Walter Wakefield, the owner of the now-defunct Antiquarian Bookstore, recently dropped his eviction appeal after the case reached the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The incident occurred on the condemned property at 1070 Lafayette Road, where Wakefield had been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the city over his right to remain.

Over $3 million in fines have accumulated since summer 2024 due to vehicles filled with books remaining on the property, despite Portsmouth District Court Judge John Pendleton ordering Wakefield to vacate in summer 2025. City attorneys had previously stated they would waive these penalties once the vehicles were removed.

The property, constructed in 1973, has been at the center of a contentious dispute that highlights tensions between property rights and municipal regulations. Wakefield, who is 80 years old, had been spending much of his time on the premises, living in one of the 21 book-filled cars.