Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: City Screen (UK cinema chain) being sued for £1m

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Ground Level » City Screen (UK cinema chain) being sued for £1m

Author

Topic: City Screen (UK cinema chain) being sued for £1m

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 10-13-2004 07:41 AM

From today's York Evening Press:

quote:
THE future of York's only independent cinema, City Screen, could be in doubt if it loses a legal battle worth more than £1 million.

Bradford-based Totty Construction Group Ltd is suing the arthouse cinema for damages in a dispute over work on the former Yorkshire Herald building carried out in 1999.

Totty insists it carried out refurbishment and new build works on the project, and should have been paid a lump sum of £3,152,072, according to a High Court writ just made publicly available.

It is claimed City Screen has refused to pay Totty for extensions of time arising under the contract, and has refused to recognise its true monetary entitlements.

But City Screen, which has 18 outlets across the country, is vigorously opposing the action.

Totty is suing the York cinema for £1,082,479, plus VAT, as well as damages and also seeks declarations over its entitlements to time extensions following the 1999 contract.

Lyn Goleby, City Screen's managing director, said: "This writ is putting the future of the cinema at risk. It couldn't sustain a million pound claim.

"It would be tragic for York."

A spokesman for Totty Construction Ltd said: "Due to the pending legal proceedings it would not be appropriate to comment at this time."

Link, which will be overwritten by another story tomorrow.

| IP: Logged

Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 10-19-2004 05:52 AM

Seems to me the original cost of the project was £3,152,072 and the sum being disputed is part of the original cost NOT an extra cost. The original cost was part of the costs that City Screen were fully aware of. If the cinema can not afford to pay it now then it clearly could not have afforded it then.

As for the cinema not being able to afford that sum is irrelivant. The contractors did the work and they want their money, sad day for York or not!

I of course get no satisfaction from City Screen's predicament [Big Grin]

along with the ever growing number of people who feel they have been shafted by them. [fu]

| IP: Logged

Darren Briggs
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: York, UK
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 10-23-2004 07:41 AM

Hi Ken, thought you had dissapeared from the face of the earth, not seen or heard from you on here or anywhere.

Hope things are going well for you.
I couldn't possibly comment on the City Screen VS Builders situation but im sure it willall sort its self out as these things usually do.

Darren

| IP: Logged

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 10-23-2004 02:07 PM

Given that this might end up in court, I'm not going to make any comment either. I hope I don't get called as a witness!

Related to which, it looks like another City Screen site is in a spot of bother:

quote: circular e-mail received by Leo
The OTHER Cinema will close its doors on Sunday 14th November. The details of this situation are complicated, but in brief it is due there being a massive rent on the building. Whilst work is going on behind the scenes for a rescue package, the enthusiastic Front of House staff have launched a campaign.

If you wish to send any message of support electronically, or indeed if you can help in any other way please email savetheothercinema@hotmail.com

The staff of the Other Cinema have been staggered by the wonderful support we have received and our campaign is now in full flow. Just to emphasise, that we are trying to raise awareness of the importance of exhibition of cultural cinema and nurturing new film making talent and that we are aiming to lobby for public funding to keep our very vital cinema alive.

Support us by coming in and seeing a film or two, (COFFEE and CIGARETTES and the new White Stripes film UNDER BLACKPOOL LIGHTS are forthcoming) and signing our petition.

Presumably by 'massive rent on the building' they mean a rent increase. If I remember correctly that's what did for the Lumiere in St. Martin's Lane in the late '90s. I hope this isn't the start of a trend which is going to see the central London independents and small chain sites closing - they certainly offer the most interesting programming, IMHO.

| IP: Logged

Michael Brown
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1522
From: Bradford, England
Registered: May 2001

posted 10-26-2004 05:50 PM

Wasn't there supposed to be a new City Screen popping up in Leeds?

Or has that been cancelled now?

| IP: Logged

Darren Briggs
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: York, UK
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 10-28-2004 01:07 PM

Th Leeds site was put on hold due to the other party involved in the development dragging there heels, hence the Livepool cinema opened instead.

Darren

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.