Member of Parliament for North East Manchester – Ambassador Audrey Marks has told tenants of Webb Plaza in Christiana to know their rights and be guided by the law rather than be forcibly evicted by their landlord. She met with them on Friday May 1, as Chrispal Medical Centre Conference Centre in Sedburgh, Christiana.

She was addressing the tenants who had asked for her intervention, after being given only one month’s notice to leave the premises some have occupied for 10 years. The tenants say the plaza was being sold to Chinese business interests who plan to use it for storage space. It is alleged that this practice has been happening in small towns island-wide. 

“What should have happened and what I insist should happen is that businesses that want to have storage facilities form an association; I am available to meet with them and we then look at what are the spaces to expand business in Christiana,” said  Marks.

She said the same could be done for all three divisions: Christiana, Walderston and Craighead. Wherever there is a need for business expansion, instead of taking advantage of one set of people who are powerless and voiceless.

”The days of people being voiceless are over; this meeting is about respecting people’s rights,” she said.

One tenant – Dr. Chevanese Miller told the audience that they were being harassed, and the harassment had increased from once weekly to multiple times per day. She said that it happened on three different occasions last week, and she was threatened with eviction by one of the individuals who came to her business place.

“He asked me if I had arranged an alternative location, and I told him no. He threatened me with eviction. He repeated it. I don’t know if they are unaware of the process of getting you out of the establishment – which we are willing to leave as soon as we have found suitable places — or they think it (process) does not apply to them,” Dr Miller said.

Ambassador Marks reminded tenants of their rights regarding the proper notice time they should get and informed them that they also had the option of coming together to purchase a building for themselves. She said she had made contact with the Christiana police and ask that they be notified is threats and intimidation continued.

And, MP Marks further noted that very often, property owners are eager to sell to those offering them huge sums of money, but they do not take the time to find out whether tenants could come together and buy it.

“I know from my discussions with the tenants that they would have been able to buy the plaza and would do the strata process so that each can own their own shop. Jamaicans who are hardworking and employ people must be given these opportunities,” the MP said. 

She added: “The aim of the meeting was to say that before you engage with tenants, you have to engage with the authorities because there are laws that must be observed and the people of North East Manchester and in any other small rural town going through this thing …it has to stop.”

This is the second time in less than a year that Ambassador Marks has been asked by tenants in Christiana to intervene on their behalf over illegal eviction notices. In June last year, more than 50 tenants – many of whom had been business operators for up to 20 years in Apple Tree and Syldian Court plazas were given one month’s notice to quit and they reached out to the then MP -Candidate for her help.