As residents of Newfoundland and Labrador find they don’t own the land they live on, the provincial government is promising to change the law.
Forests Minister Gerry Byrne says his government will present proposed amendments to the province’s Lands Act this fall.
People fear that their house, their castle, will not be recognized as their property. I will propose tools to change that
assures the minister.
Safe housing is our government’s priority.
The minister is referring to residents who have lived on land for, sometimes, generations, but whose ownership documents are not recognized by provincial legal services.
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This Catalina home remained unsellable for years due to an ownership dispute with the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Photo : - / Darrell Roberts
For example, Pauline and Randy Diamond, of Catalina, discovered four years ago that they did not own the land where they had resided for nearly 40 years. It took them almost three years to reach an agreement with the province, which ultimately sold them the land for $10,000.
Their lawyer then declared that around ten of his clients were in the same situation.
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Pauline and Randy Diamond only obtained official title to the property last year.
Photo : - / Darrell Roberts
On Tuesday, the Minister of Forests promised to facilitate the property recognition procedure.
No one will have to pay market price for Crown land, Crown owned land and land on which they built their house in good faith, in the right manner, believing that the land belonged to them
promises the minister.
Gerry Byrne says each taxpayer will pay according to their income. A senior who receives the guaranteed income supplement will only pay administrative fees.
Reduce appeal costs
The government also plans to table an amendment allowing a resident to acquire a property if they can prove that they have lived there for 10 years before 1977, because currently, in the law, the limit is 20 years.
Furthermore, the Minister of Forests wants to reduce legal costs for the residents concerned.
Instead of paying $40,000 to $60,000 for a title validation hearing, the appeal request will be $500, and if the person wins, they will be reimbursed
he said.
A historic right
The government plans to create an independent body to review these requests on appeal.
There are practical and real solutions for those who need an answer regarding their property and their ability to remain within the bounds of the law while recognizing that they have a family and historical right to property
he added.
With information from Jenna Head, CBC
