A motorcycle shop owner knew the eviction was coming and even tried to stop it in court. His employees called him while we were there. Police kept driving past. But when the locks were finally changed, there was still one person we hadn't seen: the owner.
The owner of a motorcycle repair shop knew exactly when his commercial eviction was scheduled. I had spoken with him beforehand, and the day before the eviction he went to court in an unsuccessful attempt to stop it.
When Brad and I arrived, however, the shop was operating normally. The employees were surprised to learn the eviction was actually happening, but they cooperated, gathered their personal belongings, and called the owner. He never came.
During the roughly 90-minute eviction, at least four marked and unmarked police vehicles drove past without stopping or participating. At one point, an officer passing the shop gave me a thumbs-up. I smiled, waved back, and went back to work.
Once the employees left, the building owner's maintenance person changed the locks. We walked through the shop, leaving the motorcycles, parts, tools, and equipment secured inside. I finished by posting three bright orange EVICTED notices.
The owner knew. He had tried to stop it. His employees called him while we were there.
Yet when the moment came, he wasn't there.
