LLUIDAS VALE, St Catherine — Opposition Leader Mark Golding has threatened to take the Government to court if it does not rescind eviction notices served on several occupants of State land at Pleasant Hill and Providence districts in Lluidas Vale, St Catherine.

“If it turns out that the Government is adamant that they are going to really proceed with this, then we will have to go to court to protect the people; we will have to take the matter to court. There are many doctrines in law that would protect them [the residents]. There is the constitution itself which guarantees certain rights and there is also the common law,” Golding told the residents Friday afternoon during a tour of their community.

The National Land Agency (NLA) issued the notices on October 6, ordering residents to leave the land by December 6 or face forceful eviction. Only some of the more than 100 occupants were served.

According to Golding, the notices must have come as a “dreadful and horrible shock” to the residents, who already were in the process of regularising the sections of the land they occupy.

The NLA had promised to send surveyors into the area as part of the regularisation process, the residents claimed.

Golding, who is also People’s National Party president, questioned the motive of the notices, adding that he will seek the intervention of Prime Minister Andrew Holness if necessary.

“It is so unbelievable, you have to almost wonder if it is a mistake. But how can it be a mistake to serve 65 notices on families telling them to vacate?” he said.

“So we will have to pursue this; we intend to pursue this further. We want to find out from the authorities exactly what was in their minds when they did this,” Golding added.

Some of the families that have received the ultimatum to leave the land have lived there for more than 100 years. However, many of them recently moved onto the property, which they bought from civilians in an apparent land scam.

A number of the residents on Friday openly declared that they would be willing to pay Government for the property that they now use.

“We will be pushing hard to ensure that you are protected and that your tenure of the land is assured, regularised, and you get the opportunity to acquire title,” Golding promised the residents. “In fairness, you may have to end up paying for the land, but it must be reasonably priced, based on what the land was worth before you made the investment. They can’t be charging you for investment that you have made.”

Golding, in the meantime, told the residents that he does not support people breaking the law and confiscating property belonging to other individuals.

He also underscored the importance of reserving land for agricultural purposes, but argued that a “balance” should be pursued.

“We do not support the idea that people should violate the law with impunity. Sometimes people occupy lands that are needed for other things and they haven’t yet acquired adverse possessory rights. And, in that instance, if the Government is the owner of the land, we expect a responsible Government to make alternative arrangements to protect the people so that they can live,” added Golding.

Just two weeks ago he had promised to seek legal redress for people whose illegally built structures were demolished on government land adjacent to Clifton, St Catherine.

Prime Minister Holness, in Parliament last Tuesday, noted that the matter at Lluidas Vale is not linked to that in the Clifton community. He also indicated that he was not involved personally in the issuance of notices to residents at Lluidas Vale.