‘When we took on kiosk, only rule was it had to be green’
Wednesday 20th January 2010, 1:00PM GMT.
Left to right, Gary, Anais, Lynn and Kiara de Carteret outside court yesterday. They face a battle to keep the beachside family business at Pembroke. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0902977)
PEMBROKE kiosk’s owners are contesting an action by the States to evict them from the site.
The Treasury and Resources Department served a three-month notice to quit on Gary and Lynn de Carteret, which meant they should have removed their kiosk by 29 September.
Crown Advocate Philip Nicol-Gent yesterday told a directions hearing of the ordinary division of the Royal Court that there had been a long history of attempts to reach terms over a lease with the de Carterets, but one had never been formally agreed.
Mrs de Carteret told the court they had bought the kiosk with savings in good faith about 15 years ago and rent had previously been paid to the L’Ancresse Commons Council. The only other stipulation had been that the kiosk must be painted green.
‘We thought we had bought the kiosk for life,’ she said.
In about 2003/4 they were told it had been discovered that the land had been ceded to the States in the 1960s. Rent had been paid to the States since then as a result.
A review hearing was set for Friday 12 March and a provisional date for the case to be heard was listed as 14/15 April. Both parties will be able to call witnesses.
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Best of luck to the De Carteret’s!
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Guernsey States at thier very best! Can’t expect anything else from them! Good Luck!
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Best of luck to the De Carteret family. I really hope they win and get to keep their family business.
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Good Luck de Carteret’s! Love that kiosk.
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Forget the States for a moment, questions should be asked of the L’Ancresse Commons Council who sold the leasehold of land they didn’t even own.
Land ownership is hardly a minor issue – how on earth could they have got something that important wrong? I feel sorry for the de Carterets here – by all rights, they should be entitled to claim any rent paid to the Commons Council as they were taking rent they were never entitled to.
That part of the story over – I do think that the States of Guernsey have more important things to concern themselves with than a beach kiosk that few people want to see disappear.
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Hav nt the states of Guernsey got nothing better else to do than waste tax payers money, picking on a hard working guernsey family ,i thought the law officers were stacked out with work, maybe if they spent a bit more effort on more important issues like Guernsey mental health also animal protection to name a few,, i bet if this was a kebab house they would not dare to attempt to shut it down, oh human rights comes in to mind,
but they don t count if you are a GUERN, good luck with your fight gary & lyn
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Why has this even gone to Court? What a waste of tax payers money and that of a hard working local family!
All that is needed here is a contract that is written in English, spelt correctly and what was agreed in meetings with the Law Officers!!
This is a valuable vistor and local service, I would not go anywhere else.
So come on Guernsey support this family against the States.
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hold on here – the kiosk is a tip to behold, tramps would pass it over as a night shelter, let alone the 2010 beach tourist. this family milk the very best months of the summer and do nothing the rest of the year. others will do better if allowed. just ’cause your’e a guern does not mean your’e right or have to be favoured.
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This kiosk is not a tip, as if it was surely envoiroment would shut it down, having visited this kiosk, i find the place very clean and also very polite staff ,And yes i must look like a tramp sometimes in my old worn out guernsey, but still served like the good old guernsey gentleman i am .
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