Needy pensioner faces eviction

Pensioner Simon Ruck is between a rock and a hard place.

He is facing eviction, come tomorrow, from the one room he is renting at an apartment complex in St Michael. With the clock ticking, family members have been trying to get him into the Geriatric Hospital, but so far with no success.

The 65-year-old is paying $150 a week for a room that has a small bed. There is no toilet attached, leaving him having to relieve himself in a bucket. His mobility has been limited as a result of declining health.

Sister Pamela Lashley said she has raised concerns with the landlord about the conditions but his reply came in the form of an eviction notice, indicating that her brother had to vacate the premises by January 18.

“I never picked up that he didn’t have any toilet facility, so he’s doing everything in what we call a chamber pot. I went to the landlord and he said he was not aware of the condition.

“There’s a place in the back of the building where there’s a bathroom, but in there are slabs and he’s so frail now that he’s at risk of falling,” she said.

The eviction letter, titled “Final Notice To All Tenants” and dated January 8, 2026, states: “Arrears in rent, delinquent tenants, overcrowding apartments, excessive use of electricity and water making it impossible to survive, means the landlord is unable to carry on renting and paying bills from his personal funds.”

It added that “since August 2025, all rents are on a weekly basis, therefore one week’s notice was given to all tenants to quit this property by January 18, 2026”.

The landlord informed them that all utilities will be disconnected that day. Tenants were asked to vacate by Thursday.

Some of the other tenants in the property said they did not receive any such notice.

Lashley told the Saturday Sun: “He’s citing that he has to shut the facility down because he owes for the water. But my concern is how can you be taking rent from someone and there’s no toilet facilities?”

She said she has reached out to the Social Empowerment Agency (SEA), formerly National Assistance Board, in a bid to have him housed at the Geriatric Hospital.

“He needs 24-hour care now; he’s not meeting his hygiene needs. I just want the help to get him placed. He doesn’t have the funds and neither do I to put him in a private facility.

Not a candidate

“He does get a pension, but there’s not enough money to cover that. He’s not a candidate for home help which they suggested, so that’s why we want them to come and do the assessment, so they will see that I’m not lying about the situation.”

A letter from a social worker, addressed to the Geriatric Hospital and dated January 5, 2026, noted that Ruck was evaluated at FMH Medical Clinic and deemed fit to be placed at the Geriatric Hospital.

When briefed on Ruck’s situation, interim executive director with SEA, Colleen Walcott, said she will look into the pensioner’s case and assign social workers for an assessment.

The upset landlord, who visited the Nation on Thursday evening to put his side but asked that his name not to be used, explained that he rented the unit to Ruck two years ago after he asked him for help finding a place to live. He said he told the senior citizen that he did not have a suitable place to rent, only a room with no bathroom or toilet. Ruck consented, the landlord added, and the two came to an agreement on the rental.

He said that for a year and a half, everything between them went smoothly until Ruck fell ill and had to visit the hospital. He charged that Ruck forgot to turn off a pipe and left it running for three days, which incurred a high water bill.

“When the bill came in it was $17 000. What Mr Ruck did to me, he placed my property in serious jeopardy of the Barbados Water Authority selling off my property. If monies are not coming in to pay the bills, what is I to do?”

The landlord pointed out that they discussed a payment plan for the bill, but the pensioner said he was unable to pay the arrears.

Despite Ruck being up to date with all his rental payments, the landlord insisted that his hands were tied and he had to evict him.

When asked if he would carry out the eviction if the family failed to find a suitable place for Ruck, the landlord replied: “It’s okay, not a problem.” (JRN)

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