Sleep-In owner accused of harassing elderly blind man for property

Clifton Bacchus, the owner of Sleep-In Hotel, is being accused of forcing a 91-year-old visually impaired

Home Owner Joshua Hector

man to sell his Hadfield Street property for $30M. According to Joshua Hector, 91, he has lived in the same property since 1974 with his wife and children, but five years ago things took a turn for the worse when Bacchus began actively pressuring him to sell his property. Hector said that two close relatives tried to sell the property to Bacchus without his knowledge but did not succeed. When contacted, Bacchus, the owner of Sleep-In Hotel, said that ten years ago one of  Hector’s sons did ask him to make an offer which he did. The offer was for $30 million but the elderly blind father Joshua, said that he was not selling his home so it fell through. Ever since then Hector told Kaieteur News that Bacchus has been trying to get him to sell his property, something he said he would not do as long as he lives. His property is located directly between two buildings owned by Bacchus. Hector told Kaieteur News that five years ago when the hotel was being constructed on Brickdam he was approached again but he did not accept the offer. The man alleges that as construction progressed, the hotel began to expand towards his backyard. Hector said that another son, Calvin, went to the City Engineer’s Department at City Hall to a lodge a complaint but nothing came of the compliant. Joshua Hector told this publication that an extension to the hotel began about three years ago. He said that as this extension progressed they began to encroach on his fence. He said that the hotel owner along with the contractor eventually broke down the fence and erected a longer concrete one in his yard. Hector said that the hotel owner also constructed two large sheds at the side of his home. “They built the sheds…so now all the water runs into my yard”. Also with the construction of the fence, the drainage in his yard became non-existent. After the second construction,

The Property at the center of the dispute, on the building next to it is the Sleep-In Hotel.

Hector said that he and a son went to the City Hall for a second time. This time several surveying officers came to assess the problem. They determined on the spot that Bacchus had encroached onto Hector’s property. However, even though the surveyors found this out, nothing much was done to have Bacchus reevaluate the property lines. Hector said they never heard back anything from City Hall since January 2013. Hector said that he has tried numerous times to get the issue highlighted in the press but to avail. “I tried to get everybody to know what’s going on,” Hector told Kaieteur News. Further, Hector said that he has never attempted to get the courts of Guyana involved since he believes it’s a “waste of time”. “Those matters take time and in most cases they rule in favour for the people with money.” Bacchus said that the Hector children and his father went to school together and he respects the family. “I don’t interfere with him. The problem is that when guests of the hotel look out of the window they see this old building in which Joshua Hector lives.” Bacchus said that he has to live with the fact that a man has his home and he has to live with that.