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Karen O’Reilly moments after being thrown out |
Thrown on to the street
Eviction nightmare as tenants, owed hundreds, are kicked out without notice
BAILIFFS evicted tenants from sub-let rooms above an Upper Street shop on Friday after a landlord fells into arrears of almost £60,000.
Police were called as six tenants had their possessions dumped in the street opposite St Mary’s Church and were forced to find emergency accommodation.
Their landlord, Mohammed Farook, claimed he wants to pay back thousands of pounds in lost rent to the tenants and says he is not to blame for their eviction.
He had leased The Food Village convenience store from the Papa John’s pizza chain, which owns the building and are now pursuing legal action against Mr Farook.
The four-storey building includes five rooms on the upper floors, which Mr Farook was sub-let to six tenants, who each paid him up to £430 a month.
But Papa John’s sent their bailiffs to evict the tenants on Friday morning with only one hour’s notice.
They were left in tears on the street outside, forced to leave their possessions on the pavement while they called friends and begged a place to stay for the night.
Karen O’Reilly, 25, who works at Borders in Angel, said: “The bailiffs just knocked on the door and said we had been repossessed.
“They said we had to leave immediately and there was no summons, nothing.”
She added: “A few of the girls went down to his other shop in King’s Cross but were told he had up and left. He owes some people £860.”
Lili Kapusy, 25, a translator, one of three Hungarians living at the property, said: “We’ve managed to find somewhere now but it’s shocking that someone can do this.
“I had just paid him £600 that week. It’s shocking and I feel very afraid to be in this situation when I’m abroad on my own.”
Mr Farook had returned the night before to remove the high-value spirits and cigarettes from his store.
The shop is now boarded up and Mr Farook has not been seen since.
When the Tribune tracked him down, he said: “As soon as I’ve got the money I am going to get back into that property. Nevermind the tenants, but I am crying as well because within one day they sent me an enforcement notice and told me to get out.
“The shop is full of my stock, this whole thing is wrong. I am trying to refund the tenants the money I owe them but it is being dealt with through my solicitors.”
Simon Drew, property director of Papa John’s, said: “The terms of our tenancy have been significantly breached and an eviction was the only option we were left with.
“Our only agreement was with Mr Farook and if he was sub-letting the residency above the store then he was doing so without our knowledge or permission and we certainly sympathise with anyone who has been left out of pocket by his actions.
“The process is now going through the standard procedure and we are taking legal action to recover the monies owed to us.” |
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