FALMOUTH, Trelawny – Lawyers are now taking steps to secure a court order to demolish multiple structures erected on sections of a 167-acre property in Scarlett Hall, Trelawny, which has been purchased from unauthorised agents.

At the same time, the Trelawny Municipal Corporation (TMC) has placed a stop order on the construction of the structures.

Scores of individuals, who have allegedly been hoodwinked into purchasing pieces of the land from unsanctioned agents, are now facing a possible loss of their investment.

Attorney Gordon Brown, who says he owns the land, confirmed the move being taken to wrest possession of the property from the occupiers.

“We are going to seek an injunction to restrain the continued breach of the law by all of these trespassers and for the structures to be demolished and in default of their demolition, for us to demolish them ourselves,” Brown told the Jamaica Observer West.

So far, Brown is among the over 80 individuals to have been served stop order notices by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation for construction to cease on the seafront property.

“We have seen a rush for the lands and we have gone out there and served over 80 notices and counting,” Gager revealed.

“We have served notice on Gordon Brown too. Gordon Brown is working hard, trying to resolve the situation.”

It is understood that enforcement actions have also been taken by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

Members of the Trelawny Police Division recently accompanied employees of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation to the site to erect no trespassing signs and to serve the notices.

“We went down there with the parish council [municipal corporation] to serve some notices on the persons,” confirmed Superintendent Carlos Russell, head of the Trelawny Police Division.

“We have also assisted the owners to erect some no trespassing signs on the land. We are aware of the situation. We are waiting on the owners to get their orders from the court so that we can assist to move them [illegal occupiers].

“We are assisting as best we can, but we have to await the court order. So as soon as we get those orders we will see h

Gager underscored that the TMC is being bombarded with requests from the occupiers for building approvals, which he said, cannot be granted as the occupiers are without the requisite

“So many people have been coming into the municipality and asking what they are supposed to do, but we cannot provide them with any approval,” the mayor stated.

During a visit to the site by the Observer West yesterday, construction workers were seen working assiduously building houses, while others were busy mowing down bushes and erecting fences.

One occupier said he was in possession of a receipt for payment of a parcel of land that he had purchased on the property.

“Everything is okay now. We were facing some pressure but everything sort out now. We free up now,” he told the Observer West, declining to give details.

An overseas-based businessman revealed that he paid individuals to clear and fence a plot of the land, but after he returned from a recent trip abroad the land was occupied by another individual. He declared that he is yet to be reimbursed by the ‘unauthorised salesman’.

Individuals close to the transactions say in some instances a plot of land is being sold up to three times to different individuals.