Romanoff restaurant moved one step closer to possible liquidation when Chief Justice Austin Ward yesterday appointed the Official Receiver, a post held by the office of the Registrar of Companies, to look into the affairs of the company.

The Official Receiver will now have one month to determine whether the restaurant can be run as a going concern to help pay off its creditors, or whether it should be declared insolvent.

Mr. Justice Ward's decision was made over the objections of lawyer David Kessaram, representing The Imperial Hotel Co. Ltd., who argued that there had been enough delays in the company's Supreme Court application to liquidate Romanoff.

"It's one more effort at the last moment to stave off the inevitable,'' Mr.

Kessaram said in court.

Imperial Hotel is attempting to oust Romanoff from its building near the corner of Burnaby and Church streets and collect $75,000 in back rent. Last month Imperial Hotel won an order for possession of premises in a separate suit against Romanoff. The restaurant, under the name of The Bermuda Business Club, is appealing the judgment.

The company also owes about $200,000 to other creditors, who include Gosling Bros. Ltd., wholesalers Butterfield & Vallis and the Corporation of Hamilton.

In the court hearing yesterday Romanoff's owner Anton Duzevic, whose lawyer argued for the appointment of an official receiver, agreed to pay one month's rent of $10,500 to Imperial Hotel.

Lawyer Ian Kawaley, acting for Romanoff, said a majority of the other creditors had expressed an interest in the company continuing to operate at its present location until a decision was made by the Official Receiver.

Mr. Duzevic has claimed he withheld the rent to Imperial because the company had breached its lease agreement by failing to maintain the premises at the Church street location. Romanoff has filed a counter suit claiming damages against Imperial.

Imperial owners include Rolf and Loni Wittich, Hilda Aitken, Gordon Howard, and Norman Holbrow. Mr. Duzevic is claiming in his countersuit that Imperial is improperly set up under Bermuda's 60/40 rule, which limits foreign ownership in a local company to 40 percent.

BUSINESS BUC