COOPERS PEN, Trelawny — Member of Parliament for Trelawny Northern Tova Hamilton has promised to work towards a long-term solution for the long-running land dispute that led to Tuesday’s demolition of 20 houses in the Coopers Pen section of this parish. She has also vowed to find out which private company or individual gave the order for the houses to be razed. The land is privately owned but residents who have lived there for years insist they have a legal claim.

“All I can say is this is devastating. I must, however, indicate that this is private sector-led. I know that there is a lot of misinformation out there indicating that the Government has something to do with it, but we have nothing at all to do with what happened there today,” the MP insisted as she spoke among the rubble of houses once occupied by scores of residents now left homeless by the early-morning demolition.

“We’re trying to get to the bottom of it to see who initiated this. I have already reached out to the prime minister [Andrew Holness, under whose Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation the housing portfolio falls] to see how best we can have the Government try to resolve the issue on behalf of the people,” Hamilton added.

Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton (left) listens to residents of Coopers Pen, Trelawny, where 20 houses were demolished Tuesday morning. (Photo: Horace Hines)

She said the Government had been exploring ways to help residents but with the demolition the matter is now urgent. According to the MP, the issue was before the courts and “there was a caveat lodged on the title in favour of the Minister of Housing because there is an equitable interest”. She said regularising residents could be considered, but there is a process that has to be followed with steps including land acquisition.

“The only thing I can recommend is that they probably try and stay with family members in the interim. We can’t do anything in the short term to assist, but I know that I will ensure that we resolve this land issue once and for all, because the people can’t live like this. This is impossible, and there have been people living on this land for more than 60 years,” she bemoaned.

Councillor Garth Wilkinson (People’s National Party, Falmouth Division), who described the demolition as inhumane, questioned why residents were being removed more than a decade after legal proceedings.

Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton (left) in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, trying to get answers about Tuesday’s demolition of 20 houses in the area.(Photo: Horace Hines)

“A judgement has been made, but you can’t wait 10 years and you going claim say you had a judgement in the Supreme Court 10 years ago. And you’re just going enact now without serving notice on the people?” he questioned.

He also criticised the timing of the demolition, noting that many residents had only recently begun rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa.

“If you had come and said to them after Melissa, ‘Don’t rebuild…’ it would have been different,” the councillor argued.

Residents said the demolition crew — accompanied by a strong contingent of police — arrived shortly after 3:00 am with two excavators, sledgehammers, pickaxes and other equipment.

Dejected members of Coopers Pen, Trelawny, where about 20 houses were demolished Tuesday morning. (Photo: Horace Hines)

They said they received no prior warning and had little time to remove their belongings. Residents also claimed the demolition team warned that it would return in the coming weeks to continue the operation.

Desmond Donagal, also known as “Cooku”, said he was asleep when the operation began.

“Me hear, ‘Come out, come out!’ And everybody come out. Me and me woman come out and we start pack up and move same time and they start put we things outside. Me don’t have nowhere to sleep right now,” Donagal said.

Resident Brenton Palmer speaking with the Jamaica Observer following the demolition of 20 houses in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, early Tuesday morning. (Photo: Horace Hines)

Jasmina Noble, a widow who said she had lived in the community for many years, was left shaken by the incident.

“Right now me stand up here me foot deh shake. Me live alone because me husband dead and now me have to turn to my sister for help. See me bed in a de road. See the stove. Some of the items gone already. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go. There’s nothing me could do,” the homeless widow said, losing her battle to hold back the tears.

Brenton Palmer, who said he had lived on the property for 43 years, disputed claims that residents had lost an appeal in the court.

Jasmina Noble sits on a bed that was salvaged from her home in Coopers Pen, Trelawny, before it was mowed down by a demolition team early Tuesday morning. (Photo: Horace Hines)

He claimed the court ruled that residents who had occupied the land for more than 12 years should be given the first opportunity to purchase approximately nine-and-a-half acres for $15 million.

He claimed residents had begun raising money towards the purchase, but the process had stalled following the death of the property owner.

The Jamaica Observer could not substantiate Palmer’s account of the court ruling or his claim regarding the $15-million offer.