Dear Claudienne,

I live in the United States and I have a house that I acquired through the National Housing Trust (NHT).

I paid off the mortgage on the unit more than three years ago but am unable to collect my title because of red tape at the NHT.

In the past I have made three trips to the NHT to retrieve the title but I have not got it.

When I bought the house I was married. However, because I did not use my wife’s NHT contribution points to help me to qualify for the NHT loan for the house, only my name should have been on the title.

My former wife and I parted more than 20 years ago and she has since remarried.

However, after I paid off the NHT loan, I got a letter from them that stated that either party should pick up the title. When I got this letter I realised that the NHT had in error put my ex-wife’s name on the title.

I communicated with my ex- wife and she sent me a notarised letter giving me permission to collect the title from the NHT. She also sent me a copy of her driver’s licence and her current marriage certificate.

Each time I go to the NHT it’s something new. When I took the documents my ex- wife sent me to the NHT, they refused to give me the title on the grounds that her signature on the letter was different from the one on her driver’s licence.

My ex-wife has refused to cooperate with me any further.

Could you please point me in the right direction as I don’t know what else to do.

GF

Dear GF

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with the NHT about your issues and they have sent us the following response.

“This serves as the NHT’s response to your query on behalf of our beneficiary GF. From our investigations, the NHT acknowledges GF’s visits to one of our branches to request the release of a Registered Certificate of Title (title), for property located at Colleen Court, Kingston. The NHT is also satisfied that GF has completed his loan obligations to us and as such is more than happy to furnish him with the said title, once he fulfils the requirements for such release.

For clarity, the NHT’s policy is that, once the security documents for a property are being collected, the beneficiaries are advised that all the registered proprietors are to be present to collect the security with a valid form of Government-issued picture identification. If any of the registered owners is unable to visit our office, then a letter duly signed by him/her authorising the release of the title, along with a copy of their Government issued picture identification duly witnessed by a Justice of the Peace (if the party resides in Jamaica) or a Notary Public (if the party resides abroad) must be presented.

These measures have been instituted, to ensure that the NHT releases the title to the proper registered owners. In this age of identity theft and fraud, the NHT takes great care to protect the beneficiary and their investment.

In this case, one party was not available to collect the title. The NHT’s expectation is that GF would have presented the requisite documents (a notarised letter and Government issued ID) as advised. Without divulging personal details regarding GF and the nature of the documents presented, the NHT officer upon review of the documents, advised that he had not fully satisfied the NHT’s requirements for release of the title.

We have already attempted and will make further attempts to contact GF to resolve the matter. We are anxious to assist GF in completing this transaction.”

When Tell Claudienne told you that the NHT had been unable to contact you at your US phone number, you told us that you were coming to Jamaica on Sunday, July 10, 2018.

On Monday July 11, 2018 you spoke to Tell Claudienne and were told who you should contact in the NHT’s Corporate and Communications Department.

We note that you have spoken to the NHT and have argued that your wife’s name should not have been on the title. Tell Claudienne has been advised that your documents have been sent to the NHT legal department. We will continue to follow up this matter.

All the best.