Little Bay land dispute threatens to explode
Published:Thursday | April 7, 2022 | 12:06 AMHopeton Bucknor/Gleaner Writer
Angry residents doused heavy equipment with gasolene and threatened to light it after a demolition crew turned up to evict them from disputed lands in Little Bay, Westmoreland.
The battle for the property has been raging for decades and saw one of the proprietors – John Eugster – being murdered in 2004 after trying to reclaim the lands.
Things threatened to again become violent yesterday as tempers flared during the latest eviction attempt as more than 100 residents staged a protest objecting to efforts to demolish their homes.
They contend that they have a right to the property through averse possession, having captured and lived on it for decades.
Several cops from the Little London Police Station rushed to the location and held the disgruntled occupiers at bay.
James Drummond told The Gleaner that he was inside his house yesterday when he heard the loud noise outside, unaware that men had come to demolish their homes.
He was apprised of the situation by a neighbour.
“Him seh di man dem come wid tractor seh dem come fi bruck down di house dem. Mi stop wa mi a do and cum out here an mi see one tractor pon the beach,” Drummond recalled.
The residents have been battling in court with Euster’s widow, Kathleen, a United States citizen, for control of the sections of the 867-acre property.
Despite a 2011 court decision granting writs of possession and the eviction of at least 27 settlers, Eugster has been unable to regain possession, which has also been earmarked for a US$5-billion investment.
The squatters have occupied the property for years, offering various tourism products, including guest houses, villas, bars, and restaurants, plus multimillion-dollar housing solutions.
According to Drummond, they are prepared to pay for the lots on which they reside.
He was joined by other residents, who said their parents had lived on the land for decades undisturbed – some now golden-agers – investing their entire life savings to build their homes.
Little London Councillor Ian Myles called on the Government to intervene, likening the dispute to a ticking time bomb.
“What happened this morning could have escalated if not for the intervention of the security forces, and we don’t want any lives to be lost in this area over this fallout,” he said, urging Prime Minister Andrew Holness to intervene.