My name is Rosalind Brown, my story:
St Maarten is located in the Caribbean’s, where you go to play when the weather is cold in the other part of the world.
You can fall in Love with it, when you see the beautiful beaches and the turquoise waters, a play ground for the Rich and Famous!
I first when to St Maarten in December 1999 on a vacation, I dreamed of a place like this. When I first got there I felt like I had been there already.
In June 2000, I came back to St Maarten to purchase a property to build a villa to open up a Bed and Breakfast. I found a location in the Pelican Keys Resort area. I when to Tendal Rea Estate NV to buy it, they where the agent of the seller. I am a Realtor and Developer, so I negotiated the terms with the seller.
We agreed in 2001, on me paying half down and White Stone NV would finance the other half for two years. In June17, 2002 we signed the deed at Schapman Notary. I paid the loan off in 2004 and when to Schapman Notary to get my business license and the VORMI department to get my building permit.
Millicent De Weever
6/11/04
To: rosalind brown
Good Morning Rosalind, The deed was signed yesterday. White Stone was repaid. Regards Millie —–Original Message
In June of 2005 I came back to St Maarten to start to excavate the land, little did I know that White Stone NV had changed the lot from 15 to 12 lots; without my knowledge nor consent. My neighbor Alwani’s bought the 4 lots behind me in 2004, came by to stop me from building. They told me that I was billing on part of their land, than I told them that was not so.
I when to one of the owners of Tendal Real Estate, Leroy De Weever to inquire about the land problem with the Alwani’s. Leroy De Weever sent me to Smitco NV, the representative of White Stone NV, which gave me a plot map of the development. I then when to the Kadaster Office to ask how did the change happen, they told me that the owner of White Stone NV, Mr. Mardino change it in January 2002.
I then when to the VORMI department and ask, if they did knew of any changes; they said it was never submitted to them at all. (VROMI is the planning department of St Maarten). I was given the run around from everyone in involved.
The Alwani’s owner of Little Europe, decided to come back and fence my property in illegally; to stop me from building. I had to get a lawyer to do a stop order to prevent their actions. I hire Mr. Classen from, Roeland Zwanikken and Snow law office. When to court, the judge ask all parties to meet at the property.
Mr. Classen nor anyone from his law office of Roeland Zwanikken and Snow, came to meet the judge, the judge ruled in the favor of the Alwani’s.
The Alwani’s came back and bricked the road that leads to my property and across my parking lot so no could have access to my villa, including me. I torn the first wall down an they tried to have me arrested illegally.
(See news paper article from SXM news)
Pelican:- An African American single woman is seeing living hell as she tries to open a business in Pelican Keys. The woman who visited SMN News after she spent one whole day at the Phillipsburg police station brought along stacks of paper work which showed at a prominent real estate company seemingly defrauded her.
Rosalind Brown first visited St. Maarten in the year 2000 and just fell in love with the island and decided it was the ideal place where she can open a the “Lovers Inn” a place that would cater to honeymooners. The woman did all that she thought was necessary when she invested some $115,000 to buy a parcel of land. She used the documents the real estate provided to her and obtained her building permit, as well as her business N.V. and three bank loans to build a 7-room villas, which is complete and ready for her to go into business.
Surprisingly, what looked good on paper and was accepted by Government was never submitted to the Kadaster office until years after.
Brown explained that the only reason she found out that this was not done is after she went to the office that issues certificates of measurement to see if she was the one breaking the law or if it was the Indian neighbors who decided they will make life a living hell for her. “It was only then I was shown the real site map which showed that the land I bought was sold to more than one person and that my neighbors feel that they have more right than I do because they are well known business people on St. Maarten she said.
The woman said that she called police seeking assistance after her neighbors are bent putting up a high concrete wall to block her in “the police never came as they told me the case is a civil matter and police cannot interfere, but those very police came to lock me up when I broke the damn wall down, she said, I am not intending to sit in the back of the bus, Rosa Parks did not so why should I she asked? It is not because I am surrounded by white people or people that have money that I should allow anyone including the law to trample on me” she told SMN News.
Brown further explained that she has met with the island Lt. Governor Franklin Richards and Shara Wescot Williams, almost everyone she was sent to seeking help to stop the injustice taken against single a black woman, but no one she said is helping her.
The woman explained that a particular law firm even indulged her when she went to hire their services while they are the ones representing her neighbors, something she did not know and the law firm did not disclose it to her, even worst is that her first lawyer who was handling the case just left the island without representing her or refunding her monies. “it is amazing what takes place on this island she said, there is no honesty on St. Maarten, everything is about money and color” she said.
The only person that actually listened to me and saw what has happened to me is Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein who refused to jail her even though she took the law in her own hands when she broke down the walls that are being placed up by a bold Indian that runs Little Europe Store “Anwani told me he is going to brick my a—in and no one will do him nothing, something that he did and to date no one has stepped in to stop him, I have no access to my property and I cannot conduct my business to which I have three loans to pay she said.
Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein in an invited comment told SMN News that Brown’s case is indeed a civil case and that he advised her to have her lawyer draft up a letter and sent it to his office so that he can conduct a proper investigation as he believes that the woman who means well was defrauded by the real estate company.
I found out later in November 7, 2006 that the Law office of Roeland Zwanikken and Snow also represented the Alwani’s, to my surprise via email from Mr. Classen. “By the way a colleague of mine will have a meeting with the Alwanis for another matter. He will tentatively address your issue as well in order to find out whether they will be willing to cooperate this time. I’ll let you know the outcome of course.”
“Stating that a colleague is working with the Alwani’s would ask the Alwani’s to allow me to continue to build my villa, until the judgment for the land issue was resolved. I had opened a case against White Stone NV by then.
I received a letter on August 26, 2006, from the Kadaster office stating that Mr. Robert Glick from Tendal Real Estate had put a deposit down of $750.00 guilders and the rest have never been pay. To this day September 6, 2013 the money still have not been paid, the Notary which did my deed nor the Real Estate company did not paid for this, which make it easy for the owner of White Stone NV, Mr. Mardino to supersede my deed in 2004 to sell part of my land to two other people, Mr and Mrs Landio friends of Mr. Mardino and the Alwani’s owner of Little Europe Jewelry Store in Philsburg, St Maarten.
It have been 8 long years and the damage part of the case was decided on July 23, 2013. On June 12, 2013 the Judge D M Thierry requested that all parties appear at the property Lover’s End Villa in Pelican Keys, or they would forfeit their claim. Mr. Mardino did not show up and the Judge D M Thierry ask me what did I want, I ask him for damages for the 8 years of me having no income from my business. I then get a letter via email from Ms. Westra an associate from Blome Law Office. Stating that the Judge D M Thierry ruled in the favor of White Stone. The court system in St Maarten is a disgrace and ashame and should be investiagated, by the Dutch Represenative.