~ Cover letter and drawings were booked in at Simpson Bay Public Service center, Rollocks is a repeat offender of constructing without a building permit.~
PHILIPSBURG: --- The local businessman that was operating in Simpson Bay whose business operations were torn down on Wednesday morning was not in a possession of a building permit nor was an application made at the Department of Permits within the department of VROMI.
The Minister of VROMI Egbert Jurendy Doran told reporters on Wednesday that no application for a permit was filed and that he supports the decision of his staff. The minister further explained that no one is above the law including him.
SMN News obtain documents and information that showed that a vendor’s license was issued by the Ministry of TEATT to Elvis Patrick this is the license the local businessman that has political ambition is using. While the business operator has a vending license that he sub-leased, he was never granted a building permit to construct any type of business alongside a government roadway.
The businessman, however, obtained the necessary forms from the department of permits and submitted this form along with a cover letter and drawings at the Simpson Bay Public Service Center. These documents were booked in May 12th 2022 while the department has been communicating with the businessman since 2021 requesting that he follow the law and request a building permit, and to avoid a repeat of the same situation that is currently ongoing with his personal home in Pointe Blanche.
SMN News further understands that the Minister of VROMI even gave the businessman five working days to submit his request for a building permit prior to Wednesday morning demolition.
Mistakes made by the Department of VROMI
The Minister of VROMI did grant the businessman permission to use a parcel of land as a rental agreement to operate his moveable business but it turned out that the department made a mistake by granting permission to the businessman to operate on a parcel of land that was issued in 2011 to the Causeway NV, a subsidiary of the Ports Sint Maarten (SLAC). This agreement was valid for a period of five years.
Due to this error, the department of Domain Affairs pulled back on the permission that was granted, and a building stop was issued.
Julian Rollocks Jr said he is the business partner of Elvis Patrick and that the government of St. Maarten made a mistake and did not inform Elvis Patrick or Julian Rollocks Jr about the error. He said that the department showed up with a building stop and removal order, both dated May 9th, 2022.
Rollocks said that he went to the department of permits and he was asked to provide a meetbrief which he did not have as such he decided to submit his request through the Public Service Center.
Rollocks has a record to disregard the guidelines on building permits. Recently the court took a decision requesting that the Minister of VROMI take a decision regarding the illegal structure that Rollocks constructed in Pointe Blanche. This matter is still pending.
