A woman who claimed she was waiting for two months to get the promised rental assistance from the government, was on Wednesday kicked out of their rented home in San Fernando.
Candice Roy and her family were owing rent for eight months.
Shortly after dawn when most of the family were asleep, a bailiff Ramkaran Ramparas and police arrived at the house on Seukaran Street with an eviction order for the family.
Expressing anger and frustration, Roy said she applied for the grant since March 28 and was hoping to get some assistance to pay her rent. Roy said two weeks later the Ministry of Social Development contacted her requesting further information which she supplied.
“I never heard from them again and I could not pay any rent to the landlord,” she added.
Roy said she lived with her children and grandchildren and did not have any money to pay what was owed.
“I want to tell the Prime Minister that when you promise something to the people, you all should deliver. People have children and we were not prepared to go through this. I complied with everything they said and up until the lockdown I had no arrears on my rent,” Roy said.
She added that during the eviction, the eviction crew damaged her furniture.
“Look at what they did to my dresser,” she said.
Roy explained that the eviction was unexpected and she had been hoping to get the rental grant from the government so she would not be evicted.
However, speaking to Guardian Media, bailiff Ramparas said the family owed rent since October last year.
“We have areas of rent $15,000 and $20,000 since before the COVID period. Since last year they haven’t paid rent. We are trying not to take anything from them. We will give them whatever stuff they have. We will make arrangements for them to pay the rent at another time,” he said.
Ramparas denied that the landlord was acting unfairly.
“We understand that people are under serious pressure but at the same time, the landlord needs to get their rent also as they are paying mortgages on their properties. We are trying to be lenient and safe at the same time and are trying to assist on both sides,” Ramparas said.
He added, ” These rents are not from March or January. It is owed since October and November. That has nothing to do with COVID. Now that COPVID came about they tried to make that an excuse.”
Ramphal said the landlord arranged a three tonne truck for the evicted tenants so they could get free transportation to wherever they were going.
“We are trying our best to be as humane as possible. The landlord is being lenient and we will do whatever best we can to assist both parties,” Ramparas added.
