FIREBIRD EVICTION BID FAILS AT FIRST HURDLE!!
Justice not Crisis were taken to court today by the owner of the Firebird who was attempting to seek an immediate eviction.
JNC’S legal team prepared a defence opposing the eviction on many grounds including incorrect service of papers and hardship. Following a 30 min hearing the Judge agreed that the owner had failed to correctly serve the legal papers and the case was adjourned for 3 weeks for a further directions hearing.
JNC’ intend to vigorously oppose an immediate eviction and offered the owner a Order by consent deal which seems likely to be accepted. If accepted JNC agree to vacate the premises when the the site is sold for Socially rented homes, amongst other things and the owner would agree to allow us to remain.
This is a substancial victory for our campaign and should see 30 new homes for rent built on the site. This is only a start in reducing the 30,000 waiting list and our campaign will continue. We are currently considering our options when this battle is won and will report details of our next squat when it is identified.
JUSTICE NOT CRISIS 
Interesting. Yes I agree with you that the 30,000 on the waiting list are in need of housing, as I am sure is your bête noire Cllr Lines. However, tell me is it true that only three homeless people are rattling around the Firebird? Why haven’t you taken more people in?
David Kelly
January 23, 2009
There are currently 4 homeless people living permanantly at the Firebird. As you will see from earlier updates there have been more at various points, Colette for example has just moved into her own property with Midland Heart, JK has just moved into a hostel. The object of our campaign is to get people housed not keep them at the Firebird. We are not in a position to house everyone in a squat but will never turn anyone away. Paul a previous “lodger” with us has moved into a hostel, we provide advice and assistance to get people into a more suitable accomodation, the Firebird is better than the streets.
Justice Not Crisis
January 23, 2009
Hello. West street methodist church, west street, Stourbridge, has been empty for at least three years, probably much longer. It has been sold to Hyperion Homes for 195,000 who had thier application for planning turned down and then never did anything else with it. Lovley building, they want to demolish it and build non-social, private accommodation on it. Alternatively there is an enourmous block of unfinished retirement apartments that have been abandoned since september, literally rotting away before they are even completed, also on west street. There is an empty and derilict school across the road from the abandoned retirement homes, and across the road from there is a boarded up shop front. Stourbridge town centre hosts a shopping plaza, empty of market stalls since the council put the rents up too high for the stall holders and now hooray, tesco is sniffing around trying to get in there now the small buisnesses have been priced out. Take your pick.
Ebogaz
February 19, 2009