Cocorite man: HDC broke my car window

A Cocorite man is seeking a reimbursement of $675 for repairs to the back right window of his vehicle which he said was broken by Housing Development Corporation (HDC) workers cutting grass in his area.

Foster Stewart said, on the morning of October 22, two men came to his door in Power Magazine Housing Scheme and informed him they had accidentally broken his car's back window when a stone got caught in a weed wacker being used to cut the grass. The stone was catapulted over the partition one of the men was holding up for protection and broke Stewart’s window.

“Because they came in good faith, I didn’t report it because it was an accident,” he said, adding the two men were even kind enough to help him clean up the glass and apply a piece of plastic to protect the interior from the elements.

The men took Stewart to the Cocorite branch office where he spoke to the manager about the issue. He said he was instructed by the manager to source the part, get a quotation, and bring it back to the office for a refund to be processed. “I didn’t have the money. I am a pensioner. I told them that.”

The next day, Stewart returned with a quotation from Double Zee windshield repair for $675.

Newsday contacted HDC corporate communications manager Dike Noel, who responded by e-mail on December 1 to say Stewart's payment would be processed, and he would be contacted when the cheque was ready.

Last Friday, Stewart said he was yet to be contacted by the corporation.

“I didn’t expect it to reach this far,” he said. “I can’t take the chance and park anywhere because I could lose my vehicle.”

He said the piece of plastic installed to protect the inside of his car had since deteriorated and the back seat was getting wet when it rained, causing further damage.