Do we have no right for an unobstructed view

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I have lived at my current residence since 1976 and, for decades, I have enjoyed the panoramic view of Kingston from my home.

There used to be an empty lot next to us, then the owners started construction of a multi-storey house. Eventually, it blocked our view but it was tolerable, to an extent. Then construction suddenly stopped. We have been living with the prominent view of a zinc fence since then

I invited my new neighbour to my house and showed him the lovely view that we enjoyed and begged him very hard not to build any higher. There was no answer from him but only talk of “his dream house”. A few years ago, I visited my neighbour at his business place and urged him to finish his house while raising my family’s concern about security and safety relating to the high wall of zinc. We were particularly worried about possible negative effects of a hurricane.

Well, construction has resumed and now our view is totally blocked. The irony is that my neighbour and his wife explained that they were building high because they do not want anyone to block “their view”.

I consulted a lawyer. Her answer is that, “the law does not recognise a legal right to an unobstructed view”.

What does The Gleaner’s readership think? Is there anyone out there that would like to be in this situation? This is another problem citizens face on top of the flouting of restrictive covenants by developers and “permissive regulatory agencies” and the failure of lawmakers to protect citizens’ rights.

SALOME MORRISON