“Mi really glad fi get mi title today because it took almost three decades to get it, so mi really glad for it, said Clifton Gayle who was among the 20 land owners who were presented with land titles during a Titles Handing Over function held at the Halse Hall Great House recently.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Audrey Bryan: “It is a blessing to receive my title today because I have been waiting for over 29 years. I can finally proceed with my business now and I must express thanks to Jamalco.”
All the title recipients were resettled by Jamalco in the New Bowens and Prospect Farm Subdivisions in Clarendon.
Managing Director, Austin Mooney who greeted the landowners, thanked the title recipients for their patience and understanding. He explained that the process to finalizing land sales and deliver titles is long and tedious but the Mines, Lands Legacy and CAPEX teams are working feverishly to ensure that the titles are delivered.
He said one of the main obstacles surrounds the sub divisional approval procedure, which is pre-requisite to the title application process. “Another factor is the correlating application for letters of administrations or the grant of probate in circumstances where the vendors have died and the appropriate administrator of their estate needs to be established for the transfer of title,” Mr. Mooney said.
Then, there are issues regarding inadequate file documentation, difficulty locating vendors, acquiring TRNs and transfers to estates. However, the team has been working steadily during this time to clear the backlog.”
Mr. Mooney added that, “These titles are just the beginning of what we anticipate will be a steady stream until we have delivered every outstanding title to our vendors.”
In his remarks, Representative of the Land Administrative Management Division (LAMD), Nickoy Young says the agency stands ready to support Jamalco’s efforts to get the land titles in the hands of the owners. He noted that this is the beginning of great days for the recipients who are now positioned for greater achievements because they now have their titles. Lands Closure Administrator, Tamara Grant-Bogle, noted that in 2015 Jamalco entered into an agreement with LAMD and this has had a tremendous impact on our titling delivery. “We have completed some 575 Titles; 221 have been transferred to our vendors or their beneficiaries, we have obtained 118 titles in the name of the company and 236 titles have been transferred to the Commissioner of Lands.” Jamalco already completed all titling obligations to vendors in three of its main subdivisions namely Newark, New Wales and Burke Knockpatrick.