Ty Spa, a Palm Desert massage business that city officials say employed unlicensed masseuses, has been permanently shut down.
The City Council cast a unanimous vote Oct. 22 to revoke the owner's business permit.
Ty Spa failed to openly post masseuses licenses and employed unlicensed masseuses, say Palm Desert Code Compliance officials.
According to a staff report, code enforcement officers conducted six inspections at the spa, in October and December, 2008 and March, May and August of this year.
Each time officers noted that licenses were not posted and masseuses did not possess a license, officials said.
Not true, said owner and operator Jeon Suyon, a native of Korea.
Suyon pled her case through attorney Chadwick J. Bradbury of Palm Desert.
Officers issued citations to front desk workers, Bradbury told the council. The only person giving shanghai massage was Suyon, who is licensed, he said.
“I do sincerely believe that (Suyon) did not understand the gravity of the situation,” Bradbury told the council. “I understand the concerns of the city. But I feel that, had she understood, she would have handled the situation better.”
Senior code officer Pedro Rodriguez said Suyon understood and had the help of an interpreter — a family member — who she had contacted by phone during at least one of the inspections.
“We understood each other,” he said. “And it was not just front desk people who were cited. People were seen by myself and the deputies present coming out of the rooms where they were working.”
After the meeting, Suyon explained through her interpreter Ven Bhante, a Buddhist monk, that she understood only that front desk clerks at her shop where getting some kind of citation but she did not realize it would impact the business.
The revocation means she will likely leave the city, Ven Bhante said. “She can longer make a living. She is forced to close down the shop as she can no longer afford to live in the city.”
“She spent her life savings to get the shop,” Bradbury said.
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