SERHA dragged to court over rent
Published:Monday | February 21, 2022 | 12:06 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
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The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has been hauled to court for J$3.267 million in uncollected rent for residential premises in Harbour View, Kingston. The claimant, Michelle Knott-Neckles, has accused the SERHA, which manages state...
The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has been hauled to court for J$3.267 million in uncollected rent for residential premises in Harbour View, Kingston.
The claimant, Michelle Knott-Neckles, has accused the SERHA, which manages state health services for the country’s most populous region, of reneging on a lease agreement that took effect on November 30, 2020.
SERHA, it is claimed, failed to make payments for the majority of the lease tenure – up to October 2021 – for the 2 Coral Way property. The location was used for the accommodation of Cuban nurses and doctors working here.
Christopher Henry, attorney-at-law representing Knott-Neckles, disclosed that the monthly rent of $363,000 covered electricity and water for two years.
The health authority, Henry said in a Gleaner interview, inked a lease agreement committing to pay J$560,000 as security deposit and monthly rent of $363,000.
“SERHA has had quite enjoyment since November 30, 2020, and possession since November 30, 2020,” Henry said.
To date, the attorney said, SERHA has paid his client J$1.29 million.
Henry revealed that SERHA made payments of $643,000 on December 3, 2020; $280,000 on December 21, 2020; and $363,000 on January 7, 2021.
“So that was the security deposit and the rents for the months of December 2020 and January 2021, so we now claim $2.904 million that was outstanding rent for the period March 2021 to October 2021,” he told The Gleaner.
SERHA has since moved out of the property.
Errol Greene, regional director of SERHA, confirmed with The Gleaner that the matter is now before the court.
“I can confirm that we have received correspondence from her attorney and I can confirm that we had engaged her. We had rented a property from her … . That’s all I am prepared to say,” he briefly said.
The attorney general is named as the second defendant.
Henry said his client had considered applying for a default judgment “because there was no defence filed, and the director of state proceedings, through her attorney, applied for an extension of time on January 17 of this year. So they have 45 days in which to file their defence.
“... They’ve filed an acknowledgement of service but no defence or no indication of their position. So we are awaiting the expiration of the 45 days to see what will really happen,” he added.
The extension is set to expire in 11 days.