Tamavua landlord, Urvendra Sharma claims that he had brought Pramil Prasad as a caretaker for his property last year while Pramil Prasad says he signed the caretaker agreement because he was told that renting in an informal settlement is illegal.
Pramil Prasad was arbitrarily evicted last week however he is back to living in Sharma’s flat after Legal Aid assisted the family in getting a court order for them to return to the flat.
The landlord claims that he did not throw Pramil’s belongings outside but the mataqali had placed it outside.
He claims that he has been asking Pramil for the past 5 months that he needs his house as he lost his job in Labasa and wants to come to Suva to work.
Sharma claims that his lawyer issued Pramil a notice to leave the house.
He says that when he asked Pramil Prasad to move out after his wife gave birth, he told him that he cannot stay in that house because his whole family is staying there.
Sharma says he also offered him $1,000 to leave the property.
He claims that he was called by FCCC who had told him that his case is in Labasa but when he went there, they said he does not have a case there.
Sharma also admits that he had disconnected the water supply as Pramil Prasad had not paid the bill for a long time and he will not be able to pay the high amount.
Meanwhile, Pramil Prasad says the landlord never offered him any money to leave the property however, the landlord’s brother had said that he would give him the money.
Prasad says he was paying $300 per month as rent but he had to sign an agreement stating that he was the caretaker of the property as the landowning unit had told him that renting on the land was prohibited.
He says he has been paying half the rent because of the impact of COVID-19.
The taxi driver says Sharma never considered his wife’s pregnancy.
He says that he did receive a letter from the landlord’s lawyer which stated that he must leave the property in 14 days whereas he should have been given 30 days.
Pramil Prasad says his belongings were taken out of the house even before the 14 days was up.
