Pembroke Kiosk owners get last chance to sign
Saturday 23rd August 2008, 2:29PM BST.
The de Carterets have been given another three weeks to sign a lease for their kiosk at Pembroke or face it being demolished by the States. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0612664)
THE Treasury and Resources Department has given the owners of Pembroke Kiosk three more weeks to sign a lease.
Gary and Lynn de Carteret were served a month’s notice to quit or face the kiosk being demolished, but that deadline passed yesterday.
‘We have lost many months of trading this year, although our rent has been paid in full, and our credibility,’ said Mr de Carteret.
The department contends that the de Carterets have failed to sign a lease that would bring them in line with other kiosk operators.
The de Carterets argue that because they own the kiosk, they are not bound by the same conditions as the department’s concessionaires and that previous draft leases offered have contained errors.
Mr de Carteret said the wording of the revised draft lease proved those sent previously, which they had refused to sign, were flawed.
He said the latest letter, signed by deputy Treasury minister and property subcommittee chairman Jack Honeybill, contained no apology.
‘We find this extremely alarming and are quite sure that a great proportion of the electorate who continue to support us will too,’ said Mr de Carteret.
Treasury has warned the couple that failure to sign the latest document would result in the original action being taken. The States would demolish the kiosk and charge the de Carterets for that.
Receipts taken would be confiscated by virtue of their trespassing on the land.
The notice to quit from the Law Officers was delivered by hand to the de Carterets’ home but had not been signed by an individual.
The family wrote to the Law Officers four weeks ago asking who had been responsible for writing the letter but Mr de Carteret said that as yet they had not received a reply.
The couple previously paid ground rent to the L’Ancresse Commons Council before it emerged that the council did not own the land.
Mr de Carteret said the family would be considering the draft lease agreement fully before deciding which way to respond.
Deputy Honeybill said it was the final chance for the de Carterets. If they did not abide by the ultimatum, the eviction process would be pursued.
‘We are not an unreasonable landlord and we are only asking them to play fair, as other kiosk operators do,’ he said.
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Jack Honeybill claims “‘We are not an unreasonable landlord and we are only asking them to play fair, as other kiosk operators do”
But are the de Carterets the same as other Kiosk operators if they own their kiosk? Seems a prima facie case exists that they are different.
Even if they are not different it does not excuse the bully boy tactics, and the ingnorance of a letter from the Law Officers without a signature.
This sordid affair looks more and more as if the authorities are increasing the pressure, in order to save face, if they acted as sensible human beings.
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As regards that kiosk at Pembroke; I see it this way:
Had the grasping States dept. been a little more civil, and not used ‘Dictatorial methods ‘ perhaps by now the case would be closed.
What the dept has refused to notice is, the fuhrer of that dept. is dealing with Guernsey people, not any old idiots.
It’s about time some kind of Justice was forth-coming. There are so much of this kind of thing going on, but the would be persecutors are out for their “lb of flesh.”
The rent has been paid…
Not good enough? no they want people to bow down to them; to grovel… what load of rubbish the States have become. LEAVE THEM ALONE. Try, although very difficult for you, but try a little compassion.
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Am i really reading this. The states are threatening to demolish a kiosk if the owners wont sighn a lease. This is nothing less than blackmail. When you dont live on the islands and you read something like this you realise how undemocratic guernsey is. The local people should not tolerate such things. Do you remember Maurice Kirk, maybe he was not as daft as people thought. It is 2008, guernsey needs to be exposed for these inapropiate situations.
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Once again I say as does others that this kind of blackmail is alien to the Guernsey way of life.
I sincerely hope that when the next election comes along all these items will be remembered, and we will then see who can use a bigger blackmail and use of combined vote by GUERNSEY folk.
One must remember that when no one else did anything this Kiosk gave the people, visitors and all a good service
SHAME ON YOU STATES! GUERNSEY people will remember, we had enough of dictatorship for 5 long years, now we have it again…
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If the people who run this kiosk really do own the kiosk and the land upon which the kiosk stands (ie the freehold) then I cannot see how a lease can come in to play and I would strngly suggest they take legal advice before they sign anything!
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Is this a human rights issue?As a Guerneseyman I am appalled at the States lack of accuracy, their sloppiness and their heavy handed tactics. This is a classic case of “We are the government, we have made a mistake and we must cover up!”
The States are the servants of the people of Guernsey. they should show some humility.
Chris
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Typical mafia states of Guernsey. If your not running a finance company they don’t want to know you. Anyway if these nice people own the kiosk, the states have no right to threaten to or actually demolish it.
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