Sheriff Locks Mulhern Out of Urbandale Child-Care Center

Things just keeping , the owner of the Urbandale child-care center 

On Wednesday, Polk County Sheriff's officials changed the locks on the child-care center and posted a notice of the action on the property.

The sheriff's levy notice, posted on the door, states The Imagination Station, LLC, and Theresa and Fred Mulhern, may not remove or destroy any property in the building as part of a lawsuit by her Urbandale landlord, LADCO Properties.

An official with LADCO Properties, who declined to be identified by name, said Friday that the company "had to protect its assets."  He answered the door at the property around noon Friday as he was showing the property to potential new tenants.

He declined to comment on whether Mulhern owed back rent. Four telephone numbers for Mulhern have full mailboxes or are not being answered. She did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.

Capt. Joe Simmon, a public information officer with the Polk County Sheriff's office, said the action is one that allows the landlord to protect the assets in the property until a judge can hear the case and issue a judgment.

Often, if money is owed to the plaintiff, they have the right to auction off the property to regain some of that money, he said.

Parents of children who attended the Ubandale center, like Krickett Cockayne of Des Moines, have been upset because they have been unable to retrieve their children's belongings from the center.

Cockayne said she's been trying to get her 2-year-old daughter's belongings all week. "Having her warmer coat would have been nice this week," she said.

The LADCO spokesman said the company would be working with Mulhern to find a time when parents can come in to get their children's belongings.