not so lucky grocery

An update on our grocery:
Good Friday, April 6.
I leave my apartment with my roomate. We open the door to 5 cop cars. FIVE. They are pulled up, blocking the street, partically on the sidewalk. I walked up to a copcar, knocked on the window, the cop rolled it down, squinted at me and said, "this doesn't have anything to do with you." He couldn't answer any other questions. I said to my roomate, "let's see if our grocer is okay". We open the grocery door and are met with two cop's hands in our faces, "the store is closed down, get out!". Shocked, I let the door fall back, and then catch it again as both us surge forward demanding: "Where, is Raul? We live upstairs. What is going on here? Why won't anyone tell us anything? Who do you think you are! You have to tell me where the grocer is!!!

"We told the employee to take the money and get out. The owner was not here."

We decided to camp out on our step until we were told more information. Our landlord appeared, maybe from nowhere, but there she was smiling and bouncing along. She acted excited to see us. We asked her where the grocer was now. I asked her why she never gave him a lease. I asked her why she never gave him a lease once he asked for it. She said he went about it in the wrong way, and then quickly switched the subject saying "oh! and I brought you guys mouse poisen and the plumber will be here this weekend".

A little background:
Grocer stopped paying rent in Jan.
In early March he recieved an eviction notice that he should have evicted 2 weeks prior, postmarked for 2 weeks and 2 days prior.
Every month for 5 yrs he has asked for a lease, written and verbal.
He is a Puerto Rican in a Mexican neighborhood.

Finally, the landlord triumphed and pushed the nice man out of buisness. At least now he can pursue the life he was dreaming of: hanging out and fixing cars. I might go join him as soon as my mouse poison runs out.