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Businessman Frustrated by Government

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In June 2020 the then Minister of the Environment Trevor Prescod led a team from government on a mission which uprooted 20 trees planted by owner Allan Kinch on beach land located along Carlisle Bay, Bay Street, St Michael. It was captured by Nation News. An interesting action by this government who launched “We Plantin” project in 2020 to plant ONE Million trees.

Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, planting a tree at Hope Plantation, St. Lucy, to mark the start of We Plantin’ More Than A Million National Tree Planting Project yesterday. (S.Forde-Craigg/BGIS)

https://fb.watch/e3lX9Lanej/

What the blogmaster does not understand is why the government seems ultra aggressive against developer Allan Kinch developing the property he purchased. Was it not known at the time of sale what was planned? There are usually several sides to a story but the blogmaster is yet to hear why Mr. Kinch is being frustrated in his quest to develop the property he legitimately purchased. It seems he is not even allowed to put out deck chairs other businesses in the area are allowed.

Instead we have an eyesore for an open space.

There is a lot more the blogmaster can and will post but reserves further comment for the moment.

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181 responses to “Businessman Frustrated by Government”

  1. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Here David go again bringing a story to draw on raw emotion and assumptions by the reader
    Better yet make a phone call or email to the relevant govt office or officials for answers
    A good journalist pursue the right path for answers by way of due diligence

  2. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    I am 90% sure I saw this 3 parcel property for sale in local listings. The ask was +/-$10M. It had a name I forget, which wasn’t anything I associated with the property.

  3. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ David,

    looking forward to ” There is a lot more the blogmaster can and will post ”

    http://townplanning.gov.bb/planning-process/

  4. John A Avatar
    John A

    I agree 103% on the move the goverment made on this indvidual. David be careful who you choose to defend!

  5. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @The Blogmaster, indeed a back story of ‘the lot more’ would be interesting in this saga. Players at this high level invariably smooth their developmental path by ‘adopting’ benefactors from either (or both) of the political establishments so if this developer is experiencing an “ultra aggressive [stance] against” him then it suggests that he has failed to properly coopt his benefactors.

    High level business players know they have to manage political fall out carefully, particularly when millions of $$ of investment are involved. Success must also involve political appeasement.

  6. John Avatar
    John

    NorthernObserverJuly 5, 2022 9:06 AM

    I am 90% sure I saw this 3 parcel property for sale in local listings. The ask was +/-$10M. It had a name I forget, which wasn’t anything I associated with the property.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Even foolish me know there is plenty more in the mortar than the pestle!!

    … and I would not be surprised if the land you saw for sale was his given what I am hearing.

    …. and I did not get it from Cattlewash.

  7. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ de pedantic Dribbler

    ” Applications submitted to the department may be sent to the Prime Minister’s Planning Unit if they meet the following criteria: applications seeking permission to change the use or subdivide over two (2) acres of agricultural land, and applications in respect of beach front properties.”

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @John A

    Please explain and the blogmaster is not defending anyone.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    Why was Allan Kinch sold the property only to deny him the right to do business on same property?

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Controversy continues over ownership of a section of land at Carlisle Bay, Bay Street, St Michael.

    https://www.nationnews.com/2020/06/01/trees-fall-in-land-battle/

  11. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Sale Price: $10,350,000 US

  12. John A Avatar
    John A

    David you asking the wrong questions. What did allan kinch pay for the property that was advertised for 10M?

    As to the individual himself, well I leave you to find out about him. Lol

  13. African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved Avatar
    African Online Publishing Copyright ⓒ 2022. All Rights Reserved

    Who is Allan Kinch…there is no photo and can’t say i know the name..

  14. David Avatar
    David

    The word is that he paid less than 10 million but what does that have to do with him being frustrated by government and killing the 20 trees?

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @NO

    What you saw in the local listing was a request to the public to tender?

  16. John A Avatar
    John A

    David the town planner is not the only one involved in beach preservation you also have the NCC. They dicate what can be planted where and you can not by law plant anything below the high water mark. When it comes to a public beach it is government that dictates the usage not the person who bought the private piece of land that borders the public beach. This really is not an issue worthy of discussion as the land use here is very clearly defined.

  17. John A Avatar
    John A

    You is the first to say the law is for all, so wait this white boy different ?

  18. David Avatar
    David

    The reason the tree were removed was for the reason you stated John A?

  19. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” purchased three parcels of land for $4 million from the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. last year, “

  20. John A Avatar
    John A

    David you forget when copacabana wanted to put down a deck on the beach a while back they were told no sir not on the beach. This is not worth discussing. They sold him the old eye clinic and the carpark to the north went with it. So we will see when that piece of access get block.what bajans will say then.

    Anyhow i got more important concerns bout this than kinch and he 20 trees. Like what he paid for the proerty that was offered at $10M USD and such like. I also want to know if a provision for a right of way to the beach for the pubilc was made as a condition of the sale. Bajans been walking cross that car park opposite the old hospital for decades to hold a swim on that beach.

    Anyhow time will tell i guess as it all unfolds.

  21. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ Hants

    Glad you found the heavily discounted sale price. By the way that was $4 M bajan. Lol

  22. David Avatar
    David

    @John A

    If he tendered with highest bid that was accepted, who to blame?

  23. John A Avatar
    John A

    Wait if you had an asset valued at 10M usd you was going take $4M bajan for it? Every tender document i have ever seen and i have see nuff states the below.

    THE SELLER DOES NOT HOLD THEMSELF LIABLE TO ACCEPTING THE HIGHEST OFFER. Or words to that effect.

  24. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    https://www.barbadospropertysearch.com/for-sale/bay-street-savoy

    This the link. The name I couldn’t recall is Savoy

  25. David Avatar
    David

    Interesting, the land was sold to Savoy/Kinch for 4 million with conditions for tourism development attached to the sale?

  26. John A Avatar
    John A

    So David you still think the only comcern here is 20 trees LOL?

  27. David Avatar
    David

    What is the concern John A?

  28. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    I am a little confused, according to the link entered by “NO” the date of the listing is April 14th, 2022, yet “David” refers to an issue going back to 2020 with the uprooting of trees. If the purchaser only bought the land in 2022 what does the issue in 2020 have to do with him?

    As to the large discrepancy between the listing price and the sale price, why do I have the feeling that there is something is rotten in the State of Denmark.

  29. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” The area has been identified as one of special interest for tourism development and the owner of the land has submitted plans for a hotel to be developed on the site along with the rebuilding of the old pier.Offers are invited in the region of US$10M “

  30. David Avatar
    David

    @John A

    This is for you!

    Attached are a few photos, one of Kinch’s property – the yellow line (image 1) shows the distance back the trees were from the high-water mark. Over 120 feet.
    The trees as you would see were behind the volleyball net that is not Kinch’s but you can make it out on the satellite image…
    The county requires seaward limit of major construction for a coastal property. Building setbacks in Barbados are set at 30m (100 feet) from the high water mark for beaches and 10m (30 feet) for cliffs measured from the landward point of under cut.
    There is also an image of a condo building being built close to Pavillion court and where it is building is much farther down to the original building. I have attached a historical image for you reference and a more current one. Please note the distance from the sea and not the high-water……..
  31. John A Avatar
    John A

    Well that open space that was the carpark dead and gone.

    $4M bajan for a $10M USD asset is a real deal though. Hants you sure you aint read wrong and the $4M bajan was the deposit? lol

    Well what done is done why worry. Cropover soon here and thats all that matters to most bajans.

  32. David Avatar
    David

    @John A

    Don’t runaway now. Did you see this sitemap located on parliament’s website?

    Why did Government give the owners of Copa the alley between the properties they own? What about access in that scenario?

     

     

     

  33. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @JohnA
    Don’t forget the sale occured in ’17? The GoB was hungry for money, preferably $US. Given what they later paid the Rams, the outlier is the asking of US$10M. You can ask for whatever?
    But you know something bout the man.

  34. David Avatar
    David

    It is the blogmaster’s understanding the sale occurred in 2015 but the usual lag from government delayed closing.

  35. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Let me add the obvious.
    The asking price and the selling price need not be ‘related’.

    Sometimes the asking price is used to weed out some folks

  36. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ David

    That is why i asked did this sale take into account the state maintaining a decent public access for the public? I dont know from the drawing if the plan is just a 3 ft wide walkway or access by car to the beach. My point remains thr variance in the market offer price and sale price is unacceptable. No one even in the heart of covid was discounting that large. There is no more beach front being made on this island so every piece sold is gone forever.

    We also cant blame Mia for this as the sale predates her time. What i will say though is she has the power of acquisition on her side at the same paultry $4m it was sold for.

    But you know what it will be like everything else a hot flash and done. I really am wondering why we even waste our time discussig these issues as they come to nothing.

  37. John A Avatar
    John A

    @Northern

    I do not know the man only of the man. LOL

  38. Bajan Avatar
    Bajan

    @ John A

    So you would feel it is right that you bought something for the price the seller agreed to sell it for. You worked to ensure what you bought would give you good return then the seller ruins your chance for the return, victimizes you, heinously lies about you, makes defaming remarks about you, discriminates against you, cost you hundreds of thousand in expenses, not to speak about millions on loss of income and then those that sold it to you should just take back what they sold to you and give you back the same money 7 years later…….. today I read that a ex murder accused won $75,000 for wrongful detention. He was detained for 18 days…… how much is Mr Kinch owed for being detained since 2016. True he has not been put in jail but he has been prevented from earning income on his land ….

  39. John A Avatar
    John A

    @Bajan

    First let me say that if the buyer was Kinch or Trump my concern would be the same. A state owned property, this was not a privately owner property, was sold for 20% of its advertised price. I can also tell you that the seller being a state board, would of based the selling price on a valuation done by a registered valuator.

    Now I dont know about you, but if anyone offered me 20% of what I was asking for a property I had for sale on a beach I would in no uncertain terms of refused it. To say that it was the best offer is also no excuse to sell it for 20 cents on the dollar either. If the state entity’s board decided to sell it for that, they should all of been fired and if the MOF approved the sale he too wanted a cut tail.

    Now lets discuss where we are now. If this government has concerns about selling this large slice of beach front land for 20 cents on the dollar, then they have every right to look into it. It the matter takes time well so be it. I know poor black people who had land aquired for road works and died waiting for the money.

    You and others have to understand when a state entity is sold it does not belong to government. It is in fact owned by 275,000 Bajans with each having a vested interest in the asset. This government and all others for that matter, must remember that while development is important it must not be at the expenses of the state or its 275,000 share holders.

    Hope this clarifies where I stand on the matter.

  40. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    Politics is quite simple — power hungry fueled men and women adopting those simple tactics, of course — but when all is said and done it’s simply all about doing whatever is necessary to win!

    This land saga is like a pimple on a donkey’s backside in the scheme of things as Kinch obviously got caught in his own web of machinations … shame on him for being less than politically savvy to avoid this grave investment pain.

    And I was reminded of the lies and machinations of political players by this episode outta UK …

    “On Monday, a spokesman said Johnson knew of sexual misconduct allegations that were “either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint.” […]
    “That account didn’t sit well with Simon McDonald, the most senior civil servant at the U.K. Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020. In a highly unusual move, he said Tuesday that the prime minister’s office still wasn’t telling the truth. […]
    “McDonald disputed that Johnson was unaware of the allegations or that the complaints were dismissed because they had been resolved or not made formally.[…]
    _”The original No. 10 line is not true, and the modification is still not accurate,” McDonald wrote, referring to the prime minister’s Downing Street office.     “Mr. Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation. […]
    “Hours after McDonald’s comments came out, Johnson’s office changed its story again, saying the prime minister forgot he was told that Pincher was the subject of an official complaint.” 😎🤣

    Politicians LIE like pirates and succeed famously … by the time Johnson is canned the die will have long been cast … a la #45 in the US!

    It’s so very simple … ‘by any means necessary’, the man said!

  41. Bajan Avatar
    Bajan

    @ John A

    From my understanding It was a sealed tender there was no advertised price….perhaps you should ask to see the Ad. Surely someone must be able to get a copy.

  42. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @John A, your remark that the land was sold at that awesome 80% discount carries with it certain allegations of dalliances. Thus when you state that: “If the state entity’s board decided to sell it for that, they should all of been fired and if the MOF approved the sale he too wanted a cut tail” I wonder if you are being funny and facetious!

    The simple fact is that if the land value was as stated and “the state entity’s board decided to sell it for that, they should all [be investigated for possible fraudulent malfeasance]”. Firing would be the least of their concerns; fines and jail time would be high on the agenda!!

    But this deal is now years old … has it come up in any auditor general or other audited financial reports since then???

    Alas, this is BIM so as you guys say often: NTSH!

  43. John A Avatar
    John A

    @Bajan

    No you misunderstand me. I am not saying the price was advertised, I am saying the board would of had the valuation of the $10M usd in their possesion when they were opening the sealed bids. They would of been privy therefore to the value of the property when the offers were being reviewed. As it was a state owned asset they would not have been able to proceed with this matter unless a valuation was first done. The board was therefore under no obligation to accept any offer, be it the highest as that too is a condition of the process. In other words the board and said minster in charge were obligated based on the variance of offer to valuation, to have refused to enter into any sale what so ever at 20 cents on the dollar!

  44. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ De

    Well said my friend. No we expect nothing to come of this, as was the case when we learnt the car park at accra beach had been sold to maloney when he bought the hotel across the road.

    Having said that somebody needs to set an example to those coming next and say enough is enough. Who better than Mia now with her 2 x 30 to 0 wins?

  45. Bajan Avatar
    Bajan

    @ John A

    Ok Thanks for cleaning that up however if the agreement to sell was since 2015. That is 7 years ago.
    In Jan 2014 Government sold beach front property on the south coast for $49.73 per square foot.

    Another similar size property on Carlisle Bay sold around 2005 for less BDS$2,000,000.00

    Land value like everything else and gone up nuff nuff nuff. I don’t think you can realy judge the current value on what it was 7 years ago

  46. John Avatar
    John

    I know of a 2 acre beach front property that was valued for $1 or $2 million BDS in the 1990’s but was sold to a company for $12 million BDS in 2007.

    I know because it is owned by my family company!!!

    If you knew the history of the machinations involved it would blow your mind.

    A bank/Financial institution provided a mortgage.

    The land had sat dormant and vacant with no investment whatsoever in any infrastructure.

    The Company then changed hands and the owners received $18 million BDS within a matter of months.

    The land was then advertised for $25 million BDS.

    Here’s the problem, it and other lands secure an undertaking/indemnification provision for the nine vendors who conveyed it into the family company in 1958.

    There was no investment or infrastructural investment in the land and since 2007, there continues to no infrastructural development.

    Why use a company?

    Tax purposes, the land does not move so no stamp duty or transfer tax, plus capital gains, $12 million to $18 million attract no tax.

    Then there is … limited liability … plus, the big kahuna, anonymity of the beneficial shareholders.

    If you look at the ICIJ database you will find 10’s of thousands of such companies, a lawyer is the front man or woman, “factor” if you like.

    There is one lawyer whose name gets called for a large number of those companies.

    Now, if you were an overseas “investor”/ “money launderer”/”speculator”, the facilitation of the increased valuation by local “factors” is ideal to wash your money.

    Welcome to the world of money laundering …. it is well above most people’s pay scale … I took ages to appreciate the scam and I am supposed to be a Barbados Scholar …. and Exhibitionist!!

    I still don’t get it fully … but the “money launders” do.

    You will probably find “Four Seasons” was/is like this.

    Kind of a ponzi scheme.

    So, Barbados gets on to the Black List or Grey List of the OECD.

    Howls of protest from the GOB because their major source of tax income is threatened.

    That’s why you see all the agricultural land, like the “Four Seasons” Hotel site, dormant.

    So, what would be interesting in this scenario would be to see how Allan Kinch appears in the ICIJ database and with which companies he is associated!!

    I’ll see if I can rustle up a link if someone doesn’t beat me to it!!

  47. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    Spy & ?

  48. John Avatar
    John

    Here is an interesting link!!

    https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/search?cat=1&from=300&q=Allan

  49. John A Avatar
    John A

    @ Bajan

    Remember how you started your sentence with ” in 2014 government sold land at $49 a square foot.” That is the same government that also discounted this property by 80% of its value. So you really aint saying too much there when you use their sale price “formula” as a barometer for true pricing.

    The salient point here though that we must remember is this. A government entity requested a valuation on a property which came in at $10m usd. Not 5 year or 10 years later, but withing months the property was offered for sale by seal tender and an offer for 20% of the valuation was accpeted and a sale entered into. This is a case of the seller getting a valuation then going against their own valuation and giving away the said property for cents on the dollar.

    Based on this I would not use any price used in a government sale as a benchmark for market value. After all is that not at the core of this issue now?

  50. John Avatar
    John

    BajanJuly 5, 2022 9:27 PM

    @ John A

    Ok Thanks for cleaning that up however if the agreement to sell was since 2015. That is 7 years ago.
    In Jan 2014 Government sold beach front property on the south coast for $49.73 per square foot.

    Another similar size property on Carlisle Bay sold around 2005 for less BDS$2,000,000.00

    Land value like everything else and gone up nuff nuff nuff. I don’t think you can realy judge the current value on what it was 7 years ago

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    If you look at this highly valuable land there is no evidence of any economic activity taking place.

    So what really supports the value of the land?

    Demand from “money launderers” with plenty money to launder!!

    I would go further with JohnA’s comment “Based on this I would not use any price used in a government sale as a benchmark for market value.”

    I would delete the words “a government” and replace it with any!!

    “Based on this I would not use any price used in any sale as a benchmark for market value.”

    Then I would try and understand what the “market” is!!

    You may find it could collapse instantaneously if it is too well defined!!

    Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle for those versed in Quantum Mechanics!!

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