Alabama Bar and Lounge owner receives eviction notice
Vigor High School seniors earn over $16 million in scholarships
The bar has been the subject of controversy since a deadly shooting in February and outraged citizens speaking out at a county commission meeting in March. Johnson said despite the outrage, he's not going anywhere.
It was a normal Tuesday afternoon for Joseph Johnson when he went to his bar to conduct regular business. He found an eviction notice taped to the door.
'There's no way I could be out of here in ten days and find another place,' Johnson said. 'There's no way. It's impossible. I have six months left on my lease until October, and that's how long I plan to stay.'
Confused and frustrated, Johnson feels he is being targeted to close his bar down after a deadly shooting in February and complaints from residents to the county commission a month later.
'They're lies, and I have proof that they're lies,' he pressed.
The eviction said Johnson breached several conditions in his lease including conduct that is 'notorious, offensive, destructive, and excessively loud….'
He feels like he has to take the blame for things that he can't control.
'We can't change the character of people if your character is to go pull a gun on someone, how can we change that?' he questioned. 'How can I be responsible for that?'
Even though Johnson said he plans to stay until the end of his lease, finding a new space to rent has been challenging.
'They ruined my reputation,' he pleaded. 'I can't rent a building anywhere right now. I've been trying. I've been turned down a dozen times because of this county commission meeting.'
Parishioners gather for Stations of the Crosses service observed on Good Friday
Johnson has since retained a lawyer and plans to fight the eviction.
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