Fenton Telemacque, the man who since 2004 had been locked in a bitter land dispute with the government of Dominica, has won his case at the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, which is presently meeting in Dominica.
He is to be awarded compensation in excess of EC$749,000.
The government of Dominica had acquired 4.3 acres in the Melville Hall area, owned by Telemacque, to use as a car park for the development of the airport expansion project and had valued the land at EC$260,000. The property also had a “Pro Farm project” on it.
However, an independent valuation was done by Clement Fingal, who placed the value of land at over EC$749,000.
That figure was rejected by a board of assessment with no reason(s) and the value was placed at EC$225,000 instead.
The matter was subsequently taken to court.
At the hearing the judges questioned the board’s rejection of Fingal’s valuation as well as that of the government, with “no reason (s) given.”
“We are at a loss to see the reasons behind what the board did. They have rejected both valuations given, adopted their own and gave no reasons for that,” the court stated.
After a very lengthy argument from Gildon Richards, who represented Telemacque, the court agreed that the board had “departed from the principles in land valuation in the area” and so ruled that the valuation of Fingal was “just and proper” and awarded him compensation in excess of EC$749,000 for his land and property.
Tameka Hyacinth, who represented the state in the matter, also conceded that “there were major errors in the valuation.”
Land appreciates not depreciates.
Congratulations Mr. Richards and Mr Telemacque. After all that suffering, He should have been awarded $1million. Also to the person who said he bought it for $20,000.00 at least it was valued at the time and he paid for it. He did not steal it. He further developed the farm. Do you know that he would have earned millions from his prawn farm. Wait to see how much money all the lands owned by the big boys will be sold for in 20 years time. Don’t pick on the poor man. And by the way I do not even know him. I just heard his plight.
Mr.Telemaque has not been paid for his land,yet the Government has the AUDACITY to ask the man’s children to pay for parking when they pull up at Melville Hall. Tell me something: If you were Mr. Telemaque’s children, would you pay to park on your father’s property? SMH!!. Anyway,Congratulations Mr. Telemaque. I don’t know you but I’ve heard the whole story on q95FM. I’ve heard your pleas and cries many Tuesday mornings and I must say that I admire you for standing your ground.I applaud you for believing in your self and not giving up when 96% of the nation thought that were fighting a losing battle. Mr. Telemaque, we should all learn a lesson from you. I am hoping and praying that you get your cheque signed and delivered to you very shortly because God knows you deserve every penny of it and more. The government should find it in their hearts to pay all lawyer and transportation fees which accrued over the 9 years. You deserve millions for all the pain and suffering you endured at the hands of the government. Fenton , you are a very patient man and kudos to you and Mr. Gildon Richards. I give you an A+ for PERSEVERANCE.
am happy for u mr t
Our GOVT is trying to steal from its own farmers and citizens in broad day light.
Now I understand what ” We are too Free” meant when it was uttered my our GOVT.
Mr. Telemacque, I am elated and estatically happy about your victory in the courts. This is good, this is very good indeed. The value of your property with all its infrastructure was worth the amount on the settlement and more, but being in such a prime area, next to an airport the value should have been closer to $1m. But well done. This is really great!!!!!!!
DNO, please depict when he is finally holding the cheque…
Justice has finally been served to Mr. Telemacque who lost his investment of his viable Prawn Farm. He should now sue for the loss of income due to him because of the loss of his prawns.
You see the nonsense we as Dominicans have to put up with this nonsense Government. Well done, Mr. Telemac for standing for ur right and not accepting the petance they were offering you for ur property. shame,shame,shame…..
Telemacque bought the land from the Government of Dominica for less than $20,000 EC. Far less. Then taxpayers are to pay him three quarters of a million dollars for it a few years later.
That mean the man is good to increase the value of the land that much. Pay him for his hard work!
Is it his fault that the value of the land increased primarily as a result of its location and the years past?
Question for you! Would you sell it for 20000? I think the court should award him an extra quater million for his time the Gov waste…
@anonymous – you know he bought the land for 20,000 because u purchased it along with him or did you loan him the money for it? What does it matter how much the land was paid for. He had a profitable business on that land. His earnings would have succeeded the amount offered to him. You think Fenton Telemaque is a stupid man. Think again. That’s why he held out. In the years to come the government is going to make back 100 times what they have to pay to him. WORDS TO LIVE BY-IF YOU DONT STAND FOR SOMETHING YOU FALL FOR ANYTHING.
For years this man fought what is rightfully his. You have no idea how he acquired his land. His blood sweat and tears that went into owning his land and business. He rallied for Labourites, look what they turn around and do to their own people.
Listen when Skerrit was using Tax payers money to charter planes to Dominica during election time to win votes, where was your voice on the matter?
That is if you paying taxes yourself. Too many of you people living overseas and like to be involved in Dominica issues, like you have contributing to Dominica.
What about the money he spent to build up his prawn farm wasn’t he to be compensated for that too. If it was your land the government run you off when you had no other home to go to with your family would you feel good about it? Let Fenton Telemaque be cause after all the years of suffering he deserved justice
FINALLY!!!!!! I had, to talk the truth, almost given up. I feel soooo happy for you Mr. Fenton and i ask them not to treat this issue as they did that with Mrs. Theodore of Calibishe. God is really good
Gildon had to work hard on that case both he and Fenton are from Wesley.IT would have been a shame not being able to represent this aging gentle man.
i think its fear that the land owner should get paid for his land use for an airport development which is worth it. I also think that if the government has to paid that money to improve parking at our airport, the government then should charge a fee for parking.its done in every airport.
@Lenpro50: Don’t you know that a fee is already being charged for parking?
Happty for you brother,lets see what the bloodsucker will have to say now, justice was served.
I am elated for Fenton. It was heartbreaking to hear this man crying for what is rightfully his own and I hope this payment is ordered immediately, without any further delay to frustrate the man. The former President got paid within days for his land, yet a man who was independent has been stripped off his land and way of survival and dragged through the mud for no reason. It has to end. Don’t care which party, pay the man and move on.
Don’t rejoice too quickly. The Government is in contempt of Court for refusing to pay Jacqueline Theodore.
DNO call Mrs. Theodore to find out what is the situation with her compensation.
Valley people just look out on how they will want to take your land for the Geo project!
Safe money for the lawyers now!
Hi folks what happen to all you when ordinary persons steal one another land how comes none of you will rise uup and say he or she should not do that, but once it is about the gov everyone is up in arms.
Why can’t we as a nation work with what we got.
Come on let us be civil and leave well alone.
Do any of you think the Island will magically change with a new gov only time will tell.
Dam coolomono all you be
This administration too despicable. Did they not agree to sell Public Works garage for less to Chinese people than the $7.5 million it was valued at by their own valuation officer? Go and ask Timothy if that is not true.
Those that talking about tax payers money paying tax? Every month I pay close to $900 in income tax alone. What I get in my hand goes to paying VAT on phone, lights, food and clothes for my kids. I doh mind the man get his money even if is my money that paying for it. Better him that those wicked people. He needs to go ahead and make another claim in court- compensation for all those years of mizeh (misery). Better my tax money pay for good than to get Dominicans leaving overseas in luxury to come home to vote for labour and then go back and leave us in this mess.
pay the man his layers fee and interst on the the award, NOW!
I feel good today, this is not Cuba or China this is DA, not owned by no man, so here’s why today is a happy day for me, justice was served Finally, for mr Fenton Telemaque.
what about the interest that should be attached for the eight years 7 percent.
praise god
you avery strong after all does years u finally done it
Mr. Telemacque, I am happy for you Sir, those people are too wicked their aim is to oppress the people more so when one dose not sing their song, but they will promote their choir boys even when they steal the state’s money
Sell the State Palace Now. Give the man his money Now. Nine years! They were waiting for him to die, man. Give the man double the amount of money now.
And to the active queer blogger under the pen name Justice and Truth, I know that you are damn mad that Justice has been served. Ha, ha.
Why should He be mad ? He should change His pen name. i believe Justice was served!
A Pen name like “obstruction to Justice would be more appropriate for Him
Once money is involved, they won’t let it go. It like they alone should have.
Thank God! The wheels of justice is beginning to turn in the right direction. The evildoers can only do so much for so long. Sooner or later, righteous must prevail and the evil ones shall fail…
I can vividly remember mr telemacque working purposefully on his prawn farm. That man use to work so hard on his project. he had an Agriculture officer name Potter Bruno who was very dedicated to seeing Mr Telemacque succeed. Mr. Telemacque I KNOW was a LABOURITE. And when he made that decision to allow the Government to use that portion of land he honestly thought he would have been given a fair deal by HIS GOVERNMENT and that he would have been able to recommence his prawn project some other location. But he was in for a surprise the same government that he so dearly loved and supported made him reach to the lowest of lows. That man lost his house because he could no longer service his mortgage. The man was basically stripped of his dignity. Can you imagine having your big concrete house and e brought to the point where you literally have to live in a shed? What I admired most about mr. telemacque is that he NEVER gave up. He believed he was unfairly treated and he persisted in his journey to seek redress. He also surrounded himself with intelligent men such as Mr. Whitnel Louis, Delauney, Randy Aaron, and of course Q95 gave him the avenue to publicly tell his story. A WORD TO THE WISE … THIS GOVERNMENT EATS ITS OWN CHILDREN. tO THOSE OF YOU WHO THINK THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE A SUPPORTER YOU WONT BE VICTIMIZE THINK AGAIN!!!
Think again because it is true just look at who is the President an eater of Labourites.You have to be a Skeritite and You must not lapse in Your worship to the Master lest You be smitten!
I think you made a mistake Mr Telemacque could have been a labourite long ago but to this day Mr Telemacque is a UWPite. Thanks Mr James man of business.
i support the motion. well said. well said
That is very true. As a skerritite you are there to be used and abused and then discarded when there is no longer any use for you. I do not know where the labor party I grew to know and love has vanished to. ‘All shall eat’ is but a memory.
Congrats to Mr. telemacque for sticking it out. Here is an excelent example of stying the course when you know that you are right. an interesting note though. Isn’t it the same court system we love to take down that ruled in favor of Mr. Telemacque? isn’t it the same judges? Did we not say that poor people does not get justice from the court and that Mr. Skerrit has bought all the judges? How interesting the same court is coming in for much praise today.
Why did it take 9 years? There was a rat, but it got killed by divine intevention.
OMG Finally.Justice is Served!!!!!!
The only comment I have is that, “Telemaque” has no “c” in the spelling; unfortunately some people for reasons known only to them write it with the c, believing that it helps in the pronunciation of the name, word,or what have you.
Nevertheless, Telemaque is distinctly French, therefore the “que” is silent, hence Telemaq, indeed pronounced Telemaque.
Then word can only be written two ways: Te’le’maque, or Telemaque, in all French countries, it is written with the accent, as I demonstrated, in the Caribbean and Britain it is written without the accent.
In Denmark, and places such as Haiti, the uneducated in some cases writes it thus Thelemaque. In any event Fenton boy, you suffered for quite a while, if you collect, spend it wisely.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
If the silence belong in “que” how can it be pronounced “Telemaq” because the “q” is still heard in the pronunciation?
However since you are Telemaque, yourself, you should know the correct spelling–spell check does not accept “Telemacque”; before I post there is a red line under that word–the correction gives me “Telemaque”
Elizabeth, I am not fluent in French, all I am aware is that, when I ever I find myself in a place where people speaks, French, fluent in French, and they see “Telemaq” on my car registration plate, they usually call me out by my surname Telemaque. If you try to Spell check Telemaq’ in deed if you are using any other dictionary besides a French language dictionary; I doubt it will accept it as correct.
Do not worry about it any to each his own, I know the correct way to both write and spell it, and that is what matters.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Unadulterated moron.
chuups.
Francisco,you can’t even speak English yourself, yet you want to give history on a surname? your make-belief points are very invalid!
@ Dods Telemaque, what kind of person are u? Fenton is your family and it is a damn shame that out of so many things to write,and when 98%of the Dominican people are on Fenton Telemaque’s side, for u to write your nonsense about how name should be spelled, shame on u the story is about a man that has been badly treated by a government he once supported,if u cannot support the cause step aside and shut up, and let the people who cares about the oppressed speak. Mr Richards thanks for a job well done, better long than never,stay on top of things the case it is not over till it’s over! I have a case in DA and like obstinate would say,”ar coming down to talk to you”.
Leroy, what else can I say?
I am happy that the ruling came in Fenton’s favor, and at his age, perhaps he should use that money wisely, and enjoy life. Remember his younger brother Terry passed on already, he should enjoy that money whiles he is alive. Now some people burning me up I guess because I noted that all those people who are adding an “C” to our name, just do not know the correct spelling.
It is French, and the correct way to spell the word is as I wrote it.
Look, my name Telemaque, is written on all of my cars registration plates, in shortened form, on one in particular, it is written thus “Telemaq”. You will be surprised to not that I was in Quebec Canada, where someone I do not know called me by my name Telemaque; she knew my name by simply reading it of my Registration plate.
Last week here in Los Angeles, I went to Mariana Delrae, the same thing happened, now these people are fluent in French, so they have no problem with the pronunciation.
So what is the problem, I suppose if I was talking about Skerrit, and the government, and how they robbed Fenton, everybody would be happy.
Well, where it pertains to me, there is a time and place for everything; when I have the cause to level the government with criticisms, I do it, this however is not the time. And as for that Wesley, who said I (doh no) how to speak English, I have one thing to say to you, something you hear in Wesley everyday, and that is “you too fool eh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
I am the one and only king of Wesley, king of the red clay, that red mud!
I hope all of you the rum drinkers, from Marigot, and Wesley refrain from influencing Fenton from spending all his money buying rum to fill your rum drinking belly.
And I doh care about dem thumbs down eh!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Thank God I took some courses in Psychology. I know one when I see one….. Not taking his meds…
Francisco you are a Tele Macaque not a Telemaque. I don’t know you and have no intention to know you. I can only imagine that you are not a likeable person – people may gravitate to you but will move away from you in a jiffy. You are conceited , self righteous, condescending – in other words you are a jerk , a lunatic who thinks that the world evolve and revolve around you.
Shoo Shoo fly doh bodah us with you self glorification
I am just happy my uncle Fenton finally won his case. I can only imagine the smile on his face due to his victory. I only wish my dad TERRY TELEMAQUE was there to share that moment with him. I know he would have also been proud of his brother. With that being said, “How long will the government wait to pay my uncle.” Does he have to wait another 9 years? I mean this is just ridiculous. How can the government illegal take someone’s property and try to offer them a defaced value amount of what they think it’s worth. Any property that’s close to Airport is High Valued. For Years I have listened to my Uncle rant and rave of how injustice these people are, not just what you hear on the radio. And in true Telemaque form he showed them he will not put up with bullshit no matter how long it took them to realize that. Not to mention is Telemaque you dealing with so we can stand our ground for a lifetime. I am still learning from my uncle how to be a better and stronger person. And sticking to what you think is right. I really can’t stress how happy I am for Uncle Fenton, He deserved this win.
@Dodds Telemaque- Obviously you know nothing about my uncle Fenton- NO one can persuade my uncle to do anything. And if you think he can actually be fooled by all the people flocking towards him now because he won a large sum of money, I am sure he hasn’t forgotten all the people who doubted him, and thought his case was a lost cause. You also mentioned my Father Terry Telemaque, well if you know of my dad, know that him and his brother cut from the same cloth (same mother and father)and even talk, and walk just alike, they have the same way of thinking, so food for thought, DO you think Terry would spend out his money on Marigot and Wesley people doing something senseless as buying rum? No, so neither would my Uncle.
FYI- who cares how Telemaque is spelled, we are all one family and we should just be celebrating this win.
Santa clause: Ho Ho Ho merry Christmas!!!!!
So in essence the government of Dominica was trying to rob a poor national of $524, 000.00? I wonder if they were planning to share that amongst themselves or use it to pay people to vote. Where these guys are concerned you always have to ask questions like we did with the garbage bin bobol.
I would love to evaluate the properties of Mr. Austrie. I seem to remember Him making the claim that The land was overvalued.
let us see how long they will take to pay him….
Mr. Telemaque, I do not know you,but justice is justice and must prevail.Jst make sure you put things in place so that in the event anything happens to you,Your offspring?family will get what is due to you.
I am happy that our tax dollars are being spent on over valued land. I wish more people would sue and get paid like this.
You people Laborites are despicable. Georgetown land was given to supporting the labor Party for next to nothing and those came back and sold the land for plenty fry chicken money. You want to talk about the others whogot the Georgetown land for next to nothing sothey can come back and sell the land for mucho dinero.
The man had a good aquatic farm business on his land and yet they want to give the man peanut change for his land.
The politically motivated victimization by this Labor Party administration is unprecedented in Dominica.
Now you talking about tax payer dollars- what about the tax payer dollars that have been used for buying votes – the tax payer dollars given out to strong viable red clinic patients and cousins of supremo.
YOU NEED TO SHUT UP!!! I’M GUARANTEED THAT YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE A JOB FAR LESS TO PAY TAXES.HOWEVER,JUST IN CASE YOU DO HAVE A JOB,MAYBE YOU SHOULD GIVE THE GOVERNMENT YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER SO THEY CAN GET THE MONEY TO PAY MR TELEMAQUE. THE FACT IS,ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, MR TELEMAQUE DESERVES TO BE PAID EVERY LAST CENT.
well said
This comment was actually meant for “Weather Channel”
This comment was meant to be for “weather channel”
@ Weather Channel, this situation has gone way past land, it is about the stress and frustration that was deposited on mr. Fenton’s account instead of the money that was due to him.
Mr. Telecmaque, I do not know you but I have heard you pleas on the radio and the ridicule dished out to you by members of this wicked and vindictive government. Only they should have and they have the right to deny poor people the real value of their property. I am happy that you have received justice and I do hope that they will pay you your money.
Garçon Gildon what about exemplary damages, in addition to actual damages, that which suppose to compensate d plaintiff for the losses suffered due to the harm caused by dem pardners dat try to rob d man from his land.
Finally well deserved justice, so happy for a hard working man as Mr.Fenton, it’s not even that your lawyers may have been the best but the government has been so unfair there was no other way this matter could be solved along with fervent prayers.
I am also concerned that this same people in authourity will ensure that they pay to you the settled amount and not leave you on hold as the Calibishie lady or further wait when they get out of power so your party would have to bear the burden of paying you? Just be reminded the same prayers will be lifted that you will actually receive what belongs to you.
Just so happy for a poor struggleing Man/Farmer
Great job Mr Gildon Richards. you have always been representing the oppressed with such passion, may the good LORD continue to protect you and let his light shine upon you. I pray that the government settle this poor man promptly without any delays. He have suffered enough.
Mr. Richards you have always shown your self as a prudent and humble person never boastful or quick to impress the public via the local media houses like some other attorneys, your hard work always pay off, let your wisdom prevail, I applaud you.
DNO, pls proofread and edit this news item. Three times I have read, still I am yet to understand how Mr Telemacque is related to this matter. No, I have no prior knowledge and the contents of your news item are broken to the point that now I’m like this:
You must be smoking some bad weed or drinking some really cheap moonshine.
I made my 8 year old son read the story and he understood it and even asked why it took so long for Fenton to get ‘paid.’
U must be smoking more cause DNO failed to state that Fenton Telemacque owned land which the government borrowed/ leased/ purchased until my comment. ADMIN don’t leave me feeling like a fool here, own up! The nerve of you ppl to always jump forward in the most negative way…tsk tsk tsk!
Second paragraph, edited after my comment, “owned by Telemacque”…thanks for the quick action DNO.
I wonder if Mr. “Bend Over” read the article before it was edited? Seems to me he is the one puffing the bad weed and drinking cheap ‘zayeed’
I observed that too…but it’s corrected now.
Just the fact that they come back with a 225k offer shows the shear arrogance of the dca government the holier than thou attitude. Spitting on the people. When we do not hold government accountable they do what they want. Good job Fenton. Many others out there. Make them pay. Too bad he had to pay lawyer.
I am very happy for you. You were really a man of great patience. Just like Obama was going after Al-Queda ,so too you must go after Skeritt and the Labor Government. Don’t except any excuses, them fellers are bathing in money, pay up or get out.
An administration that attempts to steals from its citizens.
Rejecting the evaluation of an independent evaluator for no reason in an attempt to steal $564,000.00 from the man. What kind of administration uses the state machinery to steal from its citizens? The administration used institutions of the state to steal money in the bin bo-bol and others,and was forced to pay it back. Look at what it is doing now. It steals from the state and it foiled in this attempt to steal from an individual. Let us see if it will utilize state funds to appeal to a judgement in an attempt to enforce the attempt to steal…Despicable!!!Contemptible!!!Corrupt!!!
I hope Skerrit pay the man his money now. Too much nonesense going on in this place. Skerrit can just take the man land and not want to pay him for it.
That’s one thing I like about Dominica, though the outcome of a case like that is not guaranteed, the government is not stronger that the people. That’s how it should be everywhere. Tyranny occurs when the people have no recourse against their government.
We live in a country where our Govt is our biggest enemy
they take people land and refuse to give proper value
I do hope the Govt. is not so vindictive as to appeal this decision at the highest court but pay the man, with interest and costs. Justice has been served. Amen
I hope he doesn’t have to wait another 9 years to get his money
We stil belive in a place called ‘Dominica’. I am happy for you Mr. Telemacque…….
I hope Mr. Telemaque doesn’t have to go back to court to get payment.
Please pay the man his money. You took his land.
On another note the Court should know that in Dominica the “no reasons given” means politics!!
If he was a Labourite they would have paid him his money long time.
He was a strong labourite, just shows how wicked these people are. I bet their plan was to pocket the difference between the valuation and what the offered, then put it through the state books as if they paid him the full valuation.
yes he won but is that Government going to pay him you know them
The greedies, THE INCOMPETENT ONES wanted the man land for nothing.
SO HAPPY THAT HE WON HSI CASE.
Pay the man his darn money.
All you finding money to waste on all kind of things, but you all cannot pay a man for his property?
WELL DONE GILDON!
Congrats to both Mr. Telemacque and Mr. Richards
Victory for the littleman….justice is sweet
I’m so happy for Mr Telemacque. But why so long for a person to get justice. Alas poor Dominica when it’s government can wage war on its own citizens.
Pay the man his money u all will make it back in parking fee’s,some might say the man is greedy but if the man don’t see it fit to lend a hand for progress that’s on him so leave the man alone.
I think He should get more for all the years of loss of use He had a prawn farm there .let us be fair!
He is not greedy, that is his land. Government cannot just take people’s land/property for less than FACE VALUE, just because they are Government.
“To lend a hand for progress”? All of you in Portsmouth fighting to get free land from government, why don’t you all give up the claim in Portsmouth for progress, the PM says he wants it for progress but you fighting him! Now you want a man to give up his family land for free and you call that progress! You Dominicans must be insane!
@ truth be told but they did with the deal that’s in place is they get a few acres and a few stays with the Government for call centers and what ever else so what’s your point.
That real possie man is proof how labourites stay yeh………..wicked
To God be the Glory Great things he has done!!
We need patience to see the manifestation of our Almighty Father to work in our favour.
With God all things are possible. He is the master. He is the King. Absolutely no man ! No man at all is greater than our Lord God ( our father).
Thank You Jesus for your miracles!!
god is not sleeping
That is one of my favorite phrases.
I have never slept, and will never sleep. I’m not like humans who sleep.