LEWISTON – The fate of four Oxford Street tenants will wait until Dec. 20, lawyers involved in the case said Thursday.

Judge John McElwee recessed the rest of a hearing on the eviction of the four 119 Oxford St. tenants until then.

McElwee had a noon telephone conference with the lawyers representing both sides, on the heels of an impromptu inspection of the building Wednesday. That followed a daylong hearing on the eviction, centering on the condition of the building.

Landlord Ed Emmonds, principal of R.L.E. Limited Partnership, hopes to evict the remaining tenants in the eight-unit building for not paying their rent.

The tenants claim they have been on a rent strike since August to protest the condition of the building and a lack of maintenance by Emmonds and his property managers, North Country Real Estate Management Agency, or NC/REMA.

The city condemned the building last Friday. That means that Emmonds can not put new tenants in the empty units until conditions are improved. Remaining tenants should move as soon as possible and Emmonds can’t replace them until repairs are finished.

The city’s condemnation notice found broken windows and doors, unsafe stairways, rotting floors and a lack of heat throughout the building.

Tenants will have seven days to move out if he grants the eviction, McElwee said Wednesday.