RUEL MADDEN, funeral director of Madden's Funeral Home, Montego Bay, St. James, is blaming superstition and political bias for opposition which has met his efforts to set up a branch of his business in Lucea, Hanover.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday, he dismissed claims by Audley Gilpin, JLP parish council candidate for the Lucea division, that he was breaking the law by attempting to set up business in a residential area and renovating a building without the permission of either the Hanover Parish Council or the Health Department.
However, Mr. Madden said he was not yet ready to set up a parlour and was only effecting changes to the building's interior which, his lawyers tell him, were not governed by any law requiring him to seek formal approval. Any outside work seen was simply lawn and yard-cleaning, he said.
"What is upsetting them probably is that I am cleaning up the yard. I still have activities, so I am not actively working on the building. They are telling lies on me to strengthen their case," he said. "Their case was not originally the building. Their case is that they don't want a funeral parlour there, because dem no want no duppy somet'ing come here so and I am not going to pander to any superstitions. I have a legal entity and I am conforming to every law that I am required to. Anything I do, I will have legal footing to stand on," Mr. Madden said.
NO PLAN SUBMITTED
He said that the only thing requiring that he submits plans to the Parish Council is the extension of the exterior.
Officials from the Hanover Parish Council acknowledged that the building, the site of a former factory in Haughton Court, near Fisherman's Village, is in a commercial zone but said that Madden's has not submitted a plan or applied for permission to effect changes to the building's exterior.
Alfred Graham, secretary manager at the Hanover Parish Council, said yesterday that a cease work order was served on Madden's last week, when it became apparent that the outside of the building was being modified.
"We noticed that they are doing modifications to the building and under the Building Act and the Town and Country Planning Act, there are required to seek approval from the local authority. As far as we are aware, they have not done so we have served them with a cease work notice," Mr. Graham said.
But Mr. Madden said he stopped work on a verandah which was being put on, as soon as he received cease work order and was in the process of submitting plans to the Council.
"I have 28 days in which to do it and I am in the process of submitting it, because the work has ceased, so I don't know what the problem is," he said.
He added that when the time comes, he will also adhere to health and other regulations which govern the setting of up another funeral parlour.
