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Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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A family in San Pedro Town is claiming that they were deceived by a former Government Minister when they tried to purchase a piece of land on the island. 25-year-old Josie Lopez told Love News that they have been trying for over ten years to obtain a property located directly in front of their home. When they approached a certain minister to acquire the land they were told that it was not available for sale or lease since it is Crown land. Fast forward to today and the land is now being sold by a real estate company on the island. The family claims that they have invested time and money in the land as it was not being cleaned or attended to. They say they were later blindsided by the lies and false promises of the minister.

Josie Lopez, Complainant: "She and the other families went and you know cut it down and they started to fill land and invest some time and their money on the place. We use the spot to pull up our boat for it to be painted and we also use it to clean our fish and my mom has always tried to purchase the land from the minister and the councilor and then they have always told her that it couldn't be sold because it's the Queen's Land and they only gave her a permission for I think five years and after that they didn't want to renew the permission. So when she found out a little time after that it was sold then she started to investigate about it more."

Reporter: Permission for what ?

Josie Lopez, Complainant: "A permission that we could use the land."

Reporter: Was that in writing ?

Josie Lopez, Complainant: "Yes it was. After she investigated that it was sold we came directly to _________ and we asked him about it and then he went to Belmopan and then he said he would have tried to get the little piece that was left for the three families that have always been there, has always invested their time there and so it came and nothing came out of it and then right now it's on sale from a guy in Remax. We have attempted to purchase the land and they refused to sell us because they have always said that it's a Queen's Land and it can't be sold. Before the elections he knew, we approached him and then he had us go into his office but then that was after we found out that it was sold. He had us go in his office to sign a paper and he said that he would have taken out the purchase price for the three families that invested back there and then nothing came out of it and since he's out of office now."



LoveFM

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Another Dubious Land Transaction on La Isla Bonita?

Residents near the San Pedro lagoon are up in arms over the purported sale of a property they say had been set aside for the construction of a park.� The sought-after location was being pursued by the Rubio family whose matriarch had been living nearby for over twenty-five years.� Each time she inquired about the vacant waterfront, she was informed that the property was crown land and that it had been designated as a recreational space.� It came to their attention recently, however, that the parcel in question had been sold quietly through a real estate company on the island.� Stephen Rubio, who has for years moored his boat on the empty lot, says that the previous administration underhandedly sold off the property.

On the Phone: Stephen Rubio, Resident, San Pedro

"Well my mother owns a property and has owned a property for over the past twenty-five years on the lagoon side and in front of us is the water side and so for many years she has been pleading with the government for a little title for it and she's been told that it's going to be Queen's land or Crown property and that they can't sell it or won't be allowed to sell it.� This is a property that we've used all these years to pull up our boats and a spit that we use to clean fish and we have several different families involved in the upkeep and the maintenance of this property and we've been getting all this push around and they've told us that they can't sell it.� But now, we notice that there's a real estate sign there and we got to find out that it's already been sold.� I know it's a little bit late, the way it looks.� What I'm trying to get is that all this authority that ended up selling it, you know, it shows the corruption that exists in this ministry because, or the previous administration."

Isani Cayetano

"Whom did you reach out to in an attempt to purchase the property?"

On the Phone: Stephen Rubio

"Well that's what my mother did at the time, she dealt with the person that was in charge of lands.� I don't know who it was, but she always got the same answer that it cannot be sold because it's Crown land, Crown property, but yet now we see a real estate sign there and we find out that it's been sold.� I mean for all that we have invested, the thousands of dollars that we have invested in this area, us and all the other families that use this area to pull up their boats and do the fishing, we feel that it's not fair, you know, and we feel like we are liable for some kind of compensation and for us it's more a public awareness effort so that any relevant authority and the general public can look at this and know that, you know, it's a bad deal then."

Isani Cayetano

"I understand that there is also a portion of the property that just out into the sea that has been reclaimed."

On the Phone: Stephen Rubio

"Yeah, you know it's basically the water that they are extending out and adding more topper to it."

Isani Cayetano

"At any point in time, was there ever an attempt to reach out to the area representative to see if he could intervened in this whole scenario?"

On the Phone: Stephen Rubio

"Yes, well that recently happened before this elections, you know, he promised that he would help us with the title because we live right in front of it, so I believe that we should be the ones to have the first choice, you know, if they decided to sell it."

No Preference Given to Neighbors in Purchase of San Pedro Land

According to Rubio, he is unaware of who the new owner of the property is, suffice to say that they were never given first preference when it came to the purchase of the land, despite many years of effort to legally obtain it.

On the Phone: Stephen Rubio, Resident, San Pedro

"Well I am not really sure who the owner is but I know REMAX is the real estate agent that has the sign up there."

Isani Cayetano

"Going back a bit, you mentioned that you wanted to seek compensation for whatever you've invested in that property, based on what you've described as a liability.� Who would you seek this kind of relief from, would you be pursuing a suit against the Government of Belize through the Ministry of Natural Resources?"

On the Phone: Stephen Rubio

"Well, I would just, I think the person that pocketed money and, you know, did all this transaction is the one that's responsible to at least compensate us with a little portion of whatever they illegally did, you know.� My main thing is how much it's going to affect us.� This waterside access for us to be able to pull up our boats every year, now we won't be able to do that.� This is where we come and clean our fish and, you know, in this COVID time it's gonna be an extra expense for us to go to Belize City or go to a boatyard to do the necessary maintenance of our boats, you know.� We really feel like it's not fair the way the government played us behind our backs and went and sold it to somebody else when we should have been given the first priority to own the property."

Channel 5


Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Minister Andre Perez comments on land query on Ambergris caye

Area Representative for Belize Rural South Andre Perez has told our newsroom that he is familiar with a land issue that we reported on yesterday. The complaint was by a family in San Pedro Town over land they had been trying to purchase for over a decade. The family says that when they approached the previous minister they were told that the land is Crown land and will not be sold. Fast forward today and the land is now on a listing of a realty company and is up for sale. Perez told Love News that he tried helping but to no avail.

Andre Perez, Area Representative for Belize Rural South: "Sad to say that it is one of many and I will tell you that very much I'm very familiar with that specific issue I know the family and families involved in there, there are several families that became disenfranchised and I do know all the different people involved in this piece of property and everything. Yes sad to say that the previous representative is responsible for these things and for many other land issues that I have inherited and it's a whole heap of problems that we're inheriting as far as land is concerned and it's not only limited to Ambergris Caye but it's also in San Pedro as well and I'm saddened about that one there where the families- I tried to investigate prior to elections and when I found the truth is that it's the damage had been done already all the lands and everything. And it's Crown Lands it's really those lands where these families have been there including his family members where they're sitting for so many years so it's sadden that it went to private hands when it could have been easily given or some kind of agreement to the three families that were there so it's sad."

LoveFM


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