The action has taken tenants by surprise, who have refused to sign
Vendors are opposed to leases, because since the market was founded no lease contract has ever been issued. Photo: Archive.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía: The renovation of the Jocotepec market not only includes the rehabilitation of the building over the last two years, but there will also be changes in the way in which the City Hall wants to manage the marketplace.
Jocotepec Mayor José Miguel Gómez López said the only way to put an end to the problems of subletting, non-payment of electricity, theft of electricity (known as «diablitos«), non-payment of monthly rent, among others, is to extend an individual lease contract to each merchant.
«There are around 40 percent of the tenants who have not made their payments regularly and have owed for years», said the mayor, who has been inflexible in the situation and asserted that, if necessary, he will not hesitate to use public force.
Also, the new measure seeks to provide legal security over the space, since according to Municipal Trustee Carlos Zúñiga Chacón, no tenant currently has documentation that proves their concession regarding the commercial premises, and «an authority could come and evict them since they cannot prove their right of possession», explained the official.
This is why in recent weeks the City Council has summoned three to four of the approximately 50 merchants who work in the market to persuade them to sign, explained Juan Manuel Cuevas, who is in charge of the market.
For Manuel Cuevas, who views the measure favorably, the misinformation among the merchants has led to some of them not wanting to sign the contract, because they fear that not only will they lose their seniority, but they will be more vulnerable to any incoming government taking away the concession that many of them have had for generations.
«When they wanted to make us sign, we asked about the benefits we would have, which they did not explain to us, and so far they have not called us to a formal meeting to tell us what it is all about, so we did not want to risk it», commented one of the many merchants affected by the uncertainty regarding the new measure.
So far, the only information available is that the measure is expected to take effect in January 2022 and that the contracts will be valid for three years (with the possibility of renewal), said Juan Manuel Cuevas, who added that the rent increase will be in accordance with the monthly payment currently being made.
«Currently, we pay 270 pesos per month. When I asked if there would be any increase now with the contract, they told me that it will go up to 280, 290 at the most; only 30 pesos», explained Juan Manuel, after consulting with his lawyer.
Finally, the mayor asserted that this measure will send the message that the market does not belong to the tenants, it belongs to the City Hall, he explained.
Translated by Kerry Watson
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