FCJ says bawling Baldie’s lease lapsed
Published:Monday | October 4, 2021 | 12:09 AM
Factories Corporation of Jamaica Limited (FCJ) is rejecting as “erroneous” and “deceptive” claims by businessman Gordon Baldie that he was unfairly evicted from the rented warehouse space he operated in Trelawny.
On Sunday, FCJ released a statement, along with a chronological outline of the sequence of events, on the deal between Cars-to-Go and the state entity’s legal representative DunnCox,
The Lyttleton Shirley-led entity says that as an enabler and facilitator of businesses, FCJ ensures that all attempts are made to support businesses’ survival.
FCJ said that Baldie was aware that he no longer had a formal lease arrangement with the organisation but still visited the property and locked out the existing client, a matter it says was reported to the police.
On Friday, Baldie, a former chairman of the St James West Central constituency for the People’s National Party (PNP), made a tearful plea for Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ intervention behind claims that he is set to lose millions of dollars because of the action of FCJ.
“I want to make good on my commitment, complete the deal, recover my monies that I have spent in this facility that I can raise my family, do business and to live ... . I am begging, please,” the former car dealer said. “Mr Prime Minister, this will kill me if I don’t recover.”
Baldie, who is seeking a moratorium on the almost $10 million owed in rent, said his goods valued at $27 million were also seized by FCJ.
But according to law firm DunnCox, the goods were seized after Cars-to-Go was wound up, and a new firm formed, and despite attempts to confirm the relationship between the defunct Cars-to-Go and the new firm, including ownership of the goods and the outstanding debt, no clarification was forthcoming.
“FCJ has made numerous attempts to recover the sums owing for rent and to have the goods removed from the premises over the years, without success,” the law firm said.
Baldie signed a lease agreement with FCJ in April 2015, not 2016 as he claimed. As part of the five-year lease, it was agreed that Cars-to-Go Limited would not pay rental for two years of the lease in order to recover monies spent to improve the property.
The company began paying rent and maintenance on February 1, 2017, but fell into arrears since September 2018.
On August 3, 2021, Baldie was informed that the property would be leased to a third party after numerous unanswered notices to the former client.
The goods are currently in storage for collection, while the premises have been leased to a third party.