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Help Please

15:16 / 31.08.02

I have been locked out of my store.
Anyone know what kind of legal recourse I have, or any steps I can take?

And yes, breaking and entering has been discusseed and may be implemented today.

Zoom.

15:20 / 31.08.02

Really? As in you've been locked out of the building?

If that's the case, I'd call up the building owners and talk to them about it. Did you know that this was going to happen?

If I can get a friend or two on the phone, I'll ask around.

Good luck...Zoom.

15:47 / 31.08.02

Can you elaborate on the situation, or if you've already done so in another thread, link me? Your topic abstract "It seems I've lost" sounds considerably more dire than a misplacing of keys.

16:30 / 31.08.02

I'm in arrears for my rent. I had no idea they were going to lock me out of the store. Everything is in there. I've talked to a few people and they all seem to think I really have no legal recourse. A few weeks ago it was all we'll play nice and work together to create a solution and then last week it was threats and now this.

I can't do anything this weekend. Unless it's illegal recourse, but that's really a last ditch sort of thing.

Nevermind. I'm looking for sympathy when I really ought to be looking for solutions.

autopilot disengaged

17:22 / 31.08.02

in arch, supervillain mode, it occurs to me that yr comic store is, at present, anything but...

seriously, though: that's terrible, zoom. how the fuck do they expect you to get back on top of yr financial sitch if you can't coninue to trade? or is business really that bad?

don't give up. use any and all tools of persuasion. seems awfully short notice to shut you down...

hopefully, you'll be able to look back and laugh. preferably while lighting a blunt with a smouldering $20.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

18:57 / 31.08.02

Aww. That really sucks. I wish I had something useful to suggest but I don't know much about this stuff, so I'll just offer my sympathy. Hope you can sort something out soon.

19:31 / 31.08.02

Yeah, I don't really have any suggestions, either, seeing as how my suggestions concerning the Canadian legal system are likely to be a bit dangerous to follow.

However, I think I'm right in saying that you're now legally entitled to go to the landlord's house and change all of their locks. And raid their fridge, too.

Sympathy is all I can really provide... I hope you can work something out, it's clearly in their interests to make a deal rather than have to find a new tenant.

01:47 / 01.09.02

I wish I could be more helpful, but I can only offer sympathy, and this bit of infodumpage (I've been, um, involved in slumlording in my past) : In this country, with residential property at least, you CAN lock tenants out but you're supposed to file an official eviction notice three days ahead of time. As a tenant, you would have legal recourse, but it would take a long time, cost money, and the owners could do what they like to the building and its contents in the interim because, after all, they do own the place. And I *think* (although I'm not entirely sure) they can seize property in lieu of rent owed. Bear in mind, this is from American residential rental property, and I wasn't actually the landlord.
I've seen this before - it might be possible to come to some arrangement where you can contact the police and get them and the landlord to supervise you removing your stuff.
But it's all tricky. Best luck.

10:27 / 01.09.02

I know nothing of the Canadian legal system, but it would surprise me if Canadian landlords are allowed to interfere with your possessions within the property. It may well be that they have a right under Canadian landlord and tenant law to take possession of the property itself by changing the locks, given the rent arrears, but I can't see how they would be entitled to exert a "lien" over personal possessions (which may include, from what I have read here, - loosely put -articles of your business or trade). I may be wrong on this, and Grant may be right that the landlord can seize your possessions - all I can say is that my knowledge of English law suggests that they can't. It may however be that they can do something crappy like store them and charge you for storage.
The only practical advice I can come up with, regardless of the legal rights and wrongs, is don't ignore the situation. It appears that you are not ignoring it, in that you have been involved in a dialogue with your landlord and you are seeking some advice and support from friends.
This is a really shitty thing to happen to you. You have my sympathy and I hope you manage to sort yourself out. Best of luck.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

10:36 / 01.09.02

Sorry to hear that, Zoom... I have little to offer in the way of useful advice. Wish I did, man. Best wishes anyway. (But check the details of the law under which he's locked you out... just 'cos someone's a landlord doesn't mean they actually know how to be one legally. That fact has saved MY scrawny ass on more than one occasion.)