00:00According to attorney at law, Brian Bake, the HTC and the Commissioner of State Lands
00:06may have some questions to answer following last Thursday's demolition of squatter structures
00:11along Ramjeton Trace in Arima.
00:14Two pre-action protocol letters were sent to the HTC Housing Development Corporation
00:21and the Commissioner of State Lands.
00:24We have asked that they respond within 24 hours, as to does the HTC have the authority,
00:33who would have given such authority to them, and if those lands in Ramjeton Trace falls
00:39under their ownership.
00:43The attorney is representing one affected party at this time.
00:46There is a stipulated period of time that you can adversely possess on state property
00:52which is 30 years plus, and that is in law of adverse possession.
01:03It's not private property, it's state land, because my client has been living there since
01:091982, therefore there is a timeline to be satisfied, which we do believe her, and want
01:18to believe her, that she has met that timeline.
01:22You are representing just one person?
01:25One person for now, but we are speaking with all other persons, as we are still meeting
01:31with residents who were affected.
01:34When TV6 News met with Ramjeton Trace residents on Friday, they also expressed concern over
01:39the integrity of the eviction notices which had been placed on their homes.
01:44There were no official signatures or letterheads on the documents.
01:48On February 6th, the HTC sent out a release indicating that the Commission of State Lands,
01:53in collaboration with the TTPS, had taken decisive action to address illegal squatting
01:59at the La Culebra site.
02:01There were persons there who had shirts on with the letters H-D-C, right?
02:07Now HTC could mean many things, but the only HTC in Trinidad and Tobago is the Housing
02:13Development Corporation.
02:15So you're saying that they are not allowed to undertake that action on behalf of the
02:20Commission of State Lands with the Commissioner's authority?
02:24Let them say that, that they have the authority.
02:27Let them say they have the authority.
02:29These people came, they showed no letters, they showed nothing, they showed nothing showing
02:36that they had the right to carry out such actions.
02:40They don't even identify themselves by saying I am Mr. X or Mrs. X acting on behalf of whoever.
02:50We don't do things like that in this country.
02:53Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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