A heartless landlord has turfed out the owners of a popular Sydney cafe after five years over just four days of outstanding rent, they claim.
Chris Bull was given 24 hours to pay $13,000 in outstanding rent for the Goodbye Horses café he opened with Morgan Knight in Summer Hill in Sydney's inner-west.
He had hoped to be protected by the rent eviction moratorium brought in by NSW state government at the start of lockdown in June.
But he says that because the rent arrears dated back to four days before the moratorium began, it gave his landlord the loophole he needed to evict him.
A heartless landlord has turfed out Chris Bull (pictured, left) owner of a popular Sydney cafe after five years over just four days of outstanding rent, he claims
Confronting footage captured the moment Mr Bull was locked out of the business with all his coffee machines and stock still trapped inside.
The business had applied for cash help from the state government to see them through the current Covid crisis, but the cheque failed to arrive in time to beat the locksmiths.
'We were prepared for the worst but we thought that we might see a bit of compassion,' Mr Bull told Nine's A Current Affair.
'All the customers were here to get their regular coffee in the morning so it was pretty embarrassing.
'When they first terminated the notice, they were saying we were '39 days in arrears'. We thought that we would be under the moratorium act so we would be protected.
Chris Bull had hoped to be protected by the rent eviction moratorium brought in by NSW state government at the start of lockdown in June - but has been thrown out of his cafe, Goodbye Horses
Chris Bull was given 24 hours to pay $13,000 in outstanding rent for the Goodbye Horses café (pictured above) that he opened with Morgan Knight in Summer Hill in Sydney's inner-west
'The next morning when they came back to us they said, "well, you are protected but not for the full time".
'So technically they're getting us on four days of arrears before the government assistance date came in.'
Video taken by his staff showed a locksmith changing the locks despite Mr Bull's plea for his landlord to wait until Covid-19 small business relief arrived from the NSW government.
'You are fully aware what you're doing is illegal?' one of his staff members can be heard saying.
'I'm acting under the instruction of a solicitor,' a man inside the doorway responded.
The business owner said he expected more 'wiggle room' from his landlord given the dire situation facing hospitality businesses across NSW.
'We have no idea why they would want to get rid of a business that would be guaranteed government assistance,' he told the Today show.
Chris Bull says the rent arrears for his cafe Goodbye Horse dated back to four days before the moratorium began, giving his landlord a loophole to evict him
Bars and cafés have been open for takeaway service only since June 26 and the business has been doing only 40 per cent of its normal trade since that date.
He and his colleague got most of their belongings out of the property before the locks were change, but he said the equipment left behind will now be sold off by his creditors to pay back the rent.
NSW tenancy law during the latest lockdown stipulates commercial landlords and tenants must first attempt to re-negotiate the rent and attempt mediation before an eviction can take place.
The business owner has launched a GoFundMe page to help fund his legal battle to keep his cafe open and his staff employed.
'They've all come together, it's a pretty tight-knit team,' he said.
Video taken by his staff the next day showed a locksmith changing the locks despite Mr Bull's plea for his landlord to wait until Covid-19 small business relief arrived from the NSW government
The page has so far raised $25,000 and Mr Bull plans to use the money to support his now-unemployed staff and to start a case with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
'We have lost not only our income but a shop we called home for five years,' the fundraising page reads.
'Shame on the NSW government for not providing legislation that can be enforced on a timely basis.
'What good are grants if they arrive after our doors have closed?'
Services NSW told A Current Affair they would be working with Mr Bull to speed through their application.
NSW finance minister Damien Tudehope added: 'Any landlord who kicks out their tenant without attempting mediation is breaking the law.'
