IS this the end of ********** at the VCR ?

My attorney spoke to the attorney for the shopping center on and off the record this week. It is simple.... they want us out of there, off their property period.
They have the ability to get all of our identification from DMV and send us legal papers or present them to us in person. The minimum cost of having an attorney fill them out is
$ XXX.00 the filing fee with the court system is $ 335.00, not doing so represents an immediate default judgement. The second step is a required court appearance accompanied by legal representation now set for Dec 31st,2009 at 8:30 am. at an additional cost.
Earnie Park their attorney said they do not wish to go through with the entire process just get and keep all of us off their lot and if the Sunday morning "show" vanishes so does the legal process. He apparently has a large budget if required to achieve the shopping center management's goals legally and while he is not is a perfect position of strength legally he is likely to prevail in some way in achieving their goal.
I think we should put all of our effort into finding a new location to meet where they want us and I would urge all involved to do the same.

 

I wonder, as an attorney, if folks park for just an hour and then leave, how they may be subsequently served with any valid sort of legal process? In the civil context it's not that easy nor quick to get records from DMV based on license plate numbers. There's no basis for a legal complaint if there's no trespassing given the one hour parking limit. Unless they try and claim the car folks aren't customers and are therefore trespassing. Really a sad situation. Locals should boycott that crappy strip mall. The one down the street is much nicer anyway )

 

Good luck today everyone!

 

This may have been discussed I don’t know, but here it is anyway,
What if all the store managers and owners got together and discussed charging $5.00 as an entry fee during the event, the cars could stay as long as they want, the entry fee could be divided up between the various store owners and then donated to a charity each month.
Great press, good for charity, Get to show off the cars, everybody wins……..

My .02C

 

I would find another place to bring business to ..

 

So what happened today?

 

Yes, how did it go? I'm kind of guessing it was somewhat anticlimactic.

 

Broadway!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Whether or not the property owner has a legal right to do what it is doing, whatever it does must be done evenhandedly.

It's not fair nor legal for the property owner to discriminate between customers, regardless of what they drive, how they look, or what they're there for.

It's not fair nor legal for the property owner to discriminate between its tenants, for instance, by putting smaller tenants out of business to accommodate larger tenants.

 

I feel the only thing I can do is vote with my wallet. Today my daughter and I were coming home when I got a call from the wife to pick up some things at the grocery store. We happened to be in Westlake getting a sandwich and I was 50' from Vons. I walked around the corner to Gelsons and picked up what she needed. I also know the VCR buys about $10k worth of groceries for the store which has also now stopped. I will send an email to our 500 employees explaining the situation and ask them to shop elsewhere. It's probably too late but I can hold a grudge a long time!

 

Im sure im not the first to come up with this... but.. Why dont we all file a class action discrimination law suit... The old Preemptive strike so to speak... We sue first.. I like it..Thoughts?????????? (provided we document very well the behavior of the others involved....

 

I calmly explained to my local VON"S store manager (where I have shopped for more than 20 years) that I found Regency Center's bullying tactics on behalf of VON"S offensive and I would now do my shopping at Ralphs' newly remodeled store instead. It's only a mile away. Big deal.

edit...I look forward to sticking it to VONS every time I do a simple thing like go to the market.

edit 2...after looking on Regency's website I see that both Von's and Gelson's shopping centers in Westlake are owned by Regency. RALPH'S however is not!

 

Have you guys found a new reasonable location to congregate at ?

 

Darth and I got there at 7:30 and the lot was wide open. There were two black and whites and a handful of scattered security guards.

We drove over to Commons and the Auto Gallery and then back to VCR. Later in the morning, more cars had come and it was starting to look like the beginning of a Sunday morning car show. But it never filled out.

This is a sad thing, and my heart goes out to all involved. I understand the professional approach for business owners, cops who are car enthusiasts, car owners, car enthusiasts, and shoppers alike is difficult. Perhaps Super Car Sunday can be concluded amicably (i.e., without the involvement of any legal processes) and then relocated to a more consumer-friendly venue.

I doubt the Vons store manager in Tustin will care, but I don't plan on shopping there anymore.

Thanks to everyone who came today, including Tim in his beautiful 16M! The neon green low-riding Cadillac was also pretty cool.

 

I know for a fact that an attorney is on the case for discrimination lawsuit and also for wrongly suing and penalizing the smaller shop owners.

 

On the other hand, what store owner it his right mind would want that Riff-raff driving ferraris and Lambos in their parking lots, taking the spot of well-to-do Kia owners?

 

Being stuck at the VCR lot all morning, I was unable to go over the the proposed alernate location. Can someone that went there please advise me if it turned out to be a suitable location?

If it was not, I am still willing to try and help find a more local alternate if needed.
SCS has been a positive community event and it has my support, so long as it doesn't conflict with my official duties.

 

There was an alternate location? The analogy of bees swarming looking for a new home comes to mind.

 

Was there today....I actually met up with some Ferrari's down the street, for a drive and the VCR parking lot had a few cars there, but most notably there were 3 LAPD cruisers in the parking lot. My wife and I went to McDonalds and a man drove up to me in a pick up truck asking where all the cool cars were. It’s a sad scene when a bunch of car nutz are treated like criminals. What a waste of public resources.

 

That is 3 LAPD officers that could be out catching child nappers and rapists...

 

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f106/supercar-sunday-bites-dust-80187/

 

Looks like VCR is not the only center booting a car gathering. Here is an email I received today about the San Jose gathering:

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: ALERT! AUTO ENTHUSIASTS NOT WELCOME AT SANTANA ROW!!
Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:08:30 -0700


Colleagues: Today is a dark day in the annals of motorsports.



Security forces at Santana Row, with assistance from San Jose PD, made it known that those who congregate at ‘The Row’ on Saturday mornings are “loitering on private property”. And further, we were apprised that this egregious behavior will no longer be tolerated. We were we ordered to leave the parking lot where mostly mature, affluent and educated sports car fans have convened peacefully for over two years. Further, Nazi-style tactics were employed when a business owner promoting his detailing service was threatened with incarceration and having his vehicle impounded.



The premise for this selective enforcement? The “officers” reported that there had been complaints about revving engines… at this unsanctioned gathering. Gee, I lived at Santana Row for 18 months and complained vociferously about the noisy cars and motorcycles cruising and racing engines at ‘The Row’ every night -- with no relief. And when I inquired to City Council and the SJPD, I was told they could not enforce any traffic laws because these atrocities occurred on ‘Private Property’. Never during the time I was a resident, did I observe SR Security or SJPD attempt to address, detain or apprehend outrageously bad driving, riding or ‘loitering’ behavior.



Now here’s the rub: If nothing could be done about the hooligans and Harleys that make it necessary for Santana Row residents to wear earplugs to sleep -- because the perpetrators were on ‘private property’, how is it that they can now roust car owners (who include Silicon Valley CEOs, tech giants, entrepreneurs and other professionals) who convene quietly on a Saturday morning?



Granted, some of the exhausts of classic, exotic, sports and muscle cars are louder at idle and under legitimate power, than a Prius. However, they neither rumble nor roar like the ‘Sons of Anarchy’ who cruise ‘The Row’ unfettered on a daily and nightly basis.



The final and HUGE affront to this ‘show of force’ is the disruption of legitimate networking and marketing, which it now appears is akin to felonious conduct. Having participated in this event several times, I have personally witnessed the exchange of business cards – and the distribution of brochures and flyers promoting businesses, causes and events. OMG!! Had I known I was consorting with known felons, I would have sold my sports car and disavowed knowing anyone connected with motorsports.



Who’s the biggest loser here? Not the enthusiasts, who will find another more hospitable environment to meet and mingle with like-minded souls. It’s the Santana Row merchants; many of whom enjoy business from the ‘car guys’ and their friends. The other losers are the families and young children who stop by to see the ‘cool cars’ on Saturday mornings.



If you were there today, you know the rest of the story. If you weren’t there today, I would not encourage you to return to ‘The Row’.



A sad day indeed…





Enjoy Motorsports! (just not at ‘The Row’)



Eric L. Done

 

Looks like the economy must not be as bad as they say. It must be nice to boot customers. Oh well, it's all been said. Upward on onward.

 

I think Dusty needs to make up some "Car shows are not a crime" bumperstickers

 

Don't fool yourselves here. The economics of the situation IS what's driving this. Trust me. If the majority of the tenants of this center felt that the Sunday gatherings were a net positive, we would all be greeted with open arms. And really what i mean by the majority is the anchors. Vons and the Drug store.