FWIW
A residential landlord in North Carolina may not legally evict a tenant from the rented premises unless he/she first obtains an order or "writ of possession" from a court.
Grounds for Eviction:
Non-payment of Rent
Breach of the Lease (i.e. illegal pets, noise,
excessive damage or alteration to the premises, illegal activity etc.)
Holding over after the lease term has ended
Desertion of the premises
In my opinion, I'm sure Mr Coffey had no problem getting a judge to sign a "writ of possession" if in fact he did start the eviction process. I know in my state (AZ) that if a tenant leaves behind any personal belongings, the landlord can legally sell it and put the money towards any lost rent and/or damages to the property.
In case anyone would like to read the NC Landlord/tenant act, I've linked it below.
http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_affairs/legal_services/legaldocs/LandlordTenantHandout.htm