Court orders eviction of squatters from Mayfair mansion

[richnfamous59]

Guardian article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/28/mayfair-mansion-squatters-london

Squatters who took over a £22.5m grade II listed mansion in Mayfair
will be evicted by bailiffs today, the owner's solicitor said.

A group calling itself the Temporary School of Thought moved into the
building at the end of November after being ejected from another
central London property in Upper Grosvenor Street.

The group's members describe themselves as artists and say they have
been running workshops "of mutual learning, leftwing bias and free
lectures".

Bailiffs will clear the building after Central London county court
granted an order for immediate possession to the owners, Timekeeper
Limited.

Their solicitor, Andrew Jeffrey, said: "We were granted a possession
order forthwith, which means they [the squatters] were told by the
judge they must leave the property."

The high court sheriff, a bailiff, will go to the property, which is
two linked buildings - one in Charles Street and the other in Clarges
Mews – to claim possession.

In a blog posted yesterday, one of the squatters, using the name
luckyjim, said: "The judge then summed up, stating that the claimant
had proved ownership of the building and would be granted possession
forthwith.

"But he said he recognised we had not damaged the building - an
accurate but generous statement since he's never been inside - and
that he saw we'd made beneficial use of it."

Luckyjim said the group had been told to expect the bailiffs first
thing in the morning, adding: "We had spent much of last night
packing, but still have much to do. Moving house is never easy."

In a blog entry written prior to the hearing, he was philosophical
about being moved on, writing: "By the end of today, I shall have no
job, no house, and no money. But I feel fine."