Latest update December 17th, 2024 3:32 AM
Popular Linden eatery faces closure over land dispute
…NICIL calls out purported “owner” for misrepresentation in court
Kaieteur News – The future of one of Linden’s most popular restaurants and bar, Tropical Reflection is in jeopardy after Court bailiffs and the police turned up on Wednesday to evict the owner Hilton Lyle Jr. from the premises. This was as a result of a long court battle between Lyle and the purported owner Bridgette Maximus. The order was passed down by the Upper Demerara Magistrate Court which gave Bridgette Maximus the right as ‘owner’ of Stall #0730 located at the Washer Pond Road, Mackenzie, Linden, to evict Hilton Lyle as a defaulting tenant.
It is now being questioned as to what documentation was used as proof of ownership in the court by Maximus as the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) came forward asserting its ownership of the property. NICIL has communicated this to Maximus via correspondence that she misrepresented herself in court as the owner as the land was never leased to her and permission was never given to operate or rent to a third party. The correspondence dated March 20th 2023, stated, “NICIL’s record reveal that NICIL has not executed a lease or any other document with Ms. Maximus to empower her to demand rent from anyone occupying property owned by NICIL. In light of the foregoing, NICIL hereby demands that your principal immediately cease and desist from such behaviour and misrepresenting that she is authorised and has legal capacity to demand rent due and owing for the above captioned property.”
In this regard on Wednesday, NICIL placed a signage at the property stating, “Property of NICIL, NO TRESPASSING, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.” The correspondence was sent to Fern Jones who is the attorney of Bridgette Maximus, however the lawyer said she never received same. Jones however could not state what document was used in court to prove ownership but said her family occupied the commercial space for over 30 years and rented it to Lyle for $40,000. She said rental was paid to the Linden Mayor and Town Council and a monthly rental fee was paid to LMTC, which increased following massive expansion done by Lyle without permission. He was only given permission to upgrade a stall that was on the land. However, Jones said after seeing continuous expansion works, she approached the tenant to cease but he continued to expand. She also alleged that Lyle owes nine months rent.
Lyle in an invited comment said he never saw any documentation of ownership of the land from Jones and spent a significant amount of money developing the land into a high standard eatery and bar. He also employs many Lindeners who will be on the breadline. He said when he rented the space, there was an old shop that measured 10ft by 18 ft and everything else on the land belongs to him. NICIL’s Linden representative Emmet Alves, did not comment on the matter.
Many Lindeners expressed concern over the issue as well as the tourism bodies, given the establishment is well known and one of Linden’s few entertainment spots that provides services to domestic and foreign tourists visiting Linden.
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