Post Christmas sales are considered the best, and perhaps the biggest one scheduled in San Bernadino County will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the north door of the county courthouse when Pioneertown goes on the block.

The Old West tourist attraction, showplace and movie location will go on sale for approximately $80,000 by Security Title Insurance Co. The company holds a deed of trust with the 18,000-20,000-acre site as security.

The sale was originally scheduled for Thursday morning, but was put off when a complaint for declaratory relief was filed by Attys. Daniel J. Cowett and Charles E. Ward in behalf of Pioneer Studio Locations, Inc.

The complaint was filed against the title company, Pioneertown, Inc., and directors Fletcher Jones and William Murphy.

It asked the defendants be restrained from selling the property until the rights and obligations of all parties concerned can be adjudged and determined.

The problem arises from a 25-year lease on the property taken out by Philip N. Krasne, president of Inter-American Productions, Inc., makers of the Cisco Kid film series.

Krasne was to produce films on the widespread acreage under the name of Pioneer Studio Locataions, Inc.

On June 30 Jones and Murphy gave notice of default of compliance with terms of a trust deed which had put the town up as security on a $60,000 loan made in 1948. With interest, the money owed is now in the neighborhood of $80,000, according to Security Title officials.

Krasne asked for a restraining order on the sale until his rights could be clarified, according to the complaint, his lease on the site was to run 25 years from last Aug. 30. Terms of the lease call for $500 yearly payments, $25 daily for scenes shot in Pioneertown proper and 5-10 percent of the Pioneer Studio Locations’ gross proceeds.

The promissory note on Pioneertown was made out to persons listed as Jackson Diggs, Charles Halton and Lelah C. Halton, the complaint stated.