Squatter protests construction project
It’s not the first time there have been reports of houses being built in the middle of the street. But when a young man from the Collect Division came to News Five, not only did he say there was a house being built on Pelican Street Extension, he also claimed that he was told he would have to break down part of his house to accommodate the new structure. Emmanuel Willoughby says he’s lived in the area for just over a decade and even though he couldn’t produce the papers to prove the land in question is his, or the house on it for that matter, he says its not fair. The building contractor, Anthony King, says the building isn’t being built in the middle of any street and says Willoughby’s claim about defined lots is untrue since the area has never been surveyed. News Five was on the scene today when the squatter and the developer faced off.
Anthony King, Building Contractor
“Come mek I show the young lady and the young man…Everybody squats…stop your ****!”
Emmanuel Willoughby
“This is total chance, this chance for a poor person like me. I struggle. I no go bug they fu nothin’. I no ask them for nothing. I work hard for my things whe I need to get done. From the time they survey the peg in line with my house automatically the house post supposed to at least four feet from the peg. Now it deh in line with the peg so automatically we have to break down part of the house.”
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
But building contractor Anthony King says Willoughby complained to the media because the construction crew used a load of soil Willoughby had in between the buildings. King says he promised Willoughby they’d replace it.
Q: So you think this whole thing da bout the dirt?
Anthony King
“Da bout the dirt. More or less that’s all I could say, can’t be nothing else. I neva believe that da whe de pan fu e mind, four load a dirt? I explain and tell ah when the place done, I put wa first load I tell ah Junior you could have da first load they. He borrow shovel everything, he no run the load. But we have to move the load because we have thing coming in front of the place deh. I tell ah when you ready for the load, I wa give you the load. The whole a this suppose to be a round a bout. The street no fu me gawn through. That’s why the alleyway is designed that way. And that design from Ms. Faith Babb. Nothing neva change offa dat and that da what we deh try explain to him but he no wa tek no understanding offa dat. The whole area da squatters…the whole area. Nobody have survey lands around here. Nobody.”
King says the two-story building, expected to be completed by the first week of March, will house three low-income families. As to the claim that the building is being built in the middle of a street, News Five was unable to contact area representative Remijio Montejo for a look at the area street plans.”
