After more than 30 years in business, Patrick’s West Indian Delight is still defending itself against Virgin Islands Port Authority efforts to remove the popular eatery from the U.S. Customs parking lot.
Patrick’s owner Patrick Joseph was served with VIPA’s latest notice to quit the premises on October 27, 2006.
“The notice matured on the first of December without Mr. Joseph vacating the premises,” said VIPA spokesperson Marc Stridiron.
The notice to quit was not filed through the court system, but was sent by VIPA to Joseph requesting he vacate the two parking spaces he occupies in the Customs parking lot — which he did not heed.
Internal Discussions
“No further action has been taken by the Port Authority at this time, but obviously we will notify Mr. Joseph of the next step,” said Stridiron. “The matter is being discussed internally by staff here as well as by Mr. Joseph and his legal counsel.”
VIPA’s attempts to remove Patrick’s from the Customs parking lot are nothing new. VIPA first tried to muscle out the colorful eatery almost a year and a half ago, when VIPA Executive Director Darlan Brin called the place an “eyesore.”
“It’s an eyesore in my estimation,” Brin told the St. John Tradewinds in October 2005. “Patrick’s has been there too long and he pays for one spot when he is using two.”
Although Joseph doesn’t have a lease agreement with VIPA, he has been paying the authority on a month-to-month basis for a number of years, the proprietor explained.
VIPA renewed their battle with Patrick’s in August, 2006, when officials served Joseph with an eviction notice and took him to court.
Case Dismissed
A V.I. Superior Court judge dismissed the case, however, because VIPA officials had cashed a check for a month of rent paid by Joseph.
Unless Joseph and VIPA officials come to an agreement, it seems the case might be headed back to V.I. Superior Court, but Stridiron would not speculate.
“We’d prefer not to discuss possibilities at this time,” said Stridiron.
Despite the latest notice to quit, Joseph is committed to remaining in the space where he has been serving Love City residents for more than three decades.
“We’ve been here for 30 years and we have a right to be here,” Joseph’s daughter Julia Joseph previously told the St. John Tradewinds.