Mikado owner tells insurance company to pay up

The fire was back on March twenty-sixth and while construction is underway for the landmark building in downtown Belize City, the proprietors are crying foul. Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
At the site of the former Romac’s, a banner has been placed high above the construction site for everyone to see; a message to Atlantic Insurance to pay its client, Umesh Mahitani. Mahitani, the businessman who has ran Mikado for thirty years, says he doesn’t know about the banner but he wants the insurance company to pay up.

Jose Sanchez
“There’s a nice bright sign that says “A. Insurance you need to pay us.” Did you put up that sign? Where did it come from?”

Umesh Mahitani, Wants Insurance Paid
“It just fall out of the sky. I haven’t seen it yet so I have to go look myself. Romac’s was mainly a retail business; we had parts of it rented out to different tenants inside there who are actually anxiously waiting for it to come back and they want to move back in there, most of them.”

Jose Sanchez
“Since the fire, you’ve stated that you do have an insurance policy?”

Umesh Mahitani
“We do have a policy, yes, which has not been paid as yet. We’re hoping very soon.”

Jose Sanchez
“Can you tell us a little about the policy itself; what it covers?”

Umesh Mahitani
“It covers the building, the inventory, and the generator that we had there but as to how long it will take to get our settlement we’re not sure yet.”

Jose Sanchez
“How long have you been waiting?”

Umesh Mahitani
“It’s close to eight months now.”

And while Mahitani is waiting for Atlantic Insurance to show him the money, there are business persons such as Elizabeth Trujillo who is also waiting with him. For four years Trujillo owned and operated Cellmart within the Romac’s building. Her business was burnt but not destroyed and she intends to re-open in Mahitani’s new building.

Elizabeth Trujillo, Owner, Cellmart
“I was a operating as a cell phone charger and a little bit of electronics outlet. Eventually, I branched off to internet and added on an internet section which I still have here right now—I expanded here. Until the unfortunate fire, I use to sell PC games, X-box games, Playstation games, more in the electronic area. The unfortunate fire that occurred in March last year …I had to find another downtown location. Unfortunately, this area is not as trafficable as the Albert Street area. Well, I’m looking forward to when Umesh opens his new location.”

Jose Sanchez
“You will put an outlet there?”

Elizabeth Trujillo
“Well, what I plan to do—I’m not sure if I really want to move away from here, but I plan to open an outlet there.”

Jose Sanchez
“What is the insurance company saying?”

Umesh Mahitani
“They haven’t said very much actually. The last time I met with them they said they are in denial of the claim. For what reasons, I don’t know. They made an offer which is quarter of the value of the policy and how that works, out I don’t know but I will have to seek legal council and see how that goes from there.”

Jose Sanchez
“Now that you’re waiting, are any of the businesses that used to operate in your building, waiting for you to rebuild?”

Umesh Mahitani
“It’s been a long time to recheck with them and see what their status is and go from there.”

Elizabeth Trujillo
“I am definitely looking forward into going back in there because the business is more, definitely. Definitely! There are people who come here. Yes of course, I do business from here but not in the way I did when I was in Romac’s definitely not.”

After calling Atlantic Insurance Company Limited regarding the Mahitani claim, this morning around eleven o’clock a representative said the claim was in process, by two-thirty this afternoon, the claims department’s official comment was “no comment”.

Jose Sanchez
“If the insurance company doesn’t follow through. You’re gonna take them to court? What’s the plan?”

Umesh Mahitani
“We got no choice but to go to court then.”

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Mahitani says that they hope the building will be complete by July 2009. However, he says he can’t complete the construction without the funds from his insurance policy.