Ask Auntie
Curious about possibility of cremation in Cayman
Why can’t bodies be cremated in Cayman? How can someone be cremated? Auntie’s answer: Well, actually, people can be cremated in Cayman and that service is going to be available soon. I believe that before Hurricane Ivan there was a crematorium on island but the storm put an end to that. Bodden Funeral Services has […]
The limit of Cayman’s territorial waters
Does Cayman have its own territorial waters? And if so, are there legally defined geographical limits?
Underage drinking and the law
Two questions have come up about the drinking age in Cayman based on a previous Ask Auntie column (see Legal age for drinking alcohol): 1) In the interest of clarity, which Cayman law prohibits drinking, as opposed to purchasing, alcohol before the age of 18? 2) Surely the 18-year-old age limit only applies to consuming […]
BOTC and the right to work in the UK
Does a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) have permission to work in the UK? Auntie’s answer: No, you need a British passport to be allowed to work in the UK (and other countries in the European Union until Britain actually exits the EU). If you are a BOTC you can apply to get that passport. […]
Query about work permit renewals
What is the stance on companies advertising jobs that are work permit renewals? Is it a requirement that they must note in the ad that it is a work permit renewal? Secondly, how does immigration know whether a qualified Caymanian applied and if indeed someone (expat) is already in the role? Is there a requirement […]
Wants accounting of iguana counters
I would like to find out how many weeks it takes, and money spent, to count iguanas in Little Cayman. Looks like a government vehicle is on the road all day (seven days), not ONE Caymanian among the “counters”. Who pays for all of that? And why can’t we employ Caymanians, since we have so […]
Worried about spraying of insecticide
What chemicals do the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) spray from the plane and from the fogger trucks? I see that there are protests in Miami concerning the spraying of Naled, which is said to cause birth defects of all things. It has caused me to question what we are using and what the […]
Worried about job situation on the Brac
What is being done about the lack of employment on Cayman Brac? Auntie’s answer: I know that the issue of employment, or the lack thereof, is important, especially for our young people finishing school and entering the job market. The end of summer can be a difficult time of year for our recent graduates as […]
Wreck at Rum Point needs to be salvaged
Who is responsible for removing a sunken boat at Rum Point? There’s a 25ft boat that sunk while anchored off Rum Point in about four feet of water and it’s been there for over two months! Children have been playing on it, and we’ve noticed it’s starting to fall apart with all sorts of bits […]
Liability for using unlicensed company
I use the services of a janitorial cleaning company. The persons they send to clean my home are not Caymanians and when I pay for these services the cheque is made to the janitorial cleaning company. I have not checked that the janitorial cleaning company has a trade and business licence nor have I checked […]
The book on home schooling in Cayman
Home schooling is legal in many countries. In the US, parents can home school children and it is regulated by states to varying degrees. The cash allotments are the big draw for home-schooling families: US$1,600 per student for kindergarten through third grade, US$1,800 for grades 4-8, and US$2,000 for grades 9-12. While parents are free to […]
Querying recovery fees when hiring a car
I’m looking into prices to hire a car for some visitors. From previous experience hiring a car on island, I’ve noticed the base price quoted on websites can be wildly different to the total amount charged. It seems one of the reasons for this is a charge for Vehicle Environmental Recovery Fee and Licence Recovery […]
New plan to get rid of the green iguana
With about 500K green iguanas estimated to be now living amongst us and the recent success of the iguana culling week which demonstrated a need for ongoing culling, what is government’s plan to do with this invasive species going forward? Will there be year round culling, will government contract with individuals or will they allow […]
Upset by lack of scruples in society
Auntie, this is a rhetorical question – Why would some XXX scrape up the rear end of your truck (in a parking lot) and then just leave the scene with a smile on their face (because they hadn’t been caught?) In my case, I possibly have CCTV footage which will identify that XXX, so be […]
Landlord stayed in tenant’s condo
My husband and I live at a condo on island that is owned by a woman living in (the US). Upon moving into our condo we found out that the owner had not been to Cayman to see her unit in over 10 years. It needed a lot of work! We told her we would […]
Testing for the Zika virus
Two questions: 1) Can you please confirm what a person with Zika symptoms should do to get tested and what are the costs involved? 2) If I had Zika two months ago and did the test only today or this month since the cost of the test is reasonable, will it still show in the […]
Dealing with alleged corruption
I hear that many people are getting their vehicle inspection in an under-the-counter manner. They contact a certain individual in [a certain district] and take them all the paperwork and an additional CI$100 in cash and later that day the completed paperwork is returned to them. The vehicle is never even looked at. My question […]
The status of Caymanian status
Why does government use the term Caymanian status holder? Why not just say Caymanian? Should it matter if you were born to native Caymanians or not? We all come from mixed races. Families of immigrants over the years the Caymanians should look at their ancestry. Isn’t it racist to label people as Caymanian status holders? When […]
