody really knows what's going on," he said.
Even City Hall has vague information about the store. The assessor's office records show Pujieta Enterprises, Inc. of Naperville, Ill., owns the business. No listing for that company is available from directory assistance or on the Internet. The city lists Texas Oil of Madison as owning the real estate. That business likewise has no phone or Internet listing.
The station has been without gas for about five days . Earlier this year, it went without gasoline for about a week, Engebretson said.
The business, which is owned by Texas Oil, is in the process of being sold, Engebretson said. The sale was supposed to go through last week, but that was delayed.
One of the conditions of the sale is that the current owner give employees 30-day notice that they will not have jobs under the new owner, Engebretson said. That hasn't happened. The store normally has five or six full- and part-time employees.
"There's two right now," Engebretson said. "The others have already quit."
Engebretson said he has spoken with the new owner and expects to continue working there.
Sam Samra, Texas Oil regional manager, painted a different picture of what's happening with the Monroe store.
The station is not being sold, Samra said initially. He said later the store is being sold, and the transaction should be complete within a few days.
The station has had "a little issue with the gas supplier" and only went without gas for two days, Samra said. The store and supplier are in court in Dane County today to resolve the issue, he said.
He also said all workers at the store will be offered the chance to keep working there.
Samra would not say how many stations Texas Oil operates, but he oversees four stores, the others being in Stevens Point, Rhinelander and Eagle River.
But shortly before 10 a.m., manager Andrew Engebretson was in the store at 907 20th Ave., working even though he had told his boss over the weekend he was done.
"I quit," he said, but came in when the employee scheduled to work didn't show up. "I don't have much of a backbone."
Monday morning's late start is another in a string of mishaps at the station that Engebretson said are caused by poor management and owing vendors money.
"Nobody really knows what's going on," he said.
Even City Hall has vague information about the store. The assessor's office records show Pujieta Enterprises, Inc. of Naperville, Ill., owns the business. No listing for that company is available from directory assistance or on the Internet. The city lists Texas Oil of Madison as owning the real estate. That business likewise has no phone or Internet listing.
The station has been without gas for about five days . Earlier this year, it went without gasoline for about a week, Engebretson said.
The business, which is owned by Texas Oil, is in the process of being sold, Engebretson said. The sale was supposed to go through last week, but that was delayed.
One of the conditions of the sale is that the current owner give employees 30-day notice that they will not have jobs under the new owner, Engebretson said. That hasn't happened. The store normally has five or six full- and part-time employees.
"There's two right now," Engebretson said. "The others have already quit."
Engebretson said he has spoken with the new owner and expects to continue working there.
Sam Samra, Texas Oil regional manager, painted a different picture of what's happening with the Monroe store.
The station is not being sold, Samra said initially. He said later the store is being sold, and the transaction should be complete within a few days.
The station has had "a little issue with the gas supplier" and only went without gas for two days, Samra said. The store and supplier are in court in Dane County today to resolve the issue, he said.
He also said all workers at the store will be offered the chance to keep working there.
Samra would not say how many stations Texas Oil operates, but he oversees four stores, the others being in Stevens Point, Rhinelander and Eagle River.