legal battle to remain in the home she shared with her husband until his death.

Roberta Trott, whose husband Thaddeus was president of Cambridge Beaches and was involved in many other Island properties, faces eviction from a cottage rented from the Sandys Parish resort if she loses.

Mrs. Trott has lived in "All Spice'' following her husband's death in October 1997, but could be forced to leave if Cambridge Beaches win the right to use the property as part of their cottage colony.

The civil court case into the affair started yesterday and is expected to last at least four days, as lawyers argue over whether Mrs. Trott had an agreement on a lease for the home.

Cambridge Beaches and co-plaintiffs Frascati Hotel Co. are also claiming damages in the form of $224,856 in lost revenue from not being able to utilise the property for guests.

And they claim that the widow, who married Mr. Trott in 1990, has not paid rent of $2,100 a month on the home -- which could reap the company up to $595 a day from visitors.

Mr. Trott died at 75, after a career which spanned involvement in the hotels Belmont, Inverurie, Pink Beach, Coral Beach and Cambridge Beaches.

His father, former Premier Sir Howard Trott, bought Cambridge Beaches in 1947 and Mr. Trott junior was president.

Widow fights for home Yesterday, before Pusine Judge Norma Wade-Miller, lawyer Christian Luthi, acting for the plaintiffs, said his clients are seeking possession of the cottage.

"Mrs. Trott has refused to leave the cottage, which has caused Frascati and Cambridge Beaches damage,'' he said.

"They hoped to use it as one of the guest units for the hotel. And there has been no indication of willingness by Mrs. Trott to pay rent.'' In November 1997, the respondent had been given notice to vacate the property by the following February, but failed to comply.

And, Mr. Luthi, argued, Mrs. Trott did not simply become tenant by marrying the existing tenant, Thaddeus Trott. He added that the tenancy was of no fixed term, and although a draft lease was drawn up, it was never signed.

"Mrs. Trott has no legal standing to object,'' he said. "If there was a term of agreement, why hasn't she paid any rent?'' Georgia Marshall, for Mrs. Trott, said there was an oral agreement between the parties that one year after Mr. Trott's death a five-year lease would be entered into.

And until that lease was executed she would continue to be the leasee, she added.

Ms Marshall added that the lease had not been executed and she would be asking the court to direct Cambridge Beaches to do so.