The most recent call for serious debushing came from James Paul, before him was Min of Health Inniss and before him many more M.P’s from both parties, why is it taking so long to legislate the cleaning of empty lots? Is it because some of these lots are owned by big-ups and untouchables?

For a long time successive governments have been threatening persons who own overgrown lots to either clean them up or the government will clean them and attach the cost to the property tax bill. This sounds really good but nothing has been done to rectify the problem

Far as i understand this is no longer a treat but actually legislation it there for it to be used.

anthony
I too thought it was legislated until two days ago, when I questioned why there was just talk and was told by someone who would know that it was not passed in Parliament, therefore it is not law. The person said that there is a few loopholes and the talk is just to scare property owners to clean up. I hope you can check it and get back to me, since I too am seriously effected by rodents and especially African snails by the thousands and they are coming from two very overgrown lots next to my property. I have tried every avenue possible even my constituency representative who was astonished by the condition of the area and vowed to do something about it. This was over a year and all I was told is that the offending property owners were notified. I tried to have my Attorney write a threatening letter to the Min of Health and was told it is no law that demands that the owner cleans his/her lot

I have a friend who lived next to a bushy lot. When the rats got prolific, she would call the authorities and have them extermionate and debush and the costs WERE added to the property bill. My sister knows the owners of said lot and after two very large tax bills, they found someone on the island to debush on a regular basis. the owners live abroad. To keep costs down, they now rent parcel to a day nursery with a restriction that no wall structure is to be erected on site.

How about printing the names of the offending lot owner’s in the paper? Just like the derelict structures to be condemned by the MOH.

Switch our focus from the death notices to the names of the people that have absolutely no regard for their neighbors and neighborhood!!!

In the US an adjacent derelict property lowers property value– here we aren’t consumers we just pay the purchase price.

Honestly neighbors need to give one another grief–nasty run down cars, etc. This is nonsense!

anthony
I’ve written the nice, kindly worded letter already, a response was made and an officer visited the area. That officer reported that investgations were made and the offending property owners were written and in one case a face to face conversation was made to one of the land owners, yet for all this nothing was done, this is over a year ago. I spoke to my political representative who visited the area and declared it a disaster zone and he would do something about it, again no action. Quite recently, after numerous call to the Dept I was told the debushing will start soon, this was just before Christmas, and my area was priority. Since then I received a call asking for directions to get to the area, this was given, all this was over three weeks ago and they don’t seem to be able to find the area. I called again everyday for the last week and on monday I was told by an officer that the remarks about putting it on the property tax bill was just to scare the owners, this I checked out through an attorney and only today i again asked a senior official of the Dept and it was again confirmed that there is no legislation to have the lots cleared. At this point in time african snails are in the area by the thousands, one only has to get up early in the morning and HARVEST containers full. The government seem to have given up on them as there is no longer a reward for the collection of them and the snails too are laughing at we. It seem everybody is taking a swipe at we bajans who are just laidback and allowing this country to deteriorate and all we’re doing is arguing stupid partisan politics.

I would also like to add that preiously, I used to encroach on the property immediately behind me and pay a excavator to keep a buffer between the thick overgrowth and my property, 1.) for security reasons, 2.) in case of fire when outside gets dry and green fires start. Since I spoke to the property owner in a very humane attitude and begged that the area be cleared, I even offered to assist, the owner stopped speaking to me. Recently an area immediately around their house was cleared and the rest of the lot left unattended and very thickly overgrown. I fail to see in a modern Barbados there is no legislation governing the upkeep of properties.

Try putting a “For Sale” sign or building something small on the spot. That might get the owner’s or their agent’s attention.

@Scout

Maybe you are not important enough to get necessary action. The lot was in Clapham across from a famous photographer. A BLP photographer by the way. All it took was a phone call.

Check page 6 of today’s saturday sun–

“NOTICE

Will the owner of
15 Maxwell Terrace,
Chrisyt Church
Debush you lot which is
Harbouring snails, mosquitoes, rats, and encouraging trespassers.

Signed,

Neighbors”

A few easy suggestions to solve this problem:

1. Scrap the undeveloped land rate and charge full rate for all land within the area.
2. All land which has been undeveloped for a period of two years is available for the local community council to grow crops after the GoB has cleared, ploughed and securely enclosed the property at the owner’s expense.
3. Should the owner wish to develop his property after such community involvement he must give a full year’s notice, and on subsequent failure to develop and maintain, surrender all rights to the community farm.

Drastic measures, I know but necessary to give people a kick up the ass to wake up to where we are.

You’r precisely right with this piece!!!