Renters facing eviction, calling for more protection

One Bodden Town Family is facing eviction following a dispute over a parking spot, but with over 11-thousand renters in Grand Cayman, according to the latest economics and statistics report, they believe their plight highlights a need for renters to be protected by the law, Cayman 27’s Philipp Richter reports.

“We consider it home, we’ve had amazing beautiful memories here , we’ve brought our kids home here, this is all my little girl knows,” said Nicole Eastman, a doctor and author and mother of two young children.

Nicole Eastman and her family say they are facing eviction from their home at Moonbay Condominiums, where they have been living for the past four years and she says it stems from a dispute with an executive member of a strata committee over a parking spot.

“When I saw this couple starting to move their stuff in, I moved my vehicle, it was after I moved my vehicle that I get this letter threatening to tow my car, I had already moved it,” said Mrs. Eastman in response to how she dealt with the parking situation.

She says when the spot was vacant, she would park since it was closer to her residence and gave her a shorter distance to walk ,easing the strain from her disabilities, one of them being a medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

“I got hit by a semi-truck at 65 miles per hour four times, that left me with permanent disability that is hidden,” said Mrs. Eastman.

Mrs. Eastman says the strata committee filed a complaint with the property managers, who contacted the Eastman’s landlord and said that they had a choice of paying more rent and leaving at the end of the year instead of the end of this month, with constrains the Eastman’s say are unlivable.

“It’s effecting our kids too, that we’ve unnecessarily had to experience, it’s been more tense in our home,” explains Mrs. Eastman on the effect this situation has had on her family, she also says that stability is very important in a child’s life.

A property lawyer tells Cayman 27 that as long as renters are not in breach other lease agreement, they can not be moved and for Nicole Eastman, she hopes that one day a third party entity can be formed to help renters in these situations.

“There currently isn’t a tenancy commissioner and there are a lot of renters on island and there are a lot of landlords on island, there has to be some sort of protection, this isn’t okay,” said Mrs. Eastman, as she says this situation could be handled better through a tenancy commission.

For the Eastmans, they are doing their best to negotiate with the strata to allow them to keep enjoying their life in the home they know, Philipp Richter Cayman 27.

Cayman 27 reached out to all parties involved and the property managers charter land said, in a statement, they receive instructions from the client, in this case the Executive Strata board.
Meanwhile the landlords of Eastmans say they are working with all parties to resolve the issue.