Chinese Businesswoman Fences in Lake-I Residents
While the Hoare family of Camalote is seeking to resolve its land dispute through legal means, several families in the Lake Independence area are tonight incensed that a Chinese businesswoman has fenced in their property, blocking access to their residence. This afternoon, when News Five was called out to Mahogany Street Extension, a fence was being erected around a parcel of land that encloses several plots. The enclosure is the latest chapter to an ongoing land dispute between three families and the businesswoman. They contend that the land was acquired under dubious circumstances and that the purported owner has since proceeded to fence in a portion of land that was set aside for the construction of a street.
Tricia Hemsley
Tricia Hemsley, Land Owner
“Well this start last year something with the Chinese and mark King at that time. First ih mi had wah fence here; dehn knock it down then they start to throw things. Wah house mi deh over the other side and they knock it down too. Yo can’t get no head way when yo go dah lands down ya da Belize City. Yo go dah Belmopan back and forth. When yo call the police dehn say dehn can’t do nothing to it cause this dah noh fi dehn matters. Anyways, we mi think this settle yah. The first time dehn knock down the fence, we put up another fence; they wreck it again. We put wah lee structure because if yo di apply fi wah property, yo either go through the area—but we done know that he one-sided so we noh gwen to he—now we put it. We done gone in for it, di wait fi we answer and now we noh have no access if yo look pan it. They say this part ya supposed to be the street; I noh know when and now dehn di fence it up. We back and forth…City Council; my husband deh dah lands and they as usual got ahn like wah fool. I noh see how. Watch ya, we noh deh dah China; we noh need no Great Wall of China. She just come in; she done grab up lotta land behind Gwen Liz and elsewhere…this noh di happen. So I noh see how.”
Isani Cayetano
“What is the Lands Department saying? Is this a confusion over who owns the property? What is it?”
Tricia Hemsley
“No, we get the understanding because the last time when they interview me, they verify that the lands belong to the Hemsley’s right. So ih look like she can’t comprehend or something. We even get lawyer to send her letter to not go any further, but she think that she mussi dah di minister now. This dah weh all the happen now; this dah [bleep]. We dah orn Belizeans; my husband deh dah di border di risk ih life and you wah tell me this dah weh di happen? This noh ready.”
According to the families, they have made several attempts to verify the ownership of the parcels in question but have been given the runaround by relevant authorities.
