Fair’s Deal for Music Venue Gets Court Date
A Superior Court lawsuit over ownership of the shuttered Pacific Amphitheater will go to trial March 30, Orange County Fairgrounds officials announced Tuesday.
The fair wants out of a 1993 agreement to buy the 18,500-seat complex from the Nederlander Organization for $12.5 million.
Strict sound regulations in the sale agreement make it difficult to host concerts, making the venue at the fairgrounds worth very little, said Jill Lloyd, spokeswoman for the fairgrounds.
“We can’t conduct a concert in there or really anything without going over the required sound levels,” Lloyd said.
The fair is seeking recovery of the sale price, plus unspecified damages for allegations of fraud and wrongful conduct during the purchase.
Beau Miller, an attorney representing the Nederlander Organization, said the lawsuit is without merit and that the fair was well aware of the noise regulations. He called the fair board a “public agency with a serious case of buyer’s remorse.”
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.
