Lincoln Village 1-6

mp775:

You said it – as absurd as it may sound, parking at the unlit, unsecured and under-sized gravel parking lot at Thillens is now an official part of the Village Theatre’s business operations. They must think their customers are that dedicated (or insane) to walk through the mud and trees, cross busy Devon Ave, cross a canal bridge, and hike around (or over) fencing and barricades to visit their theatre. I guess you’re suggesting that the lot I parked in may have belonged to the shopping center, and that this may have been allowable up to a couple of weeks ago. Truthfully, I could not tell you who this lot actually belongs to – it is a no-man’s land adjoining the back of multiple businesses and was deserted at the time. I can’t believe anyone cares or depends upon it for their business…it probably operates much more effectively as a towing ‘trap’ profit center so that the related businesses can split the take with the towing companies. As I mentioned before I took pictures the next morning and will review them as to what the signs might have said the night I was there.

The Home Depot option is just as exiting for those inclined to risk…you can only park there until 9:30pm (and presumeably vulnerable to towing after that). Like Thillens, you have to leap over or walk a loooonnnngggg way around fencing barricades and cross 6 lanes of busy traffic on McCormick to get to the theatre.

The bottom line is that Village’s seat-of-the-pants business operations puts their customers at risk (can you imagine how fun it was to drag my family 25 miles down to 17th and Western at 11:00 pm in an icestorm?). I understand that Village is having the squeeze put on them by the MWD, but this parking fiasco (and the theatre’s building/accessibility code violations) have gone on for the better part of a year – if not longer. Ridiculous! No one in this City should knowingly operate this way….or be allowed to…

GS,

No offense taken. Hey, I’d be upset too if I was in your shoes right now! My car was unfairly towed too once, so I know!

You might want to call the City of Chicago on their “311” number. Also check the city’s official website for consumer affairs. I would also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, etc.

I’ll not doubt that Rooding faces challanges as a small operator of movie theatres. But if the Johnsons, who head up Classic Cinemas can do it, why can’t Rooding? He’s actually got some potentially good sites.

Catherine,

You said it, my dear friend, I wouldn’t trust Village with my credit card and if I ever go back, I’d go incognito because one of their employees had some unkind words to say to me on this site. I also hadn’t realized how decrepit this place had become.

GS,

If you can’t fight ‘em on the towing situation, do go after them with all of the other things you noted. I have predicted that this chain will be out of business by the end of 2008 anyways.

All:

Thanks for the comments. I’m taking it up with the Village Theatre, The Metropolitan Water District and Alderman Stone. Regarding Catherine DiM’s comments, you are right that the towing company was just doing their job. However, it is clear that Village is THE only party that CAN be held responsible, and your comments sound suspiciously sympathetic to the owner…do you work for Village Entertainment? With respect to the theatre, THEY advertise and solicit customers to attend to the movies and so it is completely incumbent upon them to provide for their customer’s health and security if the customer chooses to partake of their services. If Village Entertainment thinks they have NO responsibility to provide for this then they are flying in the face of numerous City and Fire department regulations and deserve to be shut down (as they have in a few other cities). As I mentioned in my previous post, the box office was closed on this night (due to lack of heat), their warning signs regarding parking were not clearly posted and were not visible because the doors had been propped open to let customers through to the concession stand where the tickets were being sold. The ticket attendant standing in the vestibule said nothing about parking regulations, and the same was true for the concession stand attendants. I went back the next day to inspect the warning signs (and took photographs) and I can assure you there are no warnings on the main marquee. The warning signs in the parking lot simply say that unauthorized persons will be towed, and who would not think that the only accessible parking lot immediately adjacent to the theatre that has a connecting sidewalk leading straight up to the box office was not intended to serve the theatre??? I am a first (and last) time visitor – if you were in this situation, what would you have suspected? Village Theatre has a long history of operating their properties in this manner; all you have to do is Google Ron Rooding and you will find a treasure trove of information of past legal action and negligence: bounced checks, operating a theatre without a working fire alarm, patrons being assaulted by theatre employees. Lincoln Village 1-6’s violations were clearly evident the night I was there: no working elevator (a fire and handicapped accessibility violation), emergency doors that had been disabled and locked from the inside (I personally observed this), fabric and carpet that was torn and unsanitary, concession facilities and equipment that were broken and unsanitary. Just these four items alone represent violations of both City and Federal law. It would be quite easy to make a case against Village for recklessness and negligence, which I fully intend to do if necessary to get them to reimburse me for the towing charge. If this forces the theatre to close down, so be it. This theatre is a public nuisance and an eyesore and has been allowed to limp along for far too long. From what I am reading on this and many other websites, I am not alone in this opinion.

I believe there are numerous signs to that effect throughout the lot you parked in as well as on the marquee signs for the theater. Best of luck, but I think you’ll have trouble.

All:
I had the misfortune of going to the Village Theatre last night Dec 1 ‘07 and got caught in the parking fiasco which has been allowed to develop there by Village Entertainment. I have never been to this theatre before so and had to drive around the theatre/block several times to find a suitable parking lot. I settled on the one that had a connecting sidewalk that lead straight to the box office. I was unaware at the time that NONE of the parking lots adjacent to the building are meant to serve the theatre. The box office itself was closed, allegedly due to a lack of heat and the severe rain/snow storm taking place at the time. Consequently, if there was any signage posted at the box office to warn patrons where to park (or not), it was missed by anyone attending a movie that night. No other sign or verbal warning was given by the ticket-taker at the main door vestibule or the ticket sellers at the concession stand. During the movie my car was towed to a south chicago tow company lot. I don’t know how they (B & M towing; 1716 S. Western) identified my car with the theatre, but they towed it anyway. I am going back to Village today to get a refund of my movie ticket; and would like to do the same for the towing charges. I have already told my credit card company to deny the $125 towing charges, but hope instead to ultimately resolve this situation by getting a reimbursement from Village Entertainment. Judging from this website postings, I am doubtful a company like Village will offer to reimburse me; however they are clearly the ones at fault. Their “parking plan” is a sham…it is non-existent and it exposes their patrons to real and substantial threats (stranded, with family, and with no phone and no way to travel 20+ miles to south chicago to retrieve the car…in a severe snowstorm no less!!). Expecting patrons to 'know’ that they must park 2-3 blocks off-site on other’s unsupervised property (Home Depot or Thillens Stadium) where your car is equally subject to towing and more subject to vandalism is beyond absurd. Does anyone here have a suggestion on what to do or how to contact Village Entertainment? Has anyone else had this experience? Should I contact the alderman or the metropolitan water district for their support? The towing company has my address and license number – what are their rights when they find out their charge to my credit card has been denied?

8 years, closed because people came to gamble and not watch movies. However the Fox Lake was built by classic too. Built as 5 screens, now 9, open for 12 years and running.

Actually Classic did have a new build, the Casino, and has built many screen additions in adjacent properties, effectively the same as a new build, which Village has not.

LOL, that is brutal. You guys are practically dancing on their grave.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining.

OMG, there’s actually an ad for the Lincoln Village in the Sun-Times today!

Truth Revealed,

Woah!

That’s why I’d like to see someone do an expose on this company!

Paul,

I am not at liberty to divulge that information. But, I can tell you that it is a credible source as he worked for Loews/Village and talked directly to the DM of Loews at the time and talked with AMC officials when they visited the theatre for the merger. But then again, you still may write it off as hearsay.

As for the Bloomingdale Court, Village Theatres no longer involves itself in operations there. The other company kept the staff, but they are now in charge of operations. Hence the Indian movie playing there. You might retort: “Well, what about the lincoln village theatre-they have "Om Shanti Om?” Well sir, Village Entertainment worked out a deal with the company involved. They pay the man for box office sales and in return, he pays Village rent for use of the theatre. And my source is credible as this info comes from the company itself.