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+--- Thread: Westmoreland squatter land battle (/showthread.php?tid=102152)
Westmoreland squatter land battle - JonTom - 06-08-2018
I wouldn't be surprised if some of you know the claimants in this ongoing battler over land near the coast somewhat south of Little London (at least I think that's where this is, not too familiar with that area).
Or maybe some of you even knew John Eugster before he was murdered.
Battle For Land - MP, Mayor Side With Westmoreland Squatters
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20180608/battle-land-mp-mayor-side-westmoreland-squatters
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - Aquavit - 06-08-2018
I know one person affected by this but back when this all originally started I knew many people in Little Bay in general. I met John once I think in 2000, had lunch at Coconuts.
The issues started about 10 or 11 years ago and got very ugly very fast. My friend was burned out of her home. Other friends who owned a successful business for years in Little Bay had to literally pick up their house and move it to Negril. The lawyer representing the residents was murdered. John was murdered. The entire area became hostile to visitors - you could feel the tension just riding through on a motorbike. I had a long and wonderful relationship with the area and its residents for many years - but after my friend was murdered (unrelated to the property disputes) I pretty much stopped going to Little Bay. The veil of discomfort was lifting slowly, I spent the afternoon in Brighton this past winter and spent time at Blue Hole in Brighton a bit since they opened a few years ago and thought the tide had turned - I no longer felt "unwelcome".
John's wife has just upset that apple cart and the Jamaican Courts poured gasoline and lit a match. Shit will hit the fan. I hope against hope it won't be violent but for now its wait and see. It is my hope that the people living on those lands for generations prevail.
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - Firemon - 06-08-2018
Squatters getting away with murder literally and figuratively. Complete travesty to allow them to prevail.
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - Aquavit - 06-10-2018
Just so you know these "squatters" have been living on that land for generations.
Just so you know, this crazy woman claims to be able to sell that land for $60MUS. Hmmm...$60M US for land in bumfuck Jamaica that has community "tension". Maybe these people want to buy a bridge in NYC...
Just so you know....a good percentage of Negril is "Captcha Land" that people live on and do business on.
Culturally and from a US point of view, sure they are getting away with "murder". But we are talking about Jamaica...not the US.
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - Sharleen - 06-14-2018
I have a horrid suspicion that this land and that particular area of Salmon Point, Little Bay and Broughton is being targeted for a huge hotel conglomerate like Rui or Royalton to be built there. I remember decades ago when I actually thought that me buying or leasing a piece of land for me would be a good idea, there was a man in the Little Bay area, Wilton Brown "Mr. Brown" was implying he was 'the man in charge' and offering 100 year leases. I was in Jamaica when they murdered John Eugster, a very creepy eerie night in the west end, exceptionally so. I heard a car coming through driving so crazy fast, like on 2-wheels around each bend in the road. And the night he was murdered HUGE party in that area. I was scheduled to go there that day but fortunately for me I got lazy and decided to stay in all day at Citronella and swim. And Uncle Sam... the main reason I don't really go to Little Bay any longer. The only way I can describe it is I get a creepy feeling... while even passing through...
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - Aquavit - 06-15-2018
I met Mr. Brown in the mid to late 90's sometime when he pitched us about leaning an acre of land, right where the disputed land of 11 years ago is. We passed but many didn't - foreigners and Jamaicans leased land from him and were summarily scattered by various hostile means through John Eugster's henchmen.
Sharleen's description of how she feels about Little Bay since Uncle Sam's murder is just about verbatim to what I've spoken and written about since that horrible day in August 11 years ago. Sam's murder was unrelated to the whole Coconuts John mess but the area was starting to churn and burn with hostilities around the same time and even riding through you could feel the "stink eye" coming from the locals - an air of distrust of strangers and visitors that made me at least downright uncomfortable.
Butch Stewart inspected and courted the idea of putting a large resort in and around Little Bay probably about 20 years ago but ultimately decided not to. Rumor has it that John's wife's potential "buyer" is a developer of some sort. Not a very smart one of indeed that is true.
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - JonTom - 06-17-2018
Thanks for the personal experiences/remembrances of the whole situation. Still not sure I follow the occurrences, but I suppose that's to be expected with a long, convoluted history. This 1st article from today does mention Wilton Brown (and comments from his daughter), presumably the same Wilton Brown in this thread.
"Bloody Past, Uncertain Future - Little Bay Residents Fear The Worst As They Face Eviction"
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20180617/bloody-past-uncertain-future-little-bay-residents-fear-worst-they-face
This 2nd article, also mentions some of the same persons, and also R.O. Terrier as owner (at one time) of part of the disputed lands . There are some strange (to me) dealings in Jamaica, or certain parts of it, but giving property to someone as a "gentleman's agreement" stretches my imagination. Even 30 or 40 years ago (though my interpretation from the article is that R.O. Terrier made the "gentleman's agreement" with George W. Barber Sr. much more recently than that), would one really take beach front land without something more legally binding?
'Uncle Sam' that Sharleen mentions is Karl Samuda?
"Save Us, ‘Uncle Sam’! - Westmoreland Squatters Want Karl Samuda To Do For Them What He Did For Red Hills Road Squatters"
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20180617/save-us-uncle-sam-westmoreland-squatters-want-karl-samuda-do-them-what
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - JonTom - 06-17-2018
Nevermind on "Uncle Sam" being Karl Samuda. Forgot that you were meaning someone murdered. Karl Samuda is not dead (or wasn't yesterday), so just a coincidence they use that nickname for the MP.
RE: Westmoreland squatter land battle - MissJamaicaSoul - 06-26-2018
I really miss Uncle Sam and his place.....I always think of him with sadness and great affection too, when I pass through on the road to Little Bay.
MissJamaicaSoulx