USVI Public Records

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August 27, 2025 Good day Senators, Our names are Jacquelyn D. Clendinen and Ernie C. Clen Mrs. Eglah Marsh Clendinen and Mr. Vincen “Beef” Clendi brother of Vincen Clendinen Jr., Gary Clendinen, Wayne C aunt and uncle to our deceased sister Jennifer Clendinen ¢ We are writing to you on behalf of our family. Our mother, Mrs. Eglah Marsh Clendinen, and her sister, Mrs. Minerva Marsh Vazquez owns property on the shoreline of Coral Bay, St John (10-1 Ernest J. Marsh was the original owner of both these wate passed on to his daughters. Eglah received 10-17 and Min always understood that these properties were to remain in dinen. We are children of nen Sr., and the sister and lendinen, Celia Tonge, and Chinnery’s children. 7 & 10-18 Estate Carolina). front parcels it was later erva received 10-18. It was the family for generations from our grandfather’s time. a Trust known as the " 2s. In 2004 both waterfront parcels were supposedly placed in Marsh Sisters Trust". Eglah and Minerva served as Trustee In 2013, the sisters signed a long-term lease for the development of those properties with Coral Bay Marina. At the time they signed the lease, our mother and aunt did not have independent legal representation. They placed their faith in a close friend of our mother, who assured them this would be a good thing to do for their family and for their legacy. The lease was transferred from Coral Bay Marina to the SUmmers End Group in 2014. The yearly payments were supposed to be around $65,000 per year, with increases for inflation every four years. In 2015 the sisters were getting up in age, and their health was declining. Our mother was showing signs of early dementia. Our mother with her attorney, created a will in May of 2015. She designated Power of Attorney to ourselves and Vincen Clendinen Jr. In 2016, our mother was taken to sign another amendment'to the lease. Our mother had no legal representation present to assist her in deciphering| the content of the document. Her doctor had already diagnosed her as having dementia prior to her signing this amendment. This amendment provided a waiver to the Summers End Group from all unpaid prior lease payments and eliminated all future lease payments until which time that the Summers End Group received all necessary permits and construction began. Over the past nine years, since 2016, the Summers End roup has not paid any rent or land taxes for our family's leased property in Coral Bay. The family has been paying the land tax and still cannot utilize our ancestral land. Additionally, over the past nine years, we have made numerous attempts to rectify this matter by attempting to void the lease, and we were willing to negotiate a new lease with the signatures of the appropriate Power of Attorney and the current Trustees with The Summers End Group to no avail. The Marsh/Clendinen family is united in our wish to terminate the lease with The Summers End Group and be able to have more input into the development of our property in a way that benefits our family, the community, and future generations, as was our grandfather's original wish for the family legacy. However, the lease that our mother and aunt signed, without any legal representation, has left us in a situation where we were forced to seek legal counsel and remedy. Our aunt, Mrs. Minerva Marsh, passed away in 2021. Our mother, Mrs. Eglah Clendinen, passed away in 2023. Our father, Mr. Vincen Beef Clendinen, passed away in 2021. An entire generation has passed waiting for their hopes to bear fruit. In 2021 our family filed a lawsuit in an effort to restore our date, we have spent over $100,000 in legal fees trying to protect our property. Over the years, we've had civil lawsuit filed against the family and also against our former attorney firm. The family has been accused of interfering in| our mother’s agreed business just for our own financial gains, and of interfering in Summers End Group's ability to move the project forward. Over the past year the Marsh/Clendinen family has been bullied, overwhelmed, financially strained, and now pressured to sell the family’s only inherited waterfront harbor view properties. We are expected to settle again for their price, not us the landowners pricing, and with terms that favor the buyer. As our original counsel has withdrawn from the case we are now faced with retaining new counsel at an expense we can hardly afford. It is our understanding that the permits expired in 2021. There has been more than enough time given for these permits to be renewed utilizing the normal process and procedure. Special privilege should not be given to help thig company that failed to take the proper steps and now wishes to circumvent the clear process that has been put in place for a reason. This only encourages further exploitation of the people of the US Virgin Islands by outside companies with financial interests. An act such as this would only lend a hand in separating ancestral families from their inherited lands. This is not an honorable avenue to encourage business in the US Virgin Islands. We are asking for you, Senators, the powers that be, to please not pass this bill that allows shortcutting the permitting process. Thank you for your time and consideration in this sensitive) matter. Sincerely, Jacquelyn D. Clendinen Ernie C. Clendinen inu_<foee ——~