RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Oropouche West MP Dr Lackram Bodoe has mobilised a team of lawyers to assist residents of La Romaine who say they are being pressured to sign new leases for properties their families have occupied for more than six decades.
Lawyers from Freedom Law Chambers, along with councillor Sheldon Lal, met with residents of La Plaisance Estate on Saturday and provided legal advice on their concerns.
Dr Bodoe said that, as the constituency's MP, he would do what he could to assist residents facing what he described as a difficult legal issue.
Stanley Kenrick Herry, chairman of the La Romaine Land Tenants Association, told Guardian Media that the residents, many of them elderly, have been living on the estate for more than 60 years. However, they said that over the past four years they have faced growing uncertainty over their tenancies.
They claim they are being asked to sign two-year agreements for land they have occupied for generations, while some said they have received letters warning them about the consequences of outstanding rent.
Herry said that residents have faced increases in land rent, requests for personal and financial information, the introduction of two-year agreements and difficulties paying rent if they refuse to sign the new leases. He said some of the tenants were annual tenants and statutory tenant.
According to the association, some tenants have been asked to complete "know your client" forms and sign new agreements when attempting to pay their rent.
Kenrick Herry said residents had traditionally paid their rent annually and maintained that tenants who occupied the land before June 1, 1981, were protected under statutory arrangements.
He said the introduction of two-year agreements had created uncertainty for people who had spent most of their lives on the estate.
Residents, he said, want adequate time to review and understand any new agreement before signing.
He claimed some tenants who declined to sign the new documents were subsequently unable to have their rent accepted.
The association has also raised concerns about an alleged two per cent monthly interest charge on outstanding rent.
Herry estimated that more than 2,000 tenants could be affected across the estate, although he acknowledged that figure had not been independently verified.
He said some residents had signed the new agreements while others had refused.
The association is now seeking legal advice and considering possible court action. Residents are also appealing to the Ministry of Land and other relevant authorities for assistance.
One resident, who said she had not paid the increased rent since 2023 because the company refused to accept payment unless she signed the new contract, said she subsequently received a letter warning her about the outstanding amount.
Other residents claimed cheques had not been accepted and that they had been asked to make payments in cash.
Maria Lee-Rudder said residents were not trying to avoid paying rent but wanted transparency, a fair process and security of tenure after decades on the estate.
She said they also wanted an opportunity to properly review any proposed agreement before signing and clarity on how the rents were being calculated.
For several residents, particularly pensioners, the issue has added to their financial burden.
Sheila Gangaram, a pensioner who lives with her disabled son, said the situation was creating additional financial pressure.
Gangaram said residents had previously sought Bodoe's assistance and were hoping he would intervene again.
Hamida Ali said her family had lived on the estate for about 56 or 57 years.
She said the property was originally rented by her father before being transferred to her and her children. However, she said some utility accounts remained in her late father's name, making it difficult to change the records.
Ali claimed she was being asked to sign the new agreement and pay the increased rent before some of those matters could be resolved.
"I want to pay the rent. I want to do what I'm supposed to do in the right way. But they're blocking everything you do," Ali said.
Elvis Ramjohn, who said he began renting land on the estate in 1972, recalled when the community had few basic amenities, including proper roads, water and electricity.
He said residents had contributed to developing and improving the area over the decades and now wanted greater certainty about their future.
"We are so confused and frustrated," Ramjohn said, appealing to the Government and relevant authorities to intervene.
The residents also questioned why they were being asked to enter into short-term agreements after living on the estate for generations.
In 2024, residents staged a protest outside the office of the real estate company reportedly handling the new leases.
Guardian Media contacted the company for comment on the residents' concerns, but calls went unanswered as the office was closed.
