Just got this message from Bert and Jeanette and feel it is such a shame. I really love them both and had hoped it would work out for them.
Anyone got any suggestions about where to get our air from now?
Dear friends,
When a dream switches to a nightmare it is time to wake up.
From as today Bert and Jeannette Hagting are not longer involved
with the Dive Inn Bonaire N.V.
For info and explanation you can reach us at ex.diveinnbonaire@yahoo.com.
We are staying on the island and hopefully we can be at your service in the future.

Yours sincerely,
Bert en Jeannette Hagting.


Geachte vrienden,
Als een droom omslaat in een nachtmerrie is het tijd om de ogen te openen.
Vanaf heden zijn Bert en Jeannette Hagting op geen enkele wijze meer betrokken
bij de Dive Inn Bonaire N.V.
Voor informatie en verklaringen kunt U ons bereiken via ex.diveinnbonaire@yahoo.com
Wij blijven op Bonaire en hopen U in de toekomst ook van dienst te kunnen zijn.
Hoogachtend,
Bert en Jeannette Hagting.

This IS very sad news...they've had their dream for so long, finally got it...then to have it taken away...it's just not right!!
BUT, they aren't leaving the island!! This is good!! So, you know that they will go on, be happy and prosper!! That's just who they are, fantastic people!! They have a following, so where ever they go, we can all follow and benefit from having such great friends as them!!
Bert & Jeannette, Good Luck on your next venture!! We will all be behind you, again/still, helping you with your dreams!!
We love you!!

Bert and Jeanette, you guys are the best! Please let us know where you are and what your plans are! BEST OF LUCK!

Got the same email, news sucks. They are great people and are two of the many things my wife and I love about Bonaire. Glad they are staying on the island and I am sure we will here where Bert is very soon.

Patrick

They didn't lose their dream. They sold it.

For the full unbiased story why not check the court records instead of relying on gossip. Check February 8, 2008. It is public record and therefore accessible to anyone.

Some nightmares are self imposed.

i would have to think it's really hard to run/keep up a business on bonaire, especially a diveshop operation...lots of competition if nothing else...

without knowing the couple involved i can just speculate they were "too" nice, trusting whatever and maybe that "did them in"? seems like a similar thing may have recently happened to a resort owner that posts here occassionally?

again, just speculation;)

If the record is in the public domain perhaps someone will post a copy here. Court records on Bonaire are not very accessible to us here on BT.

And perhaps Fid Chinoy will follow BT guidelines and identify himself in posts as the (new) owner of Dive Inn.

Just a quiet comment.

I am not a new owner. I have been half owner since late last September.

Perhaps Glen should know what he is talking about before posting.

Bert and Jeannette have provided an email address if anyone is interested in more information. I wonder if they will take the effort to post the court records or just spread gossip to gain pity. Why not write them and find out?

While you are at it why not ask them why they stood in front of a judge to demand their shares be bought out, and then whine about "losing" their dream. Once again they sold it and they set the price in front of a judge, so where is the "loss". It couldn't have been much of a dream.

Gee Fid, why don't you explain what happened since you are here on BT and talking about it? Why pass the buck? Do you have something to hide? I would be very interested in hearing your side, especially since you were in court yourself.

Fid, on second thought, don't explain. I don't think legal matters should be aired on BT. JMHO.

On third thought how did this end up on "DIVING"

I am curious to know why this has suddenly become bad news. Bert and Jeanette wanted out of the business so they could return to Holland. We paid them their asking price without any negotiation. They asked the judge to make us formally sign a document binding us to buy them out and that is what we did.

How did that turn into "bad news" for them? Why is Debbie insinuating I have something to hide?

Sometimes when your dreams come true you realize they are not what you thought they would be, and you don't want it anymore. It may be easier to point fingers and blame other people for your disappointment, but that does not make it right.

Lloyd, I think the reason this is on "Diving" is because it impacts on someone who has been in the dive business for many years (Bert) and it also impacts on the people who have strong feelings of loyalty and respect for Bert.

We all need to stand up and take responsibility for our decisions and our actions and not take the easy way out by pointing fingers. It is ridiculous believe that a court in a Dutch territory would allow two foreigners to run roughshod over a Dutch citizen's "dream".

Fid, glad to hear that you are still at the Dive Inn, and come may 7th Diane and I will be over to see you and dive cha cha beach! Yes, Bert is a nice guy, but so are you! Have a little compassion for the people that know Bert, they see him on his good side as I do. Brings me back to the old saying "partners are for dancing!" I enjoyed meeting you when last on Bonaire, and will continue our friendship when we return. Your Friend, Ron

Fid,

You will notice that I put 'new' in parentheses precisely because I did not know the situation: you didn't say in the thread that you were a part owner (yes, I know, now sole owner). Perhaps you should read more carefully.

And since you are making snide remarks about your former co-owners (and also the BT posters), perhaps you should explain the situation fully, especially since you opened the 'legal' part. At present you sound like the bad guy, as you can see from the posts above. Your choice.

I suspect your words here to date will not help you (as owner) with diving readers on BT.

This thread sure turned into a mess!

A private email, open for very strong negative interpretation about a business on Bonaire, was posted with out any of the basic facts, by a moderator. It even was posted with an email address for people to get the one sided details. And then it seems to have evolved into what could be seen as somewhat of an attack on the business owner.

I understand it is human nature to defend friends. And the initial well wishes for B & J was fine. And I see that it was necessary for Coco Palm Gardens to be defended when a thread from a new individual started as an open vicious attack on a Bonaire business.

That said; Ron, thank you for a breath of fresh air.

I don't know the details and I am disapointed in the recent rash of negativiy on various threads. I hope this trend can be chalked up to an alignment of the stars or sun spots or something and we can soon get back to sharing the good, supporting our beloved Bonaire,and nicely discussing any concerns. This is good timing for Thursday Funnies. Frid, good luck with your continuing business at Dive Inn. B & J, best of wishes for your future.

OK, Everybody take a deep breath, and exhale completely.

Pegi Sue started the allegation that B&J hadf their "dream taken away" Well I don't see any information posted to that effect. What Julia posted from the couple is that "when a dream turns into a nightmare it is time to wake up." That does not indicate anyone "stole" their dream; it maybe more indicates that they were not prepared for the reality of their dream.

It's always sad when businesses you rely on suddenly close or change hands; it is an inevitable part of life.

Dear Fid, I don't see where anybody attacked you. We have no access to public court records on Bonaire, which are in Dutch to boot. So suggesting that it is easy for anyone to access those records is foolish. Speculation will occur in the absence of information.

Seb......you took the words right out of my mouth!!!

LaDonna

I just want to say this for the record:

Fid, I do not know you, NOR do I know B&J personally. I have NOT done business with either of you. I posted my original comments as a gut reaction to your definitive statements, which I don't know is true or not, and some not so nice about the other party. Nothing more than that.

Seb, Thank you, Said well.

After sleeping on things, all I can here is that business partnerships can be very difficult and only the people actually involved in them know what happened.

I also see that I cannot possibly add anything to this thread beneficial not knowing all the facts, so will refrain from further comments.

I wish the best to ALL involved, whatever that might be.

Perhaps I will be able to bring some good news about Dive Inn.
Recently I found out that not only Bert and Jeanette woke up from a nightmare but so did their former partners.
Let me state first that a know Bert and Jeanette for a long time (as one knows people living on a small island) and that we are friendly when we meet occasionally. I met their partners as "sole owners to be" less than two weeks ago when they approached the Dive Friends Bonaire Group to sell their shares in Dive Inn. I am a non executive board member of DFB and attended in this position the meetings that followed on their request.
Their story is that they are longtime visitors of Bonaire who love the island very much and that they have started a partnership in Dive Inn some six months ago.
We do not know the ins and outs of what happened but it appears that for both parties the dream bursted like a bubble of air while rising to the surface.
It is a pitty that friends sometimes become enemies in business.

Yesterday the former partners of Bert and Jeanette ended up with 100% of the shares and a strong urge to leave Bonaire and to resume their work in Northern America.

Two of the senior board members made their first discover scuba dive at Dive Inn back in 1995 and we became OWD's at the same place.
Anyhow we have always loved Dive Inn, considering it as a pearl of the Bonaire Diving Industry. In short, Dive Friends Bonaire has bought the shares of Dive Inn and hopes to re-open within a few days.
Until this time, air can be obtained at the locations Yellow Submarine, Port Bonaire and Hamlet Oasis. Courses will be given temporarely at Yellow Submarine. DFB will take over all obligations that the former owners made to their diving customers.

We really hope that Bert and Jeanette will find a new and happy dream in the Dive Industry of Bonaire and that Andrew and Fid will decide to remain regular visitors of Bonaire.

Thanks Jan for your post. Wishing Dive Friends much success with your new business venture!

Ditto what you said about B&J and Andrew and Fid. May each of them find happiness in whatever they so choose to do.

Good luck to all.

WOW...Jan, thank you for telling us the rest of the story.

Best of luck to all involved.

"All's well that ends well'. Dive Inn looks like a good addition to Dive Friends Bonaire.

A good close-out to this thread. TKS, Jan.

(Message edited by glenr on March 13, 2008)

Thank you for stopping this i have stayed out of it. and glad to see it stopped. looking forward to stopping by dive inn when i get to bonaire again who knows maybe bert will be asked to run i think that will be nice.