Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 30/Sep 16:11

Breakfast Shed tenants threaten lawsuit over closure, demand $6m compensation

Tenants of the iconic Breakfast Shed (Femmes Du Chalet) have threatened legal action against the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott), accusing the state agency of unlawfully closing their businesses and failing to honour commitments dating back two decades. In a pre-action letter sent to UDecott’s chairman and board of directors on September 29, attorneys representing the co-owners alleged that CEO Tamica Charles misled both the board and the public by denying that eviction notices were issued. The attorneys claimed Charles “bullied, intimidated and hounded” vendors, forcing them to shut down operations under duress. The vendors are demanding $6 million in outstanding compensation, which they said was promised in 2005 under then-Prime Minister Patrick Manning. According to the letter, Udecott initially offered $500,000 per displaced cook but only paid $100,000, leaving a $400,000 shortfall per vendor. “You may not be aware, but when our clients were displaced in 2005, very solemn promises were made by the then Prime Minister, Patrick Manning (deceased), and relied upon to their detriment, that the cooks would be accommodated with a permanent home of their own. “This was on the heels of the close of negotiations with the final offer from Udecott being in the sum of $500,000 per cook. “To date, rather sadly, only $100,000.00 was paid across the board, leaving a balance of $400,000 per cook still outstanding, so that with the then 15 affected cooks, the unpaid balance now stands at $6 million exclusive of interest and costs.” Attorney Kenneth Munroe-Brown called on Udecott to acknowledge the promises made by the then administration, acknowledge, and recognise the tenants’ legal and equitable rights and settle the outstanding balance of $6 million… We call on Udecott to do right by our clients, “ Munroe-Brown wrote. “Our clients do not consider the closure of the Breakfast Shed as a surrender of rights or abandonment of ownership,” Munroe-Brown said. The letter warned that if Udecott fails to engage in talks within 14 days, the matter will proceed to court. The letter further stated that Charles may face personal legal proceedings for “gross negligence, misfeasance in public office, and oppressive conduct.” Udecott recently issued a demand letter for rent from tenants of the 12 stalls, which amounted to close to $2 million. Its chairman, Shankar Bidaisee, said Udecott did not evict any of the tenants; they were simply alerted to the money owed. “They are owing money. That is a fact,” Bidaisee said. “My staff wrote them and made a demand for the outstanding arrears, telling them they have to pay this thing because it is building up too much. That’s it. “I was then called by a newspaper telling me that the people were leaving. No one asked them to leave. We didn’t evict anybody. We made a demand for the money as my staff are supposed to do.” The post Breakfast Shed tenants threaten lawsuit over closure, demand $6m compensation appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.