Jamaica's Land Minister Robert Montague has drawn a firm line in the sand for squatters on Crown lands — effective yesterday, anyone who takes over government land will no longer be eligible for any settlement programme.
Montague made the announcement during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament on Tuesday. He also warned that people who sell government lands will be prosecuted, and anyone who buys such land will lose their money.
"So check with the National Land Agency (NLA) before you buy any cheap land. Buying land isn't like buying rice and flour; there's a legal process, but always remember if it sounds too good to be true, then it's not true, so save your money," Montague advised.
The minister revealed that the government has already used drone and spatial surveys to map out what's on Crown lands. "So, if you go on the land after [Tuesday], you'll face consequences," he added.
But the administration isn't just cracking down — Montague said a major programme to address squatting in a structured, orderly, and legitimate way will be announced soon. Intensive discussions and consultations are already under way, he noted.
The government knows there's a need to provide land for the landless, Montague said, but property rights must also be respected. As part of those talks, the government is considering whether to reduce the time required for adverse possession of Crown lands, and whether to increase the period for adverse possession of private lands.
"So check with the National Land Agency (NLA) before you buy any cheap land. Buying land isn't like buying rice and flour; there's a legal process."
For landowners struggling with survey costs, Montague proposed a revolving fund. Landholders with two acres or less can apply for a surveyor fee loan through LAMP. The funds will go directly to the surveyor, and a caveat will be lodged against the title so taxpayers can recover the money.
The government is also rolling out an e-Title system that will alert landowners if someone applies to title their land. Montague said this should reduce the frequency of people trying to take over private lands through adverse possession.
On the housing front, the minister said plans are in place to deliver strata titles to beneficiaries living in schemes owned and maintained by the Ministry of Housing. The ministry owns and maintains 113 such schemes. Starting this year, at least one scheme will be assessed and corrective works done so that it can get a certificate of completion, be strata-titled, and have titles issued to beneficiaries.
As part of hurricane response, the ministry has already helped more than 3,000 people get free copies of documents that were destroyed or damaged.
Montague also said more than 5,000 titles will be produced this financial year and distributed, especially in Western Jamaica. "Our surveyors are currently doing 4,000 surveys, and in partnership with the NHT, we intend to do more," he said.