THE ESTATE Management and Corporate Legal Services Division of the National Land Agency has launched a probate unit in St. Thomas, designed to administer the estate of deceased persons who had been allotted land under the Government's Land Settlement Scheme.
The unit was launched as a pilot project in the Golden Valley community in November of last year. This community, the agency said, has 96 lots for which the allottees have died.
The Land Settlement Scheme, conceived by the Government as a means of redistributing land to those without property, was started in the post-independence era.
The aim was to put people in possession of property, allowing them time to pay, and at the same time giving the Govern-ment time to put in the necessary infrastructure culminating in the issue of a registered title, the agency said.
"Most land settlement agreements gave the allottees 25 years to pay at the end of which the Government, through the Commissioner of Lands, would issue a registered title."
However, due to the effluxion of time, many allottees have died before the issuing of titles. Their beneficiaries have been left in possession of these lands. Many of the persons using these lots are unable to access loans and other benefits that flow from land ownership.
"The Commissioner of Lands has endeavoured to obtain titles for many of these land settle-ments. There are approximately 6,000 titles ready to be issued. But, without legal tenure, the Commissioner of Lands is unable to vest title in the name of the next of kin or beneficiaries, if Letters of Administrations or Probate are not available in the estate of the deceased.
"Many of these beneficiaries do not possess registered titles for properties in Land Settlement because they have been unable to administer the estates of deceased allottees. The process of administering the estate of the deceased allottee is necessary as the law requires that either Probate or Letters of Adminis-tration be granted to appropriate persons to enable them to deal with the property of deceased persons."
Items required for land purchase
Persons being interviewed in the pilot project will need to present the following documents:
Two original copies of the death certificate or original burial order for settler, spouse and children of settler who predeceased or died after settler.
Original funeral receipt.
Original will (if any).
Names, addresses, birth certificates and occupation for
surviving spouse and children.
Marriage certificate for settler (if any).
Names, addresses and occupation of executors.
Proper photo identification.
