Bandleaders ready to settle

ONE-TIME business partners, Carnival bandleaders Ian McKenzie and Michael “Big Mike” Antoine, say they are both prepared to pay their portion of the stamp duty required to get the lease for the property which once housed their popular mas band Legends, so they can sell it.

The duo parted ways in 2004 and McKenzie took Antoine to court.

McKenzie wants the former Legends bandroom at 88 Roberts Street, Woodbrook, sold, and to be given half the proceeds. He says he and Antoine were partners and acquired the lease, the unexpired residue of which is valued at $2.5 million. He also says he is entitled to whatever earnings the property would have made in rent.

The case went to trial in the Port of Spain High Court on Tuesday, and presiding judge Justice Frank Seepersad said he would give his ruling on April 30.

Both McKenzie and Antoine testified.

In their testimony, both said they would be willing to pay the stamp duty to have the deed of lease registered in their names so allow the sale.

McKenzie, who admitted that he did not have his portion of the funds at present, said he would try his best to get it.

McKenzie said after he and his wife, Nina, returned from their honeymoon in April 2004, he was met with locks on the property, and a security guard refused him entry.

He and Antoine each said they paid their share of the purchase price for the leasehold property and the owner, Freddie Khan, eventually received the permission of the Port of Spain City Corporation to transfer the deed to them in 2012.

“The plan was that the lease would be renewed in our name and in the meantime we’d remain in occupation and pay a rent jointly.”

Antoine said after their split in 2004, they received a notice to quit on March 29, 2004. Mc Kenzie, who was on honeymoon at the time, said he did not receive the notice, but found himself locked out.

He said he also put locks on the doors, on the advice of his lawyers, but they were broken and he was never given access to the property.

Antoine said he did not take possession of the property, “the landlord did,” and he continued to pay rent to Khan up until 2012, when the lease was transferred over to their names.

All that remained was for the two to pay the stamp duty to have the deed registered in their names.

There is some contention over the rental value. Chartered surveyor Afra Raymond’s firm Raymond and Pierre provided a valuation in 2011 of $18,000 as the rental value and $2.2 million as the worth of the property. Raymond testified in court on Tuesday and said the valuation was based on comparable properties in the area.

Realtor Roger Murray, who also testified, valued the property in 2017 at $2.5 million, with a rental value of $6,000/$7,000.

After their split, McKenzie and his wife Nina carried on the mas-making business under the name Genesis, while Antoine continued under the Legacy banner.

McKenzie is represented by attorney Farid Scoon. Simon de La Bastide represents Antoine.