Reply from Jim Hurt

To all who are concerned about Sea Splash:

Here is the story of exactly what is going on at Sea Splash. Last November, I arrived in Negril on other business to find Sea Splash closed and the bar and restaurant shut down. I asked and was allowed to stay there at a nominal fee. While there, I spoke with Patrick Lawe and was told that he and his brother had the property up for sale. I began negotiations with my business partner Ted and I going through several drafts of a sales contract with the Lawe brothers. We finally agreed on a deal and we took over the property officially on December 1st as the registered owners of the property and business and we formed our own corporation and also registered the "Trading as" name of Sea Splash Hotel. We opened a bank account and started operating the hotel, bar, and restaurant and re-hired all 37 employees who had previously been laid off. Our contract with the Lawe's utilized a temporary lease period, a down payment, and a vendor's mortgage which was to be finalized by a certain date. There were several key things in the contract which were to be done by the Lawe's and their attorney that were not completed. We were assured by the Lawes that this would be no problem and all was well. We put up a substantial cash deposit and also invested a large sum of our own money to rebuild the bar, deck, and restaurant and to repair the infrastructure at the hotel which had been ignored for years. One week ago, Patrick Lawe walked in the hotel at 9am with his attorney and a security guard and informed me that because the contract had not been followed to the letter, he was taking over and evicting us from the property immediately with no compensation for anything that we had done. My lawyer informed me that, while unethical, he was within his legal rights to do so and we will have to fight him in court. I since have found out that several key employees have been in constant contact with the Lawe's and this was their plan all along. I unfortunately have no control over what happens there right now but the fight is not over. I will keep in touch via this board or feel free to email me at mrhurt@aol.com and I will answer all inquiries. I apologize for any inconvenience but please be assured my intentions are and always have been the best for Sea Splash and Negril in general.