The saga of the Gypsy Lounge's legal feud appears to be over. After eight months of courtroom wrangling, landlord Puente Hills Power Center LLC has successfully evicted its tenants, Gypsy Lounge owners Shawn Condy and Michael Concepcion, who are now looking for a new space for the bar/venue.
"Greed and avarice will get you every time," Concepcion wrote in a Dec. 21 e-mail to the Weekly. He blamed the investment company that acquired the property in 2004, asserting, the "LLC is continually making efforts to further empty and homogenize the once fully occupied, culturally diverse and bustling strip mall." Puente Hills was, indeed, trying to evict Gypsy Lounge, but its actions appear to have been based on the tenants owing a large sum.
A review of the court filings reveals that on May 20, 2010, both parties disputed whether the rent had been paid since October 2009—a total of $21,570.40, according to court documents.
On Sept. 1, 2010, the matter went before a judge, who found in favor of Puente Hills, which was awarded $38,627.27, including interest, attorneys' fees and escalation charges.
You would think after that hearing, the issue would be over, but Condy and Concepcion then filed for bankruptcy on Dec. 2, 2010. Unfortunately for them, according to documents, they failed to appear in court on the day of their bankruptcy hearing, so they were not under protection from the eviction or absolved of the back rent.
In January, the last hearing in the eviction case took place, and the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff. Now, the property is boarded up with "CLOSED" signs and printed cloth covering the windows.
Reached by phone, Concepcion confirmed he owes money to Puente Hills, but, he claims, he attempted to pay the rent back. "They just kept sending [the rent checks] back to me," he said. Be that as it may, the six-year "battle," as he described it, has come to an end. From a Jan. 27 Heard Mentality blog post by Danielle Bacher, updated on Jan. 28.
COACHELLA CRAIGSLIST CRAZINESS
Coachella 2011 has officially sold out, and the scalpers, resellers, flippers and general assholes have come out in droves on the Internet. Currently, three-day passes are going for as high as $2,798 apiece, and even car-camping tickets are topping out at $799.
And then you have people like this poster: "i am looking to get 1 coachella ticket for all 3 days! plz, I am willing to do 'anything' to get them."
Any women out there not quite THAT desperate for Coachella passes? Someone in Newport Beach recently posted a Craigslist ad that might be for you—all expenses covered. One stipulation: "Attractive females" only. Hey, don't worry; the ad assures "no favors required." It reads:
"I have four Coachella tickets, and I am looking to take attractive females. No favors required, however, I will be selecting who to take based on looks. Please respond with photos. I will be taking the female to VIP parties and backstage, etc., so looks are important. I will be covering food and other expenses for the weekend. Must e-mail photo for response." From Jan. 27 and Jan. 31 posts by Vickie Chang.
