Bob Guyot, who owns the Union Street Station building, has amended his complaint in Thirteenth Circuit Court to no longer seek the eviction of tenant Rick Thompson, who operates the bar with partner Christina. However, Guyot is still pursuing damages for building neglect and tells The Ticker he plans to make repairs to the property himself soon. When asked if Union Street Station is still planning to close February 28, Rick Thompson says they are "reassessing with our attorney team," emphasizing that the duo can't afford the damages Guyot is seeking and that they dispute his claims of neglect.

Guyot says he's removing eviction from the court complaint to make it clear to the public it's not his choice for the Thompsons to leave, it's theirs. "I want to put the focus of the lawsuit where it's always been, and that is on the interior of the premises," he says. "The focus has never been on having them leave. As the building owner, I just want them to fix the place."

The court complaint outlines numerous maintenance issues – with inspection reports attached – including water and floor damage, broken wallboard, loose electrical wires, open junction boxes without covers, and more. Guyot also alleges he had to replace the furnace for nearly $9,000 in 2022 because the tenants didn’t regularly change out filters as required. Guyot sent a notice of default in November requesting the Thompsons address a list of necessary repairs within 30 days to avoid eviction proceedings. The complaint says those repairs have still not been completed. Guyot is seeking $50,000 in damages and attorney fees, the portion of the complaint that still remains in effect.

Guyot says he's lining up workers to make repairs to the building "as soon as possible" and will let the court decide who's responsible for what expenses. "I want to repair it...so that it can be there for another 100 years," he says.

Numerous farewell concerts have been planned for Union Street Station after The Ticker broke the news of its impending closure last week. However, next steps for the bar owners are still in flux, including whether Union Street Station will still close as planned at the end of the month.

"We are currently reassessing with our attorney team," Rick Thompson said by email Wednesday. "Even though he has taken eviction off the table, Bob is still suing us for $50,000 plus his attorney fees. Financially that is not something we can do, nor are his claims the damages weren’t his responsibility accurate. So we have to decide whether we have to file bankruptcy or if Bob will stop the nonsense so we can effectively run the business. We planned to submit our response today, but the amendment changes things. We are still working on our plan."