As the issue of land grabbing continues to be a major thorn in Government's side, unscrupulous "squat lords" are proving to be an equally challenging problem, cashing in on large sums from desperate people in search of house or land. According to head of the Land Settlement Agency (LSA) Dr Allen Sammy, alarming statistics revealed that 25 per cent of squatters were "renting" from people who moved on to State lands and unlawfully erected structures on at least five different locations which fell under the purview of the LSA. Sammy said the sites include parts of River Estate in Diego Martin like Tomato Trace, Cicada and Waterwheel Road, Khalay at Pasea in Tunapuna, KP Lands in Valencia, Pine Settlement in Sangre Grande and Warden Road in Point Fortin. On other sites which also fall under the jurisdiction of the LSA, Sammy estimated the figure to be between 20 and 25 per cent. He said the LSA also received information that at Waterwheel Road, a "squat lord" built an eight-room apartment building on State land and was renting it out. Saying the problem of "squat lords" was a new challenge, Sammy said the LSA initially believed that the issue of "squat lords was in the minority."
It was only when surveys were conducted by the LSA's Social Surveys Department a year ago that the agency was made aware that "squat lords" controlled a booming business. Sammy estimated that one sixth of T&T's population was squatting which is equivalent to 250,000 people. Of that figure, Sammy said, between 180,000 and 200,000 people were squatting on State lands. Seventeen to 23 per cent of squatters were on a combination of State and private land, he added. "We are conducting a social analysis and at the end of this year we would have an idea of how many "squat lords" were operating in the country. "After the analysis we are fearful that this figure may be consistent throughout the country. This is a new phenomenon we are facing," Sammy said. He said the areas where there was a recent explosion of fresh squatting included Wallerfield, Sangre Grande and Point Fortin. Wallerfield especially, Sammy said, experienced a new upsurge of squatters, many of whom seemed to be "squat lords."
How 'squat lords' operate
"Squat lords" as the name connotes, lay claim to land they do not own. Sammy explained that they would move onto a parcel of land, clear it and in some cases divide it into small lots. The "squat lords" would then build a home which could comprise a wooden shack or concrete structure and then rent it out.
Sammy said in some instances "squat lords" were posing as official representatives of the State and claiming certain land, particularly agricultural land as their own. "These 'squat lords' are taking advantage of the system because they are unscrupulous and are taking advantage of poor people. "The LSA cannot break down anyone but these people build with impunity and they rent with impunity," Sammy added. He said at the end of the day tenure would be granted, where eligible, to people occupying the dwelling, not the person renting it. People living on these lands before 1998 who would have applied for a certificate of comfort would be eligible for consideration, Sammy said. Any others who have rented or erected thereafter are not protected under the law. How could the LSA effectively stamp out "squat lords?"
While Sammy gave assurances that the issue would be dealt with urgency he said, however, it is up to the LSA's board to make and implement the initiatives. "We have never really understood before how big this problem really is. "We must deal with "squat lords" but the LSA board will have to make the recommendations," Sammy said. In other instances land or dwellings "owned" by "squat lords" are being sold. At Mt Carmel in Valencia, one resident said he bought a lot of land for $12,000 two years ago.
"I get a receipt but it was made out in such a way that it did not say I purchase the land. "The receipt said it was for work done on the land," the resident added. He explained that people who moved onto the land would lay claim to it by conducting slash and burn agriculture. They would then divide the land into parcelsn by conducting their own surveys and build shacks. These were in turn rented to poor families or sold. The resident said because there was "a rush to buy land" at Mt Carmel the area has become saturated. Calls made to the cell phone of chairman of LSA's board Nisha Mathura-Allahar went unanswered up to yesterday. Messages left during the week were also not responded to.
Properties abandoned
Squatters have also been capitalising on hundreds of acres of abandoned private properties along the East West corridor including prime property at Chaguaramas. Anthony Ramnarine, Conservator of Forests of the Forestry Division, said for the first time, his department was seeking to undertake an inventory to locate owners of private properties which seemed to be abandoned. The area, Ramnarine added, included a large chunk of the Northern Range, spanning from Arima to Chaguaramas. Ramnarine said the initiative was sparked after his officers were repeatedly summoned to fight fires over the years and in doing so realised that the properties appeared abandoned. He said fighting of fires on private land also raised legal implications including whether forestry officers had the lawful authority to venture onto such properties without permission. "We have a job to protect the environment but the whole question of going onto private property without proper authorisation to put out fires raises some legal concerns and we need this clarified.
"While we are saving the environment I want to make sure my officers have the authorisation to enter private lands at the same time," Ramnarine said. He said some of the land owners might not even be aware of their entitlement since many may have migrated. "These are lands which have been in generations for years, some may be as long as 100 years. "Some people have died and there was probably no one to claim the land while others migrated. "We have not conducted an inventory but we suspect some squatting is taking place on the abandoned lands," Ramnarine said. He said locating the owners is urgent as 'slash and burn' agriculture which was also occurring on the private lands was directly contributing to flooding at the foothills of the Northern Range.
Thousands to be relocated
The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) has been mandated with a monumental task.
To locate the property of the Trinidad and Tobago Railway line which spans throughout the length and breadth of the country. But to achieve this, thousands of squatters who have made the line their home must be removed. And in the process, according to PTSC's chairman Devant Maharaj, every factory, Mosque and Mandir located on the line must also be relocated. "We have a mandate from our line minister, Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner to reclaim the railway line and we must carry out that mandate. "We cannot discriminate between someone owning a board house and a mega factory. Everyone must be moved," Maharaj said. Describing the move as "very sensitive" and one that must be done with extreme care Maharaj said the process would not commence this year.
He said, however, the exercise would include "massive planning and consultation," adding that the PTSC's Property Department played a key role in retrieving the railway line. "It would indeed be a massive dislocation of people who may be on the property for a number of years. Where we start and when, that's another question. "We will be going in and removing people just so. In some instances we don't know where parts of the line lay because people have ripped them out and because of that the train line identity has been lost in the haze of time. "But the LSA (Land Settlement Agency) is trying to help us," Maharaj said. He said the PTSC would also be seeking assistance from England in its quest to recover records regarding the original route of the train line. He said once that was achieved the line would be transformed into "arteries" of the T&T transportation system forming a national plan which would also encompass expansion of the Priority Bus Route. "Where the train line used to run throughout the country, those would be established as feeder roads, in areas where we could put roads. "In other areas we would establish transportation hubs, garages and depots for maxis and taxis," Maharaj said.
Sites
Some squatter sites in east Trinidad identified by the LSA:
Tatoo Road (1)
Plantation Road (2)
Benny Road (3)
Clarence Road (4)
Valencia North (5)
Valencia South (6)
Farmland (7)
Blake Ave (8)
Bois Bande (10)
Picton Road (9)
Pine Settlement (11)
Graham Trace (12)
Quash Trace (13)
Kangalee (14)
KP Lands, La Platta (15)
New City, Valencia (16)
Cumuto Road (17)