Junior Natural Resources Minister Simona Broomes is the subject of court action initiated by her former landlord, who has taken her to court allegedly because of rent owed.
A copy of the legal proceedings, seen by this publication, shows the Minister as a co-defendant in a default of over $1 million in house rent, reportedly incurred between November 2016 and January 2017.
The plaintiff, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, has initiated legal action against three co-defendants: the Attorney General of Guyana, Basil Williams; the Parliament of Guyana, and the junior Minister, Broomes.
The lawsuit highlighted that on January 13, 2016, the plaintiff, using his Lot 27 Jacaranda Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown property, entered into a written Agreement of Tenancy with the Parliament of Guyana, the second-named defendant — represented therein by the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly — for the said body to let the premises from February 1, 2016 to February 1, 2017 at a monthly rental of the Guyana dollar equivalent of US$2,500 (GYD $520,000).
According to the Agreement of Tenancy, upon its signing, a deposit of the Guyana Dollars’ equivalent of US$7,500. (GYD $1,560,000), being 2 (two) months’ rent and a security deposit, was to be made, and was duly made, by the tenant to the plaintiff.
However, according to the noted particulars, several months were left outstanding:
Rent for November 2016, Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$2,500
Rent for December 2016, Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$2,500
Rent for January 2017, Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$2,500
Total Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$7,500.
The suit alleges that Parliament is in breach of the Tenancy Agreement, and noted that the second named defendant had “failed, refused and/or neglected to pay to the plaintiff the said sum of the Guyana Dollar equivalent of US$7,500.00 (GYD $1,560,000)”.
The suit added that another breach of the agreement was found on or around September 19, 2016, when 30 days of written notice to terminate the tenancy was given to the plaintiff by the second named defendant, who thereafter vacated and “delivered up possession of the premises on or around October 31, 2016.
“The second(named) defendant has failed, refused and/or neglected to pay to me the said sum of the Guyana dollar equivalent of US$7,500 (GYD$1,560,000),” the plaintiff has stated.
Dr Ramsaroop also claimed that the Minister supposedly was responsible for damage caused to his property, and has reportedly refused to return the security deposit to her.
“The security deposit is being set off for the damage caused by the third-named defendant (Minister Broomes) during occupancy pursuant to the said Agreement with the second-named defendant; demand for payment has been made without effect,” expressed Dr Ramsaroop in his court proceedings.
Dr Ramsaroop is being represented by Attorneys-at-law Sanjeey Datadin, L. Mark Conway and Charles S. Ramson.
