Waiting for eighteen years

Dear Editor,

My brother Montgomery Jeetlall died on July 3, 1991. In his will I was left the family home located at Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice.

Mr Rex McKay’s clerk Raymond King has been processing the will now for eighteen years.

I wrote a letter to Stabroek News for publication three years ago which was sent to Mr McKay by the late Mr David de Caires for a response, but there was no response. (Mr King has Mr de Caires’s letter on file.)

Mr King at that point asked the executrix of the estate Edith Ramsammy to sign an authorisation giving permission for Mr King to process my portion of the estate as there are other beneficiaries. To date I have been visiting Mr King at his office and telephoning him regularly. All I am getting are excuses.

Yours faithfully,
Leon Jeetlall

Editor’s note

We sent a copy of this letter to Mr Rex McKay for any comments he might have wished to make and received the following response from Mr Raymond King:


“Ms Edith Ramsammy Executrix of the estate of Hardatt Montgomery Jeetlall, deceased, sought my assistance in the vesting of the properties situate at lot 36 Public road, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, as bequeathed under the Last Will and Testament of the deceased.

Ms Ramsammy brought to us the following documents:

a) Probate No. 530 of 1993

b) Photocopies of transports No. 671 of 1983 and 678 of 1985

c) Photocopy of plan dated 31st January, 1996

“At that time I asked Mr Jainarayan Singh, Jnr, Attorney-at-Law to assist in signing the Instructions and he said that would be okay. I told Ms Ramsammy that she would only pay the necessary filing fees. This was in the presence of Pastor Lee.

“The necessary conveyance was prepared but only to vest the share of Ms Ramsammy. She said the others were not coming forward financially.

“Ms Ramammy during that time took ill and I was approached by a young woman who said she was the daughter of either Vishwamintra Jeetlall or Rajan Persaud Tiwari, beneficaries of the estate of Hardatt Montgomery Jeetlall (I cannot remember which one) who said her parents had died. She was supposed to bring a copy of their death certificate, but never did.

“Pastor also said the piece of land bequeathed to Rajan Persaud Tiwari would be given to his daughter Abigail Elizabeth Lee. However, he later changed his mind and instructed me to proceed as Will. The paper work had to be typed over.

“A current valuation was requested for each sub-lot as well as lot 113 Bush Lot. This was done only in respect of lot 113 Bush Lot on the 19th October, 2005.

“I have not seen anyone since except for Mr Leon Jeetlall. The executrix of the estate of Hardatt Jeetlall, Ms Edith Ramsammy appointed Mr Leon Jeetlall as her duly constituted Attorney in July 2007, and never gave an authorisation to me.

“As recent as Wednesday 16th September, 2009 I informed Mr Leon Jeetlall that the Registrar of Deeds required a current valuation since the last was done in 2005.

“I never had anything to do with processing the estate. I was only asked to assist with the vesting of the properties.

“I have since requested from Mr Outar (Chief Valuation Officer) a current valuation.

“I have also re-typed the instructions to reflect the current value and would have same signed by Counsel once again.”