Baunis Hunt on her porch in Grand Case. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT–A property owner in Grand Case says she was duped into paying more than US $50,000 to two separate contractors for repair work on her apartment building while she was in the USA having medical treatment, only to find on her return that work not only had not been completed, but materials for which she was charged had not been purchased or used, walls were painted when it was not required, and damage was caused by workers not being supervised.
Baunis Hunt (79) returned to the island on July 1 after spending months in the USA, where she lives, undergoing medical treatment which also included having a kidney transplant. She entrusted repair work on the roof of her apartment building in Grand Case to the contractors while she was away, based on recommendations.
According to Hunt, the first contractor she hired abandoned the job without finishing the work after she had already paid 27,600 euros, and she has proof from a bailiff that the work was abandoned. When a mediator was brought in to resolve the situation with the contractor and Hunt, the remainder of the work and repairs was supposed to be completed in 15 days, but she says that was never done.
“After three or four months when the first contractor never came back, I took on this other contractor, Wendall Marshall from the Dutch side, supposedly a construction engineer, because I was completely flooded out,” she explained.
“I decided to let him finish the roof because I was desperate and I had all the zinc already delivered from the previous contractor. I was losing everything that I saved after the hurricane. This second contractor said he wanted a $12,000 advance to get started. In the meantime, I had to go back to the States for an operation.
“The next thing I heard was that he wanted money to pay the workers. I said, ‘I just gave you $12,000 and you already have the zinc.’ So, I ended up paying him another $8,000 which was what he wanted. He said he needed different things.
“When I came back and sent someone onto the roof there was no felt up there and he had billed me for 30 rolls of felt. Lamps and locks were broken. I was so annoyed.
“I said to him, ‘I trusted you with my keys while I was gone. How could you not have been here to supervise your workers and you charge me $6,000 for supervision?’
“The next thing he is asking me to borrow $6,000 because his wife had a stroke in the Bahamas and he had to go there urgently. He tells me this story that he is buying A&A Supply and has $500,000 held in escrow. I found out from A&A Supply that it was not true, and he had not deposited one dime. I started to realise I had been taken for a ride.
“He said also he was going to be working as a construction engineer at the former Great Bay Beach hotel site, but there is nothing going on there. He doesn’t answer the phone and my daughter can’t get him either. I just want to expose these people. There have been so many mistakes and lies.”
Hunt says the original contractor finally came back and is now finishing off the work. But she told The Daily Herald she wants to warn people about deceitful contractors operating out there. She named David Forsythe as the man who introduced her to Marshall and blames both men for the serious predicament in which she found herself, not to mention the large sums of money she was duped into paying without getting the service or results.
“You don’t do these things to people. People shouldn’t have to go through this and be taken advantage of. I’m a very sick woman,” she said.
Contacted by phone, Forsythe said he had recommended that Marshall not deal with Hunt, but Marshall had gone on his own and made arrangements with her.
“I had nothing to do with it. I don’t know anything about it,” Forsythe insisted. “Yes, I know her through a mutual friend. I don’t know what arrangements they made but that was the extent of my involvement.
“Because I had heard so many different stories about her, about her not paying people and about her being involved in the work that people do for her, I told him to leave it alone and not get involved with the lady. Now what he did after that was up to him.
“She always makes herself out to be the victim with everybody that works for her, and she ends up owing people. Her estranged husband is a friend of mine and that’s how the connection with Marshall was made. There was a meeting with Mrs. Hunt and Marshall, and he [Marshall – Ed.] raised some concerns to me. I said that’s an indication you are going to have problems. From that point I washed my hands of it.
“It’s absurd that she is mentioning my name in her arrangements when she knows I had nothing to do with it. She knows I did not want him to have any involvement with her.”
Forsythe said Marshall is in the Bahamas. A recorded message says his phone is not in use.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/89858-property-owner-says-she-was-duped-by-building-contractors
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