Attorney: Breakfast Shed vendors open to talks

ATTORNEY Kenneth Munroe-Brown, who is representing three of the four remaining vendors at the Breakfast Shed (Femmes Du Chalet), said his clients are willing to talk to Udecott with regard to outstanding rent, despite leaving the breakfast shed after a demand letter was issued for $1.8 million.

This comes after a pre-action protocol letter was sent to Udecott by tenants in response to the demand for rental fees.

Munroe-Brown told Newsday in a phone conversation on October 10, that he received a letter from Udecott, but he was not sure what was in the letter.

“They sent a letter across but I have not seen it just yet. I don’t know what the letter contains, but I hope it is something around, 'Let us sit and talk.'”

Munroe-Brown said the letter sent to the tenants on September 15 was tantamount to an eviction letter, despite claims by Udecott to the contrary.

“That is what we are arguing. It is an eviction notice in the sense that Udecott told them if the couldn’t pay by October 15, certain things will follow – such as legal proceedings or eviction as the case may be.”

Munroe-Brown said on September 9, a week before the demand letter was sent, he, on behalf of the vendors, sent a “friendly letter” to Udecott. The letter came as T&TEC cut the electricity to the breakfast shed amid a $30,000 light bill.

“When I say ‘friendly,’ I mean there was no threat of legal action,” he said. “It was simply to say this is an institution that goes back almost 100 years and we need to protect it.”

The letter, shared with Newsday, said: “Port of Spain has a close to 100-year tradition of safeguarding working-class culinary heritage alongside urbanisation and urban development…

“... There can therefore be no doubt that the Breakfast Shed represents a beacon, if not perhaps a last bastion and that much cherished continuum envisaged by our eminent and distinguished forefathers. As such the place for the Breakfast Shed cannot be in the scrap heap as it represents not merely food stalls, but a living institution of mainly Afro-Trinidadian enterprise, cultural memories, and social cohesion, connecting pre-redevelopment grandmothers’ style cooking…”

The letter then went on to highlight the historical, socio-ethnic, multi-generational and cultural value of the Breakfast Shed.

The letter continued requesting that Udecott actively join with the vendors in seeking recognition from the National Trust for the Breakfast Shed as a heritage site and issue “appropriate notifications” to all relevant public bodies including Udecott and T&TEC to avoid any action that would “undermine the site’s significance.”

The letter also requested that Udecott “suspend enforcement on arrears of rents and negotiate with T&TEC to facilitate an immediate electricity reconnection on public-health grounds pending the Trust’s determination.”

However, he said on September 15, instead of responding to the letter, they issued the vendors with a demand letter.

“That was when the gloves came off in my letter on September 29, when I threatened legal proceedings,” Munroe-Brown said.

The letter issued on September 29 claimed that Udecott CEO Tamica Charles misled the board and “bullied, intimidated and hounded” the tenants out of their business operations.

The letter called for Udecott to make good on promises made by the Patrick Manning-led government to award each vendor $500,000 for the displacement they endured when the Breakfast Shed was moved to make way for the International Waterfront Centre in 2005.

'No evidence of $500k promise'

Udecott chairman Shankar Bidaisee told Newsday that the letter sent on October 6 may be a standard acknowledgement of receipt for the letter sent on September 29.

He said, to date, the vendors have not issued a response relating to the outstanding rent.

“To this date there has not been a response to the substantive issues in that letter. As far as we are concerned, the tenants have not officially and lawfully vacated or terminated their tenancy. They have not indicated that they wish to bring the tenancy to an end.”

Bidaisee dismissed the claim made for the $500,000 payment.

“Udecott has no record of that. None whatsoever,” he said. “In fact, over the years, Udecott has had no correspondence from the Breakfast Shed about any debt or any promise made to the vendors. As far as Udecott is concerned there is no evidence of that. It is not going to treat with same.”

He said the way forward will depend on the vendors’ response to the demand letter.

“We don’t even know what they may or may not say,” he said. “Based on their response, Udecott can determine what is the next step.

“As far as we are concerned, we made a demand and if the demand is not met there are legal options open to Udecott. After a response is received, obviously Udecott will consider it, get legal advice on the response and determine the way forward."

He added that there may still be no plan for the Breakfast Shed should the vendors be evicted.

“Udecott will have to obviously take instructions from the Cabinet; but in order to advise the Cabinet, Udecott will have to do a condition assessment to look at the condition of the premises and the cost-benefit analysis. In other words, we will have to do a comprehensive review on the use of the property and determine in what way we move forward.”