PHILIPSBURG:--- The owner of Unity Tire Center located at Sr. Modesta Road Simpson Bay filed a court case against the Government of St. Maarten. The case is scheduled to be heard on October 25th, 2013.
According to information provided to SMN News, one of the Inspectors of the Ministry of VROMI issued an immediate closure of the business on August 9th, 2013 claiming that the business owner is not in possession of a hindrance permit. Unity Tire Center has been operating since 2009 without a hindrance permit because when the Government of St. Maarten issued the business license in 2009 a hindrance permit was not required.
A representative of the company told SMN News that they were approached in 2012 and informed that since St. Maarten became a country tire centers are required to have hindrance permits and as such Unity Tire Center needed to submit an application to obtain such a permit. The company it is understood submitted their request on August 2nd, 2012 and by August 2013 the Department of VROMI closed their operations because they also denied the permit claiming that Sr. Modesta Road is a residential area. However, the zoning ordinance (2009) from the Department of Economic Affairs shows in article 27 that the entire Sr. Modesta Road is considered a commercial area.
SMN News further learnt that government plans to turn Sr. Modesta Road Simpson Bay into a residential area even though 75% of the buildings in the area are businesses.
It is now understood that after government (the Ministry of VROMI) realized they made a blunder the Minister of VROMI is trying to make some sort of agreement with the business owner in order for him to drop the court procedures.
Unity Tire Center is represented by BZSE law firm. An official comment from the attorney could not be obtained on Wednesday, neither could the Minister of VROMI Maurice Lake be reached for comment on Wednesday.
