Elderly lady evicted

YESTERDAY was a sad day for an elderly woman who was evicted from the home where she lived for 48 years.

A distraught 74-year-old Luenda Agatha Mckree, of Tichbourne, Howell’s Cross Road, St Michael, was forced to help pack up her personal possessions and watch them being towed away, after court marshals knocked on her doors just after 6 a.m. with an eviction order.

The elderly woman was thrown into that situation after a close relative defaulted on a loan taken out on her property.

Taking a brief moment away from packing her possessions into garbage bags, an emotional Mckree, who struggled to keep the tears from falling, told The Barbados Advocate that it was a painful ordeal, but “I have to be strong”.

The mother of one child, who is currently overseas, said she is doing all that is possible to get back her home, including calling on “someone I know” to help her pay the significant amount owed to the bank.

“I would like to get back my home. I am working on it right now. There is no place like home. I’ve got faith,” McKree said in a strong voice, as she stood in the patio of the wall structure.

She headed back into the house to continue her packing.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Assistance Board (NAB), Dr David Durant, who was on location, told members of the media that the Board, which found out about matter only on Monday, had already made arrangements to relocate Mckree, as well as to secure her belongings.

“With that I decided to come here last night [Monday night] and I spoke with the old lady, Ms Luenda Mckree, and prepare her for today, so that this morning wouldn’t shock her. I told her to just relax, let the marshals do what they have to do because they have been given a court order, and there is nothing we can change.

“Time was asked for already, so I couldn’t ask for any more time, and we will try to make sure we relocate her so that at least she can have somewhere to rest herself after this,” he said.

“It was heart breaking to see this happen again to an elderly person. But of course, it is a family matter and there is nothing else we can do about it, but to provide help for this elderly lady, and that is what we have prepared. We have rented a container to make sure all her possessions don’t go to the dump, because that’s what they will do – carry them to do the dump and just dump them. We still would like her to have something of sentimental value,” he added.

Another wall structure is also located on the property.

A credible source explained to The Barbados Advocate that Mckree’s relative “took out a loan on the property to go and study, and the bank decided to repossess the property because they were not getting back their money”.

The source also said that the family member was aware of what was taking place, including the fact that she was going to be evicted.

The Barbados Advocate’s investigations also revealed that the matter went to court in 2014.

Dr Durant also stressed that Mckree’s reality is one that a number of elderly folks have had to face over the years.

“Unfortunately, these things are done within families and I guess they didn’t think of the consequences that can follow. So the bank wants the place and of course they would have made the representation in the courts, and of course that order was given. I read the order so I know it’s legit, so here we are,” Dr Durant said.

The court marshals present treated Mckree with respect and appeared to be understanding and accommodating.
(AH)