Posted on 08/30/2010 8:34:10 PM PDT by John S Mosby
Joe Patten, the 83-year-old known as the "Phantom of the Fox," did not sign a new lease that the Fox Theatre's board drew up for him Monday and likely will be leaving his apartment in the historic theater.Patten had been living in the apartment for 30 years and planned to remain there for the rest of his life.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Met him many years ago, when doing restoration work
there. Great apartment.
Sorry, I missed the part where they’re ‘throwing him out’. It says he’s decided not to sign the lease. How does that equal the property owners ‘throwing him out’ exactly?
Seen this type of thing happen over and over.
Spend years trying to keep a historic site open
and saved from the wreckers then when it’s saved
some young docents come in and throw you out.
Saw the same thing at Sloss Steel works in B’ham.
happened to a friend of mine.
I guess it depends on exactly what the lease says. (Which I don’t know.)
From the article: “His original lease, signed Dec. 28, 1979, says he can live there rent-free for the rest of his life.”
There is no reason for the Board of the Atlanta Landmarks, which he himself formed to restore the Fox, to change his original lease. The man and his family are situated well enough for in home care until his passing. They changed the lease to force him out, no matter how they phrase it to make it palatable. Really cool guy, and deserves better treatment. Foolish artsy non-Southern yuppies. The Fox IS Atlanta for old Atlantans.
The Fox Theater in Atlanta is almost impossible to describe, it is so unlike anything else. Beaux Arts eclectic Ali Baba revival meets the Sons of the Desert might give a hint. You have to see it, it is worth a trip just for that.
Your apology is accepted. The man had a lease in place, and the board drew up a new lease, which he did not like. then, his attorney was escorted from the meeting by a police officer. He needed representation by someone. He knew he was getting boned.
We need to get the local talk radio people in on this.
Disgusting. No other words to describe it. Leaves a stain on what is one of old Atlanta’s icons. Of course, the transplants have left their stain all over the city anyway.
Do you have any insight to share about this?
If Emmet Bondurant is on the case, he may have the best lawyer in town, so the board will have a hard fight ahead of them. I’m sure the board is worried about liability as he becomes more frail, but sometimes you need to be more worried about stuff like kindness and gratitude - and REALLY bad press.
There are no pictures of the theatre just of his apartment.
WOW! Very impressive, thanks.
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