Residents knew lot was his, says landowner

On Thursday we told the story of three families in Ladyville who were evicted from their homes in a dispute over land. Today the landowners who successfully had them put out tells us that the residents knew all along the land was not theirs and simply played the fool.

Jose Castillo, Landowner

“We went to the people and showed them that we had the lease, we had paid our tax and we are trying to purchase it, so there is no use trying to clear the land or thinking they will get the land. What they paid for is a false document. They should have cancelled our lease before giving it to them, and they did not. Everything they did was not with the right procedure, and from then on we had problems with those people before they started to build. It’s not like they went there, built, and afterwards we went there and purchased their property, like how they try to put it over the media. We have here stating that the lease that they had from the government, they cancelled it. We have it here from the Minister of lands, Mr. Neal right.”

“It’s not like I didn’t care for my land and I didn’t clean it and care for it. I was there during all the time before they started to build. I asked them not to build, but they just went ahead and do what they wanted to do.”

Jose Sanchez

“If another piece of property was offered to you at this point, would you take it?”

Jose Castillo

“I would not.”

Jose Sanchez

“Why is that?”

Jose Castillo

“The government give me a copy that they will relocate them. I spend money on that place to develop it, full it up, the culvert…All the filling you see, I put it there. Not them.”

Castillo claims that, contrary to the court order the three families spent last night on the property and did not go to any shelter.