Businesswoman has coffin left beside her business premises

A BUSINESSWOMAN has spoken out about her experience of facing alleged harassment from her landlord.

Mercy Munnife has been living in Waterford for over 15 years, raising her family and running the Techiman Market, located at 43a Morgan Street in Ballybricken.

Her shop specialises in Afro-Caribbean food and goods and is frequented by many people in the local community.

Over the past number of months, Mercy has been deeply affected by numerous strange incidents, including, but not limited to, changed locks, missing signs, smashed toilets and the placing of a coffin by her business premises. The coffin was left with no explanation or warning, and had to be removed by the local authority.

The incidents have affected not only Mercy, but her family and friends. Mercy feels that her landlord is trying to force her out of the building, rather than go through the correct process.

Mercy has been running the Techiman Market for over a decade.

She has had her locks changed without her knowledge, had her sign taken away and has lost business due to the ordeal.

Until 2020, Mercy had been paying rent to the property owner without issue. Waterford News and Star was told that she had a ‘broad’ lease with the former property owner.

In 2020, the property was bought by local undertaker Luke Hennessy. She received a letter at the time informing her that rent would now be paid to the new owner, with no reference to any kind of tenancy agreement or lease.

In May 2024, Mercy received a ‘notice of termination’ letter from a solicitor, which stated that property owner Luke Hennessey’s “good will gesture” was “now over”.

The letter read: “The owner wishes to commence building works relating to their undertaking business.” Since then, Mercy and her family have experienced numerous upsetting incidents.

The toilets have been smashed to pieces on at least two occasions.

The locks to part of the store were changed without Mercy’s knowledge or consent, and she was not given a key, essentially locked away from her own supplies.

Her sign was taken down without her knowledge, which she fears has cost her customers. At night, figures walking around the outskirts of the store have been captured on CCTV.

Contacting college In September 2024, University of Galway’s Postgraduate Admissions were sent an email from Mercy’s landlord seeking to contact her daughter Tracey, at her place of education.

As he may have considered her daughter and advocate for his tenant, the email, sent at 4.37am from the property owner, claimed that Tracey’s mother may have blocked Mr Hennessey’s number (Mercy and Tracey deny this) and stated “they were kindly asked to vacate a property I recently bought, as we are waiting to commence building works, and I need to know is there any valuables they want to get before we dispose of everything.” The email also said: “I was told she’s enrolled with your good selves to study human rights…hopefully course (sic) commences soon as that may help her see vacating is the right thing to do.” Tracey was highly disturbed by this communication, and why he would contact her in this way.

Horror A hearse has been parked bedside the shop and Mercy has asked for a shield to be put on the vehicle for the comfort of her customers, but her pleas have gone ignored.

The hearse is especially upsetting for Tracey, who lost her father some years ago.

In November 2024, Mercy discovered to her horror that an empty coffin, with dirt in it and on the damaged coffin lid - which appeared to have been prised open - had been left in the storage shed, beside her bins.

The shed area is open right next to the shop entrance, and was immediately visible to anyone approaching.

The open shed is to the left of the store entrance, as pictured.

Her daughter Tracey filmed the grim discovery, commenting: “There is, legit, a coffin in my mum’s shed storage.” The camera zooms in further to show dirty brown water inside the coffin. She said: “I don’t even know where the water is coming from.” Mercy said: “It was left right there, no explanation, nothing.” The placement of the coffin greatly disturbed not just mother and daughter, but their own friends and family.

A Waterford City and County Council Environmental Department worker came out to take away the coffin. Mercy called the Gardaí for help but found little recourse.

A spokesperson for the Council confirmed the removal of the coffin, with the following statement: “Following complaints, Waterford City and County Council’s Environment Department removed an old, display coffin on November 14, 2024. The coffin, which was badly damaged and waterlogged, was removed from beneath an old shed on Morgan Street.” According to Mercy, the Gardaí see the dispute as a ‘civil matter’ requiring no further action.

'Unfair'

The ordeal is taking its toll on Mercy and her family, causing many a sleepless night. Mercy has worked hard for many years to make the market a success in Waterford.

“When I came to Ireland, I didn’t take social welfare, I didn’t take anything,” she said.

“I am a human being, there is a way to treat people. This is not the way.” Friends and family have described the behaviour as unfair.

Luke Hennessy was reached for comment on the incidents described but was not willing to speak on record about the incidents.