Battle for Rain-O-Rama

Battle for Rain-O-Rama
By Onika James, Newsday News, Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007

A judge will decide on October 26 whether or not the Rain-O-Rama property dispute will go to trial. The matter was heard in the Second Civil Court, Hall of Justice yesterday before Justice Lennox Deyalsingh. Rain-O-Rama, located on the Diego Martin Main Road, was originally owned by the late Aldwyn "Lord Kitchener" Roberts, and his wife Valerie Green.

Roberts is said to have asked Green to relinquish her share to him for business purposes, with a promise that the property would then be put back in the name of their children. However, during that time Roberts is said to have vested the property to Betsy-Ann Howell Pollard with whom he was having a romantic relationship. Pollard eventually became Kitchener's common-law wife. She died in 1998 and in her will, left the property to Kitchener until death with further instructions that it should then go to her sister when he died. Attorneys for Green and Kitchener's children, Kerwin Garcia and Anna Bell Boynes are contending, that Kitchener's action constituted fraud, in that, he tricked Green into handing over sole ownership of the property to him and that Pollard knew about it. Garcia said, "The defence will prove that Valerie Green was fraudulently deprived of the property and that the property passed on to Betsy-Ann Pollard was tainted by such fraud. There is sufficient evidence to prove that this was trickery and Pollard had knowledge of it beforehand."

Pollard's sister and daughter represented by Gregory Delzin are seeking ownership as they possess the deed of ordinance. Delzin contended, "Betsy-Ann Pollard was an innocent party and received the property free and clear of any equity or interest that Valerie Green may have had. All equity would have been transferred to Roberts (Kitchener) when she signed over all the interest to him." The matter has been in dispute for seven years. The Pollards originally sued Green for the property and jewelry but have now given instructions to the attorneys to pursue only the property issue. After some lengthy submissions Justice Deyalsingh told attorneys that he will give his decision on October 26.

Lord Kitchener died on February 11, 2000. A few days after a bailiff and police officers attempted to evict Kitchener's three children Kernel, Christian and Quweina from the house. That eviction failed.