Former Birmingham nightclub boss Allan Sartori will get to keep a lucrative income stream from a strip of land that fronts the Rocket Club lapdancing venue as a bitter legal battle over who owns it builds to a showdown at the Court of Appeal.
Mr Sartori has successfully fought off a bid by the Rocket Club’s owner Balevents Ltd to freeze a rental income he receives of around £1,000 a week from a fast food facility based on the disputed piece of pavement outside the Broad Street venue.
The ownership battle over the land originally ended up being decided in the Chancery Division of the High Court in Birmingham in July last year.
The court case followed a falling out between Mr Sartori and Lawrence Reddy, who were involved in the club together until the company which ran it under licence, Broad Street Entertainments, was wound up in 2010. Mr Sartori bowed out of the business while Mr Reddy continued running the club.
Mr Sartori successfully claimed ownership of the land in 2009 but Balevents Ltd, which is owned by Mr Reddy’s family, later claimed the prized piece of pavement belonged to the club rather than its former general manager.
Mr Sartori’s claim to the land was based on the fact his father sold sandwiches there from a kiosk as far back as the 1970s, something he then carried on until a more permanent catering feature was established during the time he ran the Ronnie Scott’s club from the site.
Balevents was recently given permission to appeal against last year’s High Court judgement and take the case to the Court of Appeal within the next few months.
