More than a decade ago, Judy Wilkinson paid the National Housing Corporation (NHC) a deposit of $3 581.18 to secure a plot of land at Blackman’s, St Joseph. However, she never received the land or her deposit back.
An upset Wilkinson told the Nation team she was frustrated calling the NHC and going to its Country Road, St Michael offices, only to be turned away each time.
She recalled that she and her then husband had applied for the land, but after her divorce she consented to proceed with the transaction on her own.
“They run me down to pay the security deposit and I went to my credit union and got a loan for the security deposit,” she said, as she produced the receipt which she received from the NHC when she paid in the money in 2013.
Wilkinson said she then applied to a bank for $35 000 to purchase the 7 162 square foot property.
“The bank was supposed to release the money to NHC when the sale was completed and NHC’s lawyer was supposed to be working with the lawyer from the bank on that,” she explained.
However, Wilkinson said as the years rolled by, her attorney tried to find out from NHC what was going on with the sale of the land but to no avail.
She said she paid off the loan to the credit union and even built downstairs at her mother’s home, when she realised that NHC was simply taking too long with handing over the property.
Several years later, she checked back with her bank and was told that the NHC had taken too long to complete the transaction.
“I paid back the loan to the credit union. The bank took back up the money because they said NHC was taking too long and I was forced to build downstairs at my mother,” Wilkinson said.
It was then that she requested a return of her deposit.
“I keep going down there and they turn me around and around. Every time I leave in there I felt more and more embarrassed,” she said.
“They told me they will refund me my money. They ask me for my TAMIS number and I gave it. Then I went back to them and they said they cannot find anything pertaining to my name in the system and to bring back the documents. I took back in the documents and gave them my TAMIS number again. I keep calling and calling and going to them and all they telling me is when they ready, they will call me.”
When contacted on Thursday, NHC general manager Ian Gill carried out a check and later informed this newspaper that Wilkinson could collect her cheque today.
It’s saddening but that’s the world that we are living in today.
Once people get money from your hands, it’s quite difficult to get the money back.
Even-though the intended services weren’t performed.
It seems as though this kind of practice is not limited to Barbados it’s all over.
Given the complaints I get from friends.
Glad you got back your money even though it came late.
I am still waiting on my money; from a lawyer.
Dreams are all I am contemplating.
It is really bad here in Barbados, when anyone gets your money for something there suppose to be doing for you it’s hard work getting it back and if an lawyer gets his or her hands on your money it will be a massive problem for you, trust me
Seeing that the NHC had her money on their books for the 10+ years, would the refund come with and interest added on to the original figure…
She was due interest for all this time.
I’m sure she had to pay interest on the loan, she took out to get the money.