The following story originally appeared in Spanish in La Voz Hispana Connecticut. It was translated into English by Daniela Brighenti.
Jesarel Calixto, an immigrant hailing from Tlaxcala, Mexico, is the proprietor of his own business Calixto Landscaping, LLC, a company that deals with gardening, tree trimmings and other services. He came to us to report that the nursing home “Paradigm Healthcare” has not paid him sums amounting to $10,000 that it owes Calixto for work performed in its two buildings, located at 181 Clifton St. in New Haven and 310 Terrace Ave.in West Haven.
“Last year, I signed a contract with ‘Paradigm’ to maintain all their installations during the winter season,” he told us. “In the contract — which I signed before November of last year — I agreed with [Paradigm] to remove any accumulated snow from the two locations.”
At first, everything went well, and in February of this year Calixto Landscaping received a first payment, a check for the sum of $5,000. But from then on, everything changed. As Jesarel Calixto alleges, the nursing home refused to continue paying for the work done, claiming that the company had changed owners and business name. It now is called Regal Health of West Haven.
“The contract stipulated that if more than two inches of snow piled up, I had to start removing the ‘white element,’” he told us. “Based on the snow that fell this winter, I can say that the debt accumulates to about $10,000.”
Calixto added that when he signed the contract with the company, “I put in the bottom of the document that for every late payment, I would charge them 1.5 percent interest. However, that $10,000 debt doesn’t include the interest they owe me in late fees.”
The young Tlaxcaleño told us he has been talking to two managers from Paradigm Healthcare Center. “The one from West Haven is named Lindon, and the one from Clifton Street goes by the name of Joe. When I went to collect my second payment, they told me they could not do anything if my check did not come.”
Jesarel Calixto was shocked. He could not believe it.
Amidst all the negative, the Mexican immigrant began looking for the person in charge of handling the company’s finances, but he heard the same story. “They gave me the phone number of a coordinator at Paradigm, the man responsible for all payments. And when I contacted him, he told me: You know what, I can not give you payments because the company went bankrupt.”
According to Calixto’s account, the company that owes him the money is still functioning in its same two locations. The only difference is that now it operates under the name Regal Care of New Haven and West Haven Care of Regal. “Despite the name change, everything still remains the same there,” argued Jesarel. “And more.:The same guy that told me he would not pay me because they had no money, he is still working there. And that is despite the fact that they told me that he was going to be laid off because according to accounts he was not doing his job well. There the man still is, while I look for ways to recover what is mine … “
And so the owner of “Calixto Landscaping” has been trapped in this coming and going in recent months. And he still has not managed to get paid his money. Thus, he decided to see the representatives of the activist group Unidad Latina en Accion and agreed to talk to La Voz Hispana Connecticut to try to get justice for his case.
In his desperation to get “Paradigm” to honor the contract they entered into, Jesarel Calixto has been communicating via text messages with the man who handles the company’s finances, who answers to the name Kevin. This was one of the messages exchanged between the two parties.
“Calixto: What happened with my money?
“Kevin: Nothing good. I’m working on payments. The problem is that Paradigm no longer has any ownership in the company and our funds have been cut for now. I am not able to provide money at the present time. I am extremely sorry. I will keep you informed of when you will get more money. But the ownership of the company has been transferred to another company.
“Unfortunately, I have no news for you right now. I have not forgotten you. It’s just that I do not have that money. “
La Voz Hispana de Connecticut has tried to communicate with “Kevin,” but two attempts have been unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the young owner of Calixto Landscaping LLC hopes confidently that justice will come for him. No one has the right to play with the sweat and toil of others in such a way.
Before this nursing home went by the name of Paradigm Healthcare Center. Today, its new business name is Regal Care of West Haven or Regal Care of New Haven.