Licensees David and Anne-Marie Ball today lost their court battle to prevent Enterprise Inns obtaining an order for repossession of their Sheffield pub.
A County Court Judge ruled that the couple must now leave the Fleur de Lys pub in Totley within 42 days.
The court accepted the Balls owed rent arrears to the pubco although the exact amount will be subject to a further hearing.
Enterprise claims it is owed £20,000 — £8,000 in rent arrears and £12,000 in losses resulting from the licensees buying outside of the tie.
The day began with a demonstration outside the court by fellow licensees and officials from the GMB trade union, which is backing the two licensees.
The couple claimed the £7,500 deposit bond covered the rent arrears and contested Enterprise's right to charge £12,000 in fines for loss of wholesale profit caused by buying out of tie.
The Balls claimed that the barrelage figures supplied by Enterprise Inns when they took over in August last year were exaggerated.
They claimed the £30,000 rent a year demanded by Enterprise should really have been closer to £16,000 based on the pub's £160,000 a year turnover. The couple said Enterprise had stalled on negotiating fairer terms.
Licensee David Ball said he was "gutted" by the court's decision. "We now have to consider what our next move will be," he said.
"But at least some of the issues have got an airing today, particularly the way Enterprise has fined people who are buying out. We still claim that is wrong."
Last night rebel Enterprise tenants in Sheffield opted to join forces with the GMB to help further their calls for cheaper beer prices and lower rents.