Monterey Park : 2 Lose Suit Over Theater
The owner and operator of an earthquake-damaged Chinese movie house have lost a bid to collect $1 million from the city.
The City Council on Tuesday rejected a $1,056,000 claim from businessman Fred Hsieh, owner of Monterey Theater, and theater operator Shu Wei Luan. The two are demanding compensation for legal fees, rent and ticket revenue lost during the three years the city tried to demolish the theater.
Hsieh says he spent $300,000 to fight a city ordinance preventing him from making earthquake repairs to the movie house, which from 1979 to 1987 catered to the San Gabriel Valley’s immigrant population. The ordinance, which later was repealed by the City Council, prohibited repair work that would cost more than twice the assessed value of a building.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
