Scarborough Esplanade tenant owes $60k, upset over eviction notice

DESPITE owing $60,000 in rent after several years of non-payment for his Milford Road Esplanade booth, one tenant is crying foul while facing eviction.

Ceramic craftsman and vendor Ian Seon said he is being unfairly treated by the esplanade's management.

The owner of Seon’s Ceramic and Variety Store spoke with Newsday on September 9, claiming he is being forced out of business by the new esplanade board, led by Kevon McKenna. On July 30 he received a notice to vacate his booth by August 31. However, he remains at the facility.

Seon makes ceramics by hand and offers them for sale. He also sells cold drinks such as juice, soft drinks and water, along with biscuits and other snacks.

At a Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) press conference on September 9, Seon acknowledged being in arrears, but claimed he had paid half of what was owed.

However, in a release on September 9, the esplanade management denied this.

Seon said, “I had owed, and I paid half my money, but they tell me I still have to go, even self I pay off all the money.

"So I was telling them, 'Let’s work out something to pay off the rest of money, even self is a two months or three months,' but they said no, I would have to go.

“You keep a meeting, and you said in two weeks you have to pay the money and when you don’t pay the money, you get a letter to go. I get a letter to go, and I still paid $19,000 on top of that – but they still telling me I have to go.”

He said since becoming chairman, McKenna has visited the numerous booths at the compound, except his.

“You now come on the scene and talk to everybody, you never come by this booth. I is the only man that does sell 24/7, besides the quick shop – anything in the night you want, is here they does come. I sacrificed all my time from Trinidad and come up here and work my way towards this.

"He just come on the scene and just want to kick we out.”

He said he is left with nowhere to turn.

“I really have nowhere to go. I might have to go back to Trinidad.

"They said I have to move by last Friday, and then last night he sent a message saying they would come this morning. He walked past this morning. They know their thing. I just remain standing here, but I need some help. What’s wrong with me?”

Chairman of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Dr Sean Nedd recalled that the esplanade was built under the PNM regime with the aim of creating indigenous business that offer products and services for sale to the people of Tobago as well as visitors.

“Let’s take a look around – empty, empty, empty, empty (booths). So we have failing businesses within the space of Scarborough, we have failing special-purpose companies and we have a failing esplanade situation.
"When we were voted in, we had a mandate – the mandate said that we’re going to fix issues such as special-purpose companies. So this area is supposed to be brimming with activities.”

PDP's political leader Watson Duke said he believes people are now being forced out of business.

“The owner would have gone, secured a small loan and tried to negotiate. They gave him an unrealistic deadline and are now forcing him out.

"Most of the businesses are already shut down, because running businesses in Scarborough is no longer a viable option.”

These businesses, he said, are there for Tobagonians, and Tobagonians must be given the opportunity to have grants, which are available from several options, and must be given mentorship programmes.

He told Seon: “When they come to move you, just call me – they want drama, they’ll get drama. Everybody have to live in Tobago. What is wrong? Is bully they want to bully him, they like to bully people.”

In an immediate response, Milford Road Esplanade Ltd said Seon's claims were inaccurate.

It said the records show that Seon had habitually defaulted on the payment of his rent for years.

"Mr Seon became a tenant of the MRE in the year 2018, paying a monthly rent of $2,500. He began defaulting in 2019 and arrears accrued to $24,100 in July 2020, when all the arrears were waived due to the impact of the covid19 pandemic."

It said Seon paid $1,700 in August 2021, but by May 2023, the debt amounted to $50,800.

"He paid no rent for close to two years.”

It said a demand notice was served on Seon in May 2023 and he made a part-payment of $1,000, reducing his arrears to $49,800.

“By December 2023 his arrears reached $52,300. A part-payment of $3,300 was paid over the period. In February 2024 he was given another demand notice for arrears which now totalled $67,000."

On July 9, a meeting was held at which tenants were asked to pay at least 50 per cent of their arrears by July 23. It said Seon's arrears had reached $76,000.

The esplanade management said Seon made no attempt at payment or consultation on his arrears with the MRE and on July 30, he was served with a notice to quit.

“In the month of August 2024 after the notice to quit was served, Mr Seon made a payment of $18,500 towards his arrears.”

At a September 6 media conference, Mc Kenna said non-payment of rent was prevalent.

“When we came here, we had a number of tenants who were not paying their rent for over a year, some over two years, some almost three years.”

He said while most have since paid, “Some of them were given notice to quit, as we cannot continue in the bad relationship of them not paying at all.

“So with that we also opened and invited new persons to come in. That was recently closed off, so very shortly we will see some new tenants coming in.”