It didn’t take long for a photo posted to social media about a beloved Halifax used bookstore closing for comments to start swirling over speculation that the owner was being evicted.
That’s because the photo was of a poster that was taped to the door of the Last Word Bookstore on Windsor Street in Halifax on Monday, May 25.
The poster appeared to read as a farewell message from the owner, Mike Greene. It partly read, ‘I was told to leave the shop today. That is the end!’
The used bookstore had been closed for quite a while and the general public belief was that it was temporary, like many other businesses, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
However, this poster caused quite the stir when it was shared online and it took several people showing up at the bookstore for clarity over the topic to be presented by both the owner and the landlord.
“Michael didn’t do anything wrong, I gave my notice. I figured I might be able to get back in if things cleared off but I couldn’t afford to pay the rent. So I thought it was empty all this time, he wouldn’t need it and I assumed, which is the wrong thing,” Greene said over a speakerphone conversation with his landlord, Michael Lawen.
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Lawen came out of the store to address the people who came to the store believing it would be the last day of operation.
He quickly informed people that the poster had alluded to the idea that he had evicted Greene but that simply wasn’t the case.
Lawen said Greene had some financial hardships leading into the pandemic and the virus ended up being the ultimate factor in him deciding to close the used bookstore after 24 years of service to the community.
“The guy’s been working here for 20 some odd years, we’ve never increased the rent for the past 15 years,” Lawen said.
Greene said he didn’t mean to offend Lawen with the poster he placed on the door. For the past two months, Greene says he’s pretty well been stuck at home. The 74-year-old doesn’t have a vehicle and hasn’t been able to easily leave his house due to the virus.
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Greene says he paid the rent up until May but has struggled to get down to the store and clear it out of the hundreds of books.
He said the poster was placed on the door with the intention of informing the public he wouldn’t be reopening.
Both Lawen and Greene say there aren’t any hard feelings between them. Lawen is going to help Greene give away the books for free in a manner that respects public health restrictions.
The ultimate goal is to donate the books to different organizations around the municipality that can benefit from them.
As for questions about Lawen being misrepresented on social media, he says he takes it all with a grain of salt.
“That happens a lot, I’m used to it now. I own other rental properties too. So, perception is really important but at the end of the day — it’s the person that you’re dealing with,” Lawen said.
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