ATTORNEY General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, along with the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lelon Saul, and other officials, on Sunday, held a community meeting with the residents of the Dochfour Housing Coop Society, with hopes of ironing out their decade-long issue with obtaining transport and titles for their lands.

The residents complained of reaching a point of frustration in obtaining transports or land titles for lands that some of them have been residing on for over 20 years. Saul informed the residents that some 25 additional transports have already been completed and are ready to be uplifted, while other transports are in various stages of being processed, however the CH&PA was instructed by the Chief Cooperative Development Officer (CCDO), Perlina Gifth, to halt the distribution of transports to the residents.

This stems from disputes within the Coop, following allegations of mismanagement by a previous executive of the Society. Towards this end the Attorney General aided in helping the residents establish a five member representing committee tasked with meeting with the CH&PA and CCDO to hold elections at the soonest possible time. “I am here because the community Coop Society is experiencing challenges and in 2015 we know that your Executive of the Coop society was interrupted,” Williams told the gathering.

Residents shared their elation at seeing their decade- long issue finally getting some attention, and being dealt with. “My story is since 1993,” noted Shaheed, a member of the Coop. “We have been going after this issue umpteenth times. It’s coming to a point where frustration is starting to step in.”

Shaheed was among the almost 100 members and residents who attended the meeting at the Ann’s Grove Early Childhood Development Centre. The Coop has approximately 200 members.

The Dochfour Housing Coop Society was reportedly established since 1971, where some 35 house lot were allocated in the Clonbrook Housing Scheme. The community plan also included a section of reserved land that was put aside for the construction of a nursery school.

The reserve was eventually used as a play field. However it was later decided by the Coop to parcel off the reserve and also offer it as residential lots, adding another approximately 40 house lots to the Clonbrook Housing Scheme Phase One. The Clonbrook Housing Scheme Phase Two has another 110 house lots.

Saul noted that the first step would be for a survey to be done of the community to include the house lots of the reserve into the community plan. Additionally, since the application to have the reserve changed to residential land was never complete, the Coop’s newest executives would also have to re-apply for the change, so the persons living there can be regularized.

The residents said they just want whatever needs to be done to get done so that they can have the security of knowing they own their land.

“It hurting me to know I am throwing out my stomach and my everything and can’t get one piece of paper,” noted Paula Carrington.

“It hurting me to be going everyday like a dog. I’ve been going towards this transport so long, and people go after me and get their own. I cannot get no proper word from them about this thing. Is like you have to pass money under the table, I can’t pass money under the table I am a widow. Between you [AG] and Mr. Saul I am begging please help my situation.”

Residents also pointed out that there is still some amount of dispute over who owns some lands, as a previous secretary of the Coop who was accused in an audit of mismanaging the Coop’s funds is still conducting Coop business and allocating lands that were already owned.

It was noted that several persons paid over their money for their lands, as well as their rates and taxes over to the ousted Coop Society secretary.

“He appear as the secretary and he collect, and he collect, and he collect. And fetch way and we didn’t get anything. He was forced to hand over certain things belonging to the Society and not to represent the Society. Now at the end of the report it stated that the police must be called in, it never happen, over $23 million was embezzled,” Aubrey Thomas described of the previous situation at the Society. Members said they do not have a copy of the audit report.

Thomas’ concern was if residents will have to once again pay for their lands given that money was not handed over by the then Coop secretary to the relevant authorities.
“I overpay for my land. I pay over $200,000 for that land when I was only supposed to pay $68,000. My thing is I am not paying any more money. I work like hell here. I fetch dirt and tired on that road. I ain’t paying again,” he established.

Saul noted that the CH&PA is limited in its ability to deal with the situation without the establishment of an executive to deal with the affairs of the Coop. The residents noted that they too want to see a functioning executive returned to the helm of the Coop
“We want a recognised committee to make sure the Coop society gets back to what it used to be with proper representation of all the issues that confront us,” Shaheed said. He was one of the five members elected to the representing committee.

Williams immediately set about helping the members to select a temporary representing committee. “We have a grasp of the issues here,” Williams said. “You need to have a representing committee to represent your interests. It means therefore that we could appoint an ad hoc committee to represent you for interfacing with CCDO and CH&PA. I am not going to allow anybody to rob you in anyway.”