‘Let us live there’

RATHER than spend the night in a three bedroom home in Woodbrook, the Sorzanos and their children spent the night beneath their elevated home in Greenvale on Wednesday night.

Yesterday Natasha Sorzano told Newsday that they decided not to go to the house offered to them by talk show host Harvey Borris since it was for five days only and it would not have been feasible to move all her belongings for such a short period. She questioned what will become of her family and the man who was generous enough to facilitate them getting what they assumed was their own Housing Development Corporation (HDC) home. Newsday attempted to call the man who works at the Ministry of Housing but his cellphone was switched off.

Sorzano and her husband Atiba were evicted from their Alpha Avenue, Greenvale Park, La Horquetta home on Wednesday after their documents giving them consent were deemed to be fraudulent. The couple said they approached a man at the HDC who gave them documents which led them to believe they were legitimate owners of their unit. The couple admitted that since August last year they were living in the house without paying a mortgage or rent to HDC, but were told to “put aside some money” for when they needed to pay their mortgage. Now they are hoping to be properly allocated the unit they have been living in for the past year.

The man who worked with the People’s Issues Resolution Coordinating Unit (PIRCU) was transferred to the communications department after the story of his involvement broke, Newsday was told. Housing Minister Edmund Dillon told Newsday that he was aware of the situation and an internal investigation was taking place, but could not comment further as he was not given any report by those assigned to do the investigation.

Newsday was given a telephone recording of the man who assisted the Sorzanos in which he told them that if anyone asked about them occupying the unit, they should say Gregory Reece facilitated them. Reece, who once worked at PIRCU, when contacted said he never dealt with the couple and all he did at PIRCU was to write letters to HDC highlighting the plight of those who came to him. Reece, who was charged last year with fraudulently obtaining money from the Arima Borough Corporation, said he plans to explore his legal options after admitting that he too received a copy of the telephone conversation.