01/04/2023
We have received numerous messages and questions about our next movie, which we had thought would be a man called otto, but at this point, there will be no more movies at The Silverton Palace. On December 22nd our attorney sent the property owner a letter in regards to some harassment issues and a prior business relationship we had with her.
When we came into work on December 28th, the property owner had left an eviction notice taped to the door along with our December rent check. She claims no rent was paid in October yet we did pay rent in November. It doesn't make a lot of sense to us and in looking at records we can't find proof of payment, so its possible we overlooked it, or as with our December check it wasn't cashed we just don't know, in the lease we thought the only thing that was there about late rent payments was a fifty dollar late fee, apparently buried somewhere in the back there is a clause she can evict if she decides we are in default. Rationally we would not have sent her the original letter if we had any idea we owed anything as we know how vindictive she can be. Additionally one would assume if we had not paid rent in October we would have been notified before the end of December, and November rent paid.
When you get a new movie the theater owner is required by contract to keep it and play it a minimum of 2 weeks, sometimes more depending on the studio and the movie. Avatar will play until the 12th, so we just would not have time to remove all our equipment and belongings from the theater if we started another movie.
We had to purchase as a package, the projector, screen, sound system and so many other things that it will take the consignment company the 2 weeks to remove it all. We will not be leaving anything for future use by the property owner. We have invested 2 years of operating this theater while working another full time bussiness to pay the bills at the palace. We paid over 15,000 in rent while we couldn't be open due to covid, being new and not having owned it for a year prior to covid we were not eligible for grant money. There was one small grant that helped pay a very minor portion of rent. Our adult children have given up their time off from regular full time employment to help us operate the theater as there just wasn't the revenue to hire help. We have had friends that have volunteered to help so we can have a few evenings off, everyone has pulled together to try and keep the palace operational for Silverton.
We had hoped this year with new movies coming out, that were not also released to streaming we may have been able to start to recoup some of our investment. We have loved having the palace and meeting all our regular people. Its been a true investment from the heart as it wasn't about money.
There is so much to all of it, thats not worth rehashing but we wanted to make one statement rather than having to tell it repeatedly to new Inquiries about future movies
We have no predictions about when or if the palace will reopen. At this point we will be surprised if it does as a movie theater. To replace everything will be a huge investment for someone new, that in this age of the small independent theaters closing because of lack of revenue, no new movies and studios not wanting to work with them we just don't see someone taking on a losing prospect. After rent and utilities and equipment payments in a building with no air conditioning and the heat from an ancient boiler, there was zero left to go towards any kind of profit, or wages.
We appreciate all those people who came and supported us, we apologize to those people who complained it was cold we did the best we could with what we had to work with.
If anyone wants to come and take photos or say good bye we will be open until the 12th when avatar is over.
Erik, Rachelle and family
