USVI Public Records

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The St. Thomas Reformed Church P.O. Box 365 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 00804 2105 Crystal Gade David Whitter, VP Board Office: (340) 776-8255 Cell: (340) 513-2617 Davewhitterinca(@gmail.com officeadmin@stthomasreformedchurch.org Senator Carla Joseph Rules Committee Chairman RE: Crystal Gade 2 B&C and 3 and the Proposed Lease Agreement with DM Hospitality Dear Senator Joseph, Since our initial meeting with the Department of Property and Procurement on May 5, 2026, the St. Thomas Reformed Church has undertaken additional historical research including the VI Recorder of Deeds, the Danish Government Archives and Danish Cadastral. We write to you in your capacity as Chairman of the Rules Committee to request the proposed lease agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and DM Hospitality be taken off the Rules Committee hearing calendar set for July 10, 2026. The St. Thomas Reformed Church has compiled historical documents regarding our objections to the proposed lease that Property and Procurement offered to DM Hospitality. After going through our Archives, we have determined, as many other U.S. Virgin Islands officials, including Attorney General Learned, then Attorney General Ive A. Swan, (and now Justice), that there was never any conveyance of Parcel #3 Crystal Gade from the Dutch Reformed Church to the Danish Government. It is becoming clear that the Church and the Government both operated under a mistaken belief regarding the title to Parcel 3 in entering into the Settlement Agreement of 1983. Parcel #2 C Crystal Gade which the Dutch Reformed Church sold to the Danish Colonial Government was for use as a school. The Government’s assertion of ownership of Parcel #2 understandable rests on the assumption that after the 1917 transfer it acceded to the conditions of ownership by the Danish Government. However, that assumption does not apply to Parcel 3. In 1979 the Church filed an Action to Quiet Crystal Gade # 3. On page 2 of the! 983 settlement, a recital states that states title to Parcel 2C and #3 Crystal Gade belongs to the Government of the Danish West Indies according to a deed dated June 25, 1878, from the Dutch Reformed Church. However, the deed which is the last attachment to the Settlement Agreement shows that the Dutch Reform Church board sold the building and lot Crystal Gade #2 C to the Government of the Danish West Indies and does not mention Crystal Gade #3. The Settlement Agreement also states that evidence of this conveyance is, by reference, in Exhibit #2. However, in Exhibit #2, the conveyance ends in 1844 with the deed from Jacob Dacosta to the Dutch Reformed Church not to the Government. The St. Thomas Reformed Church has the signed, original payment receipts from Jacob DaCosta dating back to 1845. This document constitutes the entire known title history except for litigation-related matters attached to the 1983 litigation settlement. In our previous email there were many attached documents that are cited. Enclosed with this letter are the payment receipts from 1845 for Crystal Gade #3 signed by DaCosta. The lease DM Hospitality seeks to bring before the Legislature is for Parcel #2C and #3. However, due to the mistake of both the Church and the Government regarding title to Parcel #3 Crystal Gade the proposed lease and the Settlement Agreement that the lease relies on may be null and void. The St. Thomas Reformed Church also has many other objections to the proposed lease with DM Hospitality. We respectfully request the recission of the proposed DM Hospitality lease and ask for the removal of this lease agreement discussion from the Rules Committee meeting agenda scheduled in St Croix on July 10. 2026. We will end with a scripture from 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 1) Therefore. since through God's mercy we have this ministry. we do not lose heart. 2) Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways: we do not use deception. nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary. by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. Dave Whitter, VP of Consistory