In a significant escalation of tensions within the Caribbean Estate Citizens Association (CECA), the governing board has formally rejected demands for its collective resignation from 102 homeowners in St. Catherine’s upscale Bernard Lodge community. The confrontation follows a damning auditor’s report revealing $2.7 million in unaccounted association funds between 2023 and 2025.
Led by Chairman Cecil Gordon, the nine-member board dismissed the March 16, 2026 petition as ‘without merit’ in a sharply worded response dated March 25. The board directed homeowners to previously circulated correspondence addressing management concerns and emphasized the imminent scheduling of a long-overdue Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The financial discrepancies were uncovered by chartered accountants Greejen, who confirmed on March 12, 2026 that $2,707,563 remained unexplained during the three-year period when no financial statements were submitted to residents. The audit revealed serious gaps in financial transparency and governance compliance.
Homeowners cited multiple legal violations including breaches of Section 153 of Jamaica’s Companies Act (2004), which mandates annual presentation of audited financial statements. The petition highlighted ‘flagrant breaches of fiduciary duty and governance obligations’ and demanded an Extraordinary General Meeting to address:
– Unexplained inconsistencies in financial management
– Disclosure issues regarding CECA funds
– Property management implementation concerns
– GCT registration requirements for maintenance fees
The board countered that concerns were already being addressed through recent communications and argued that holding separate emergency meetings would constitute financial wastefulness. Gordon’s administration maintained that the requested resignations were ‘unfounded’ and improperly presented, while reaffirming their commitment to resolving matters through the upcoming AGM.
The Caribbean Estate community, known for its security and landscaped grounds along Dunbeholden Road near Portmore, remains divided as both sides prepare for potentially contentious governance meetings.