Moonia Balchand stood helplessly in the rain with tears pouring down her face, watching a demolition crew smash her home on Thursday.Her common-law husband Rambachan Siew ran hurriedly to secure his four pet parrots, bullfinches, picoplats and German shepherd dog Papa. However by the time he came back, their possessions, including a new stove, refrigerator and television set, were stacked outside.
Balchand said her family has been living in the house at Basta Hall, Couva, for more than 19 years. She said she was at home cooking around 7 am when the crew came with a bailiff and police officers."They had an envelope and they said they had a court order to evict us...Then they started to break down everything," she said.Three old 280 C cars owned by Siew were removed from the property. They were stacked in a heap in an adjoining yard.
Balchand said she did not know where to go."We have no place to go. We may have to spend the night out here because right now we have no choice," she said.She also said she did not know who was the real landowner as they have been paying $226 rent annually to another person who claimed ownership of the land.Her son Anand Maraj who fixes cars said he was upset at the way the eviction was carried out.
"They didn't have to mash up things. Those cars were old but they had valuable parts which we were using," Maraj said.The demolition was authorised by a High Court order, four months after the landowner won a case at the San Fernando Supreme Court.Merle Baggoo who had the power of attorney for the landowners, said she gave the family adequate notice to evacuate the premises but her pleas were ignored. She also said she offered them the land at half the market value but they refused to purchase.
Siew said yesterday that he purchased a lot of land from Caroni (1975) Limited after he got his Voluntary Separation Enhancement Package (VSEP). He called on the National Self Help Commission chairman Surujdeo Mangaroo and Minister of the People Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh to assist him in erecting a structure on the land.