‘Lack of trust’ fuels family feud

The family battle that began shortly after former NMI Retirement Fund board member Charles Reyes Sr. passed away two months ago still rages on.

Yesterday, one of Reyes’ sons went public with his outrage against the actions of his uncle, Sen. Pete P. Reyes, after his father died on Sept. 15, 2006.

Sen. Reyes had sought a court order prohibiting Charles P. Reyes Jr. from entering his father’s home and directed him to stay at least 50 yards away from his late father’s primary residence.

According to Roy P. Reyes, the temporary restraining order also effectively prevented Charles Jr. from visiting his brother and the children of his brother, who live close to his father’s home.

The TRO initially required Charles Jr. to appear in court on Sept. 25, 2006, the morning of his father’s scheduled funeral, and to stay away from his father’s girlfriend, Maria Paz Candado, who was off island at the time the TRO was approved. But the order was later rescind ed in a stipulated agreement between the parties.

Roy Reyes raised his concern about Senator Reyes’ “lack of trust” in Charles Jr., the oldest son of the late Charles Sr., to review his late father’s documents, inventory assets, and locate a will.

“Senator Reyes falsely thinks my brother might steal my Dad’s property or destroy his will,” said Roy P. Reyes. “This is completely insane. My brother Charles had my full support and the full support of my brother Gerald. He was trying to save the will and protect my father’s estate.”

He related that, on Sept. 19, 2006, upon the advice of legal counsel, Charles Jr. entered his father’s home with his brother and a video camera to inventory the contents of the home and search for a will. While the brothers were there, Senator Reyes appeared with an attorney to secure a TRO against his nephew.

“Senator Reyes also called the police to deny his nephews access to our Dad’s house, even though my Dad gave my brother Gerald access to the house and told him to take care of it while he was off-island for medical reasons,” said Roy.

“This is a great shame. Senator Reyes has disgraced our family and the memory of my father by this reckless action,” said Roy, adding that Senator Reyes has no legal standing in his brother’s estate.

In a declaration he filed in court, the senator said he interfered in order to protect the rights of Candado. At the time, Candado was in the United States making arrangements to bring the body home to Saipan.

Senator Reyes said that Charles Jr.’s action constituted “a trespass into the home of Charles and Maria and a violation of her right to privacy.”

Roy Reyes claimed, however, that Candado does not own the home “because she is an unmarried nonresident worker who is constitutionally barred from owning real property in the CNMI based on the Article 12 provision.”

“Although the woman was a girlfriend for many years, the CNMI is not a common-law jurisdiction, and she may only have rights to the estate as the guardian of her daughter,” he said.

The Saipan Tribune tried to reach Senator Reyes through his wife, but he was not available at press time.