Windsor Estates residents at odds with developer
Some of the homeowners locked outside the compound with their vehicles
Some of the homeowners locked outside the compound with their vehicles

– Several persons locked out over payment dispute

HOMEOWNERS of the upscale residential community of Windsor Estates are contemplating legal action against the developer for what they deem as a gross breach of contract and on Thursday they staged a protest at the main entrance of the gated community after they were locked out for refusing to pay their monthly maintenance fee.

David and Marva Parker, retirees, who were among those protesting, said they were among the first set of persons to move into Windsor Estates in 2014, at the time when it was still under construction. They said the Windsor contract which was shown to the Guyana Chronicle, required them to pay a $10,000 maintenance fee per month after all amenities, which included swimming pool, basketball court, street lights, adequate security among other benefits, were installed. This fee was to be paid for two years with room for an increase after such time.

They said despite many of the amenities, such as the pool, and “proper” security not being in place, they decided to pay the $10,000 in “good faith”. It was only six months after that, that the couple said the Estates’ administration demanded an over 30 percent increase in the maintenance fee, while informing residents of an impending increase of five percent per annum over a five-year period. The administration had also demanded that these new increases be paid at a US rate of G$216 to every dollar.

Disagreeing with the new order of the Estates, Mrs Parker said she, in October of last year, calculated the increased maintenance sum at the going US rate which was G$202 at the time and paid the fee. She said her cheque was refused.
The woman said when her family tried to access her home through the main gate Wednesday, the electronic card was deactivated, and advice was given to use the unpaved, mud road aback the facility.

Another resident, Olive Sinclair, said while she paid the arbitrary increase her electronic card was deactivated because she helped one of the locked-out neighbours to get into the compound. “I couldn’t stand there and do nothing, seeing policemen and three of them from the (admin) office preventing this woman from entering to go to her home.”
Another resident told this newspaper that three arbitrary increases have been demanded from the residents which moved from over $14,000, to almost $16,000 then a compounded increase over five years.

He said that while residents must pay these increases, the conditions under the contract have not been met. The man said apart from other issues in his home he expended almost $350,000 to fix two faulty toilets in his home and was given no indication of reimbursement.
Mrs Parker took reporters to her home and showed them a number of faults including leaks through walls and roof, poor tile work, cracking walls and the use of inferior material that has caused deterioration and had to be replaced. Mrs Sinclair said after paying over $20M for her property the problems with the house are endless.
Apart from that, the Parkers explained that the “top notch” security the Estates boasted of failed to protect her home or provide any useful information that could have assisted in finding the person(s) who broke into her home, stealing money and jewellery belonging to her family on Mashramani Day. In November of last year, residents said nine vehicles were broken into and the “state-of-the-art security system” had no clear footage of the perpetrators.

Windsor Estates developer Danny Sawh told the Guyana Chronicle that all fees to be paid were disclosed to homeowners via their association. He said as it relates to maintenance the company is subsidising some 30 to 35 percent of the cost.
The maintenance cost, he said, covers 24 hours armed security, landscaping, street lights among other things. “There are many other small things we pay for that’s really not our responsibility. As a developer, we build and we turn it over to homeowners.” As it relates to the US rate demand, Sawh said Windsor is a US company and all supplies come from abroad.

“All our supplies come from the US so we usually use the US rate. US dollars have to be bought every few weeks to purchase materials from the US,” he said.

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