Publican’s family gets cold Christmas

In a vigorous bit of self-help, the owner of a chain of British pubs evicted a publican and his wife and children from their lodgings just three weeks before Christmas as part of a contract dispute.

Adam Conti operated the Black Horse pub in Pluckley (left) for a year, but got into a dispute with his licensor, Enterprise Inns.  Conti claims he had a deal with Enterprise’s regional manager on a 21-year lease, but later learned that the manager had left the company and that the lease would cost an extra £30,000.  He refused to comply and was tossed out of the pub.  He sued for £1 million.

Enterprise escalated the manner by deciding to evict Conti and his family from their lodgings above the pub as well.  Conti came home to find all the locks changed, with nearly all his possessions on the other side of the locked door.  The company has refused to let him in to get his belongings, promising that they will deliver them to some mutually agreeable location.