The Department of Public Lands is suing a company and its owner for allegedly breaching a settlement agreement by, among other things, renting out a leased public land in Chalan Kanoa to several families.<\/p>\n
DPL, through assistant attorney general Matthew J. Pugh, is suing M.D.A. Enterprises and its president, Mohammed Abul Bashar.<\/p>\n
DPL asked the Superior Court to hold M.D.A. Enterprises and Bashar liable to pay damages for unpaid rent owed DPL.<\/p>\n
DPL is also demanding payment for attorneys\u2019 fees and court costs.<\/p>\n
DPL wants M.D.A. Enterprises and Bashar and all other occupying the public land to vacate the premises and remove all personal property.<\/p>\n
As of press time, Saipan Tribune was still awaiting comments from Bashar\u2019s lawyer.<\/p>\n
According to Pugh in the complaint, DPL issued an encroachment notice to Antonetta Rios-Bashar last June 4, 2007, for using and renting out encroaching structures on public lands. DPL issued a final notice to vacate to Antonetta Rios-Bashar on July 23, 2007.<\/p>\n
Bashar then applied to lease portions of a land in Chalan Kanoa, but the application was incomplete.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 21, 2011, DPL gave M.D.A. Enterprises conditional approval to lease the Chalan Kanoa land on the condition that the application deficiencies be cured within 60 days.<\/p>\n
In line with this, DPL gave M.D.A. Enterprises temporary authorization over the lot, with restrictions such as prohibition against residing on the premises and conducting commercial activities there and a requirement to obtain liability insurance.<\/p>\n
On March 7, 2013, DPL gave defendants additional 90-day extension to come into compliance, but they allegedly did not comply.<\/p>\n
In 2016, DPL sued defendants. M.D.A. also sued DPL and various DPL officials, requesting injunctive relief related to the company\u2019s use of public lands.<\/p>\n
In September 2016, DPL and M.D.A. and Bashar entered into a settlement, settling both cases.<\/p>\n
The settlement required, among other things, for M.D.A. to pay the government $10,000.<\/p>\n
M.D.A. paid the amount.<\/p>\n
Pugh said M.D.A. has made payments to DPL totaling $3,765 toward the promissory note.<\/p>\n
DPL provided M.D.A. with written notice of missed payments, but the company is allegedly in default on the promissory note and the entire unpaid balance is due.<\/p>\n
M.D.A. has made rent payments to DPL totaling $2,383. The company allegedly attempted to make a rent payment of $1,380, but the check was returned for insufficient funds.<\/p>\n
Last October, DPL issued a notice to vacate the land to M.D.A. and Bashar.<\/p>\n
Last Nov. 7, DPL staff inspected the site to determine if M.D.A. had vacated the premises.<\/p>\n
Pugh said M.D.A. and Bashar were renting out the premises as housing for about 17 tenants.<\/p>\n
Last Dec. 15, DPL secured the premises by installing locks and blocking access to the buildings. Later in the day, Pugh said, Bashar went to DPL and provided a check for $10,000. <\/p>\n
The check, however, had been returned for insufficient funds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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