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After 29 years on Ruimveldt plot brothers have to make way for sale

BY Mark McGowan
Published: October 13, 2008 in News 

After serving for almost thirty years as the self-appointed caretakers of an old tannery at a Ruimveldt Industrial Estate premises, two middle-aged brothers have been told that they have to relocate.

Glen Grant farming on the plot.

Glen Grant farming on the plot.

Fifty-seven year old Keith Grant and his younger brother Glen Grant aged 56, have lived on the site located on Plot 30 Ruimveldt, Industrial Estate which is located next to the Twin’s Manufacturing Company for the last 29 years. On Thursday, the brothers explained to Stabroek News, two representatives from the National Industrial & Commercial Investment Ltd visited their residence and told them that they had seven days to vacate the premises since the land was now under their purview. According to the men, they were told that over $12M worth of taxes on the property was due.

The land was owned by businessman Clarence Gibbs who managed the company C& M Gibbs & Sons. Stabroek News was told that the land was given to Gibbs by the late President Forbes Burnham in 1979. Gibbs set up a tannery at the premises - a place where acidic chemical compounds are applied to animal hides to produce leather. Gibbs owned a stall in the Stabroek Market where he sold leather products.

The two brothers explained how they came to live at this particular location. According to them they are family friends of the Gibbs family and decided to stay and aid in the production while overseeing the premise. And they stayed on even when operations stopped at this location some years ago. The building which housed the tannery is now run-down with several holes in the roof and several zinc sheets have become detached from the building. The men, however, have developed a makeshift system and whenever it rains they seek shelter in the area which has been indentified as their bedroom. The yard is overtaken with bush which is interspersed with a few plants cultivated by Glen.

Glen described himself as a farmer who does some construction work.  When this newspaper was on the scene he pointed to cassava, bananas, peppers, papaws and mangoes which he said, he had planted. He said that normally he is around to keep things in order but explained that he also does odd jobs around and this sometimes takes him away from his home. Recently, he completed some jobs in Yarrowkabra and consequently has not had enough time to attend to the yard, he told this newspaper.

The elder brother Keith Grant is a security guard at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.  He said that he is a former member of the police force as well as the army. He has three daughters and a reputed wife who reside at Mocha, but it was not very practical for him to go and live there.

Both men said they were surprised at the sudden order to vacate the premises and are wondering if they do move if they will be compensated in any way. They said that they are not wealthy and would find it difficult if they had to relocate at this stage of their lives.

The land overtaken by bush.

The land overtaken by bush.

Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs, one of the sons of Clarence Gibbs said that his family intends to fight the decision in court since he insists that the land belongs to his family. He told Stabroek News that a matter regarding ownership had previously been brought before the court in 1991 and it was decided that the property belonged to the Gibbs family. When asked about the $12M taxes mentioned by the officials, he said that he was unaware of that, but said that if that was the case, his family was willing to work out arrangements with the relevant authorities.

The son explained that although the place was run-down the family members still had plans to restart work at the tannery. He was unable to say exactly when the production stopped.

The land was recently advertised in the press for sale by tender.  Tenders were to be directed to the Executive Director of the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd.

Glen Grant (left) and Keith Grant cooking in their makeshift home.

Glen Grant (left) and Keith Grant cooking in their makeshift home.

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58 Comments
  1. amen-ra UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 7:31 am
    This always happens, why do people occupy land that is not given to them,and after years they finally have to move.
    Reply
  2. Arnold VENEZUELA says:
    October 13, 2008 at 7:46 am
    Someone has to compensate those guys for their time, how they can be ejected after 29 years. Proceed from the sales must be given to them.
    Reply
  3. evileyes CANADA says:
    October 13, 2008 at 8:16 am
    and the squatting on illegal land plague continues ehehehehehhe
    Reply
    • Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 5:30 pm
      Darn right evileyes,
    • tabitha UNITED STATES says:
      October 14, 2008 at 11:27 am
      If you read the article you would have noticed that the owners of the land have no problem with the brothers living there. Thus they are not squatting. They were given permission to be there.
  4. owen UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 9:09 am
    SN how could you even think to call this “SELF APPOINTED CARETAKERS” Is this a new name for squatters. Is this what you call someone who willfully, and deliberately go on someone’s property and occupy , or squat . ??????????
    Days have gone by of the wild west, where ranchers try to take other’s land, and there was killing, and murder. Lets get real , this is 2008. I dont want to go to jail, for killing or shooting someone who takes my land, look me in the face, and say
    “wha you gun do , Mek me move”. They are hard to get rid of.; unless you take the law into your own hands.For your information, there are hundreds, and hundreds, it not thousands of acres being occupied by these squatters. This is a real problem. Why not ask your devoted readers , for a count on How many have squatters on their , their father or grandfather’s land? You might be shocked.Thousands of land owners have now abondoned the
    land, left to them by their elders, so the squatters have gotten away with a lot. For the few that are now been asked to leave, Dont show like you sorry for them
    THEY ARE DELIBERATELY OCCUPYING SOMEONE ELSE’s PROPERTY, and that is a crime,Its time catching up with them.THEY HAVE TO GO. I REALLY DONT CARE WHERE THEY GO.
    Reply
    • Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 5:35 pm
      Owen, read Chris blogg, can u believe that,? u r so right a 150%, ur blog makes so much common sense, u hit it on the nail Owen, this is what I call ‘TELL IT LIKE IT IS”.
    • Charriot UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 10:40 pm
      The Gibbs family were not complaining. Why are you?
      There are many properties sitting idle, while many poor Guyanese families need a place to call home. Is this the way you treat your own people? Some of you bloggers are running on batteries, you have no heart. Pray that some of you don’t fall victim to poverty.
  5. John Smith GUYANA says:
    October 13, 2008 at 9:46 am
    I sympathise with those two men but they should know they can’t occupy land that is not legally theirs. Even if someone told them you to stay there, they would have had to eventually move because the place is not ytheirs. 29 years is a long time to have not made their own providance. I hope they find somewhere to live.
    Reply
  6. Fulano de Tal UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 9:54 am
    On 83,000 sq mi. with less than 1 million people I see no need for land disputes. These men have been there for a while & the owners of the land seem to be willing to work out an arrangement with the authorities. Prior to advertising for tenders were any attempts to contact the legal owners made? How many attempts were made & is their any viable evidence of these attempts? Which media were used? This seems a bit fishy, like “somebody with clout” has their eye on the spot.
    Reply
    • Trevor A. Norton UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 5:31 pm
      Point taken. There is enough land in Guyana for ever man, woman, boy, girl, and their dog to own at least 8/10s square mile. The problem is that successive governments have failed abysmally at the responsibility of infrastructural development. I have long argued that Guyana’s most pressing issue is a population issue; we just do not have enough people to effectively develop the country. Unfortunately, when the politically-involved would rather argue tribal and idological issues to the detriment of economic concerns, it results in situations like Guyana where 90% of the population lives on 10% of the land.

      I have lived away from Guyana for the past twenty-seven years, but my heart bleeds for what I read about my homeland from time to time.

    • Charriot UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 10:43 pm
      You said it !!!!
  7. john brown UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 10:36 am
    Do we know if the gibbs had a deed for the land. They are saying that back taxes are owed and thats the reason the land was sold. So, if the gibbs had a title and had given the brothers permission then, they would have been there legally.
    Reply
    • Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 6:35 pm
      When permission to reside on land is given, it’s supposed to be signed by the owner, with wittnesses and notorized, word of mouth, (You can live here and plant,”) is not legal permission, it’s just he say, she say, moutar and guiter ah two different ting ya know. if the Gibbs had/have title ,it has nothing to do with owning of taxes, Ok!, let’s say, I give u permission to drive my car, are you going to do so without a written consent from me,? if an accident occurrs, while driving my car, (and u, not a added on to my policy,) who’s responsible,? me,me, me, u get it, so mouth permission to live there, has nothing to do with the payment of taxes, if no one pays taxes, the GPF and the other big fishes, who sits on their behind, would not be paid. if u have land for sale, does it matters who purchases it,? hell no, I just sold a property, some neighbours were asking me to only sell to people from Guyana, I sold it to the highest bidder, the person who had good credits, the highest downpayment with a bank morgage letter for the loan, if it was a monkey who needed to be out of the zoo and be in his own home, with the right amount of cash, I would have sold it.

      Someone has the monies to buy, taxes r owed, sale, has nothing to do with friends, Burham or the devil, if these brothers want, they can dig the ground, they might find gold or better yet, oil there, if not, get off the people’s land, go live somewhere else and squatt for a next 29 years.

    • Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
      October 16, 2008 at 8:00 pm
      John this case is not about permission and titles, this matter is concerning the sale of land, that owed back taxes, understand now.? prescriptive right is another law John, if someone abandons the land, house or house on land and don’t pays the rates and taxes, and another person pays for a considerable amount of years, they can apply for prescriptive rights, this still does’nt mean it would be granted, there’s lots of loop holes with the law/s. ok!.
  8. SWAT UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 11:07 am
    Go and live in Mocha with your wife and kids. These guys were living RENT free on this plot of land for 29 years and they don’t have any money saved to live somewhere else. Shame on both of them.
    Reply
    • Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 12:16 pm
      Darn right Swat, I have a piece of land in Guyana, a neighbor decided to opened up his concrete fence and had his horses there, then a next have bogus papers stating he’s paying the taxes, I have all receipts of taxes being paid and most times, I usually pays for 3 years in advance, that they way some persons r in Guyana, they love to squat on people’s land and take over, these two brothers never paid rent 4 29 yrs, what have they done with their monies for those yrs, they need to leave the people’s land, and stop squatting on property that’s not their’s.
    • chris UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 2:08 pm
      one of them is a security guard, the other is an oddsjob man. u try living in Guyana on the income these guys receive, then talk about savings.
      They weren’t squatting, they were given permission to live there by the rightful owners. if the Gibbs weren’t the rightful owners, then how could they owe 12 million in back taxes? Squatters don’t pay taxes, do they?
      Common, think about it.
    • Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
      October 16, 2008 at 8:22 pm
      Second the motion here chris
  9. BANKER4243 UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 11:40 am
    The men claim to be family friends of the owners. The son or member of the Gibbs family does not appear to dispute that. So it seems like the disputed matter has to do with back taxes and the Gibbs vs this National Ind. & Comm. Inv. Ltd.
    Reply
  10. BANKER4243 UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 11:47 am
    The guys claim to be family friends of the GIbbs, and the son or member of the Gibbs family does not dispute that. Seems here the dispute has to do with the Gibbs, back taxes and The Nat. Ind. & Comm Invs. Ltd. Come on people, Burnham wanted us to feed, clothe and house ourselves, so I see nothing wrong with him empowering the people to do so. Come on Gibbs family, do not let yourselved be dis-empowered. Get together and keep your land. Do not let serfdom coome to our GT. Where the few wealthy landowners will have the majority of impoverished to work the land for them. Inequality in landownership implies income inequality.
    Reply
  11. Shea30 UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 12:44 pm
    I think there might be a legal loophole that would grant these guys ownership of the land if no claims were made on the land for that many years…..and that thing about “owing taxes” might be a ploy to get them off the land. If the land is needed for the better good of society, then the government should find these guys a suitable place to live or give them another land to build on….
    Reply
    • freespeech UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 7:04 pm
      you can claim if you can proved that you were paying the taxes, none were paid.
      if you own land you are expected to pay the taxes, the city or state will sell to collect outstanding taxes.
    • bishnu R CANADA says:
      October 13, 2008 at 7:35 pm
      THEY CAN APPLY FOR A HOUSE LOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
      THE PROBLEM IS WE ALL WANT TO LIVE IN G/T.
  12. Carol English SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS says:
    October 13, 2008 at 1:02 pm
    Once again some PPP acolyte fasten their eyes on a piece of property they want and they are going after it regardless with no one to stop or question them. Back taxes my hide. The same court in Guyana would argue in favour with someone occupying land that rightfully belongs to someone and giv it over to the person occupying. That was my experience. If 18 years in one case count for something then 29 years in another case sure as hell must count for something.
    Reply
    • Desi UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 1:22 pm
      Interesting. I wonder who got their eyes on this land? Let’s wait and see.
    • Caesar UNITED STATES says:
      October 13, 2008 at 10:53 pm
      Missed the boat.If not,enterprising and mudle headed.If you occupy land,you should be able to pay the taxes. You are all for a freebie. This is a bad Guyanese habit.Do not show a promise of that past regime’s talent.
  13. M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett UNITED KINGDOM says:
    October 13, 2008 at 4:58 pm
    That’s why it pays to pay your rates and taxes and keep up to date even if you’re not using or occupying your land.
    Reply
  14. Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 5:56 pm
    I have to blog here again, the blog b4 concerning the horses on the land that I always paid taxes 4 was not the only problem there, persons were left to look after the home and land, they were collecting monies 4 it, the next thing i knew, I was never told that the place was rented out, until I received a call, flew to Guyana forthwith, druggies were living in the home, which was divided into two apartments, one using the front door for egress and ingress the other used the back door, I’m a female so they thought they could have taken over, they were using the water and electricity, cost me over $17,000.00 US, the amount of court papers, plane passages, hotel bills,lawyer fees u name it, I paid off all the bills and turn them off, these people were cooking under the home, with wood, in the home with coals, I had hell, one ran me out of the yard with acid to throw into my face, had to get the police, who locked all of them up, I came with the agreement, that if they leave the next day, I would drop all charges (as I had to return back to work,) they accepted, someone asked 4 the old building, which I give, not to pay to dismantled same, so I know their type, once they r allowed on ur land, it’s hell to get them off.
    Reply
  15. berry BARBADOS says:
    October 13, 2008 at 6:38 pm
    this is a typical thing that happen to poor people especially in guyana. the government should provide these brothers with a piece of land so that the dont become homeless.
    Reply
  16. Caesar UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 10:49 pm
    Two things are certain in life. Taxes and death.Taxes do not go away just like that .You cannot declare bankruptcy and not expect to pay your taxes. The owner of the land should be billed,or his property auctioned at at a tax sale. Also,here is an example of corruption rampant in Guyana. Burnham giving land to those who cannot afford to upkeep it. This was widespread.In fact, I knew this man who supposedly owned this land. He sold handbags and a few trinklets in the market.
    Reply
  17. bbuckman UNITED STATES says:
    October 16, 2008 at 1:26 am
    dem boys mo slick than you think.dey want to claim by swatting,
    remember dem boys ain naive
    Reply
  18. ZERO - TOLERANCE CANADA says:
    October 16, 2008 at 5:13 am
    Hey Bloggers ! Was’nt Burnham the one that gave Rev. Jim Jones that piece of land that was called Jonestown, also he gave lands to Rev. Rabbi Edward Washington a fugitive of the U.S.A. Well so much for Father Christmas Burnham he really was a legend “IN HIS OWN MIND” LMAO, But on a serious note as far as squatting is concern, some folks are plain brazen while others was left holding the ball after taking care of other peoples property while the owners had neglected it, only to have them come back out of the blues and cause problems, But without the the transport or a “power of attorney’ document one can’t legally squat on other peoples property but squatting is on the rise from what i keep reading in the daily news.
    Reply
  19. RobbyG UNITED STATES says:
    October 16, 2008 at 10:59 am
    If the Gibbs family holds title to the land, they are still entitled to it after paying the taxes owed. Then they can decide if the brothers can stay on the land. There is obviously a scheme afoot here, get them off the land, pay the taxes and get the land for cheap.
    Reply
  20. Harmony LUXEMBOURG says:
    October 16, 2008 at 11:01 am
    I am very disappointed with the content of this article. Is this what journalism is? One side of the story which leaves readers to speculate and pronounce judgement. The writer should research ‘Investigative journalism’ before writing the next article and bear in mind that being a responsible journalist is the ethical way to go.
    Reply
  21. SAM CANADA says:
    October 16, 2008 at 2:25 pm
    Part true of Jonestown,Zero. Jonestown was state land which was sold to the Rev. Jones by the great distributor of lands [ the kabaka]. The kabaka as we know was the modern day Robin hood.HE TOOK WHAT HE PLEASES AND GIVE TO WHOME HE PLEASES. IN Guyana today all you have to say ,prescipive rights ,and the lands/ property are yours. Squatting has been and will be an ongoing issue in our beloved Guyana. I know very well as i had to make three visits to Guyana to regain my property.
    Reply
  22. Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
    October 16, 2008 at 8:09 pm
    talkout!, I read who owns the land, I read where the land was given to these brothers to live there, this matter is not concerning if they were given the land to live or not, this matter is concerning that the same person who gaved them permission to live there was not paying taxes, because of none payment of taxes, the land is being placed for sale to recoup the years of taxes that were’nt paid. If these two brothers can pay the years of taxes that are owed, they are free to do so, as it stands, someone else r up for grabs, the brothers can offer to pay the taxes,( I repeat again,) or get the hell off the property.
    Reply
  23. Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
    October 16, 2008 at 8:20 pm
    Charriot, What gets notorized,? I notorized papers there, was done by the late Donald Robinson, he was an attorney and before his demise, he was a JP, I notorized all the papers that the courts requried for my mom’s transactions, after her demise in North America
    Reply
  24. teach UNITED STATES says:
    October 18, 2008 at 4:32 pm
    I am deeply saddened by the level of mediocrity and the poor grasp of the English Language that is evident in the comments offered by my fellow Guyanese. The internet is an international medium and I shudder to think what people from other countries think of us when they observe that we cannot even assimilate a simple news article. Come on my friends! Let us try to do better. Stop showing the world how dumb we are. These two men are not squatters as far as the definition of the term goes. I think they are two visionless characters if they thought permission from the Gibbs would have been enough. Let this be a lesson to the rest of us. Out of nothing comes nothing. They had nothing to start and they still have nothing in the end. Sad but true.
    Reply
  25. teach UNITED STATES says:
    October 19, 2008 at 11:39 am
    I thought that by now, someone would have corrected the two Grammatical errors planted in my piece that I submitted yesterday. This is my point exactly.
    Reply
  26. Mohamed I. Ally GUYANA says:
    October 13, 2008 at 11:29 am
    Don’t underestimate what is happening NOW in Guyana under a government which criticized Forbes.

    Remember, we have a man who is very close to the government who is said to be the largest land-owner in the Caribbean.

    All the lands which he has “received” were from onwards of 1992, including some ranches along the Linden highway.

    Forbes was no saint. He handed our lands for a mere $1.00 per acres to the burgeoisie at the time. But those in power now are not sages, either.

    Even worse is happening now while many are landless and without a place to build a home.

    The Grant brothers should try and claim some sort of prescriptive title to the land.

    Reply
  27. MR.WEST BANK UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 1:57 pm
    So true, somebody eyeup de place Desi, SN will
    tell us is which businessman/woman when it happen.
    Reply
  28. Charriot UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 10:47 pm
    This Guyana we’re dealing with. What gets notarized? You’re living in America too too long.
    Reply
  29. john brown UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 11:29 pm
    i am trying to comprehend what u are really saying. you are talking about so many things that you appear confused and in the process confusing others. Have you ever heard of prescriptive rights ? the brothers have been there so long the should be compensated; thats the point. We are not interested in good credits and bad credits. By the way when they talk about good credits, they are really talking about credibility.
    Reply
  30. john brown UNITED STATES says:
    October 13, 2008 at 11:34 pm
    stop ridiculing and be constructive what they did with their money is not ur business. there are ppl who are eating and wearing the most expensive clothes and never worked a day in their lives. So, leave them alone.
    Reply
  31. talkout UNITED STATES says:
    October 14, 2008 at 7:40 am
    First of all did u read the article rigth they didn,t take the land from the people who are asking for it they got it from Mr.gibbs who claim he own it so cherly and owen try to understand what you read
    Reply
  32. OWEN UNITED STATES says:
    October 14, 2008 at 10:52 am
    You have some nerve. To say things that you dont know ANYTHING ABOUT.
    That are occupying other people’s property. If you dont have property, or your father or grandfather, you would not know what it is like. As far as I am concerned
    My relatives have abondoned hundred of acres on the East Bank which are occupied by YOU the squatter. So I know where I’m coming from. DO YOU???
    Guess What they did’nt occupy anybody’s property, and they are all OK now .. AGAIN. Good profession, Good Jobs, Plenty of Land in the USA. and CANADA,You want to come and squatt Here, You can TRY.BLOODY SQUATTERS, I know what I am speaking about.FACTS.You cant be wrong and strong,” . Let me also tell you one more thing, check the records, and you will find that this family and many Bloggers, Sends Thousands of $$$$$$$$$$ every month(US ) not Guyanese $$$$$$ to help the less fortunate ones, orphans, schools,ETC> ETC> ETC> So please know what you are talking about before you say something. Also remember that a lot of these bloggers are retired
    wealthy people,and just love Guyana and all people who are Guyanese regardless of race, wealth, or degree. We just want to brace shoulder to shoulder.I am a happy and retired Guyanese, who find comfort and happiness among the bloggers regardless. I have been here 40 years and do respect each and every blogger , and their comments. So please dont take punches at bloggers. Most of us are not Bullies or Squatters, but hard working people.
    And some of us do have AGAIN a few hundred acres of land. The story is different this time though.
    Reply
  33. Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
    October 16, 2008 at 8:12 pm
    I for one needed a place to call home, I WORKED AND BOUGHT ONE, give me a break
    Reply
  34. evileyes CANADA says:
    October 14, 2008 at 4:14 pm
    yea like you believe Burnham give dem de land…free loaders….Burnham give me de land….
    Reply
  35. ZERO - TOLERANCE CANADA says:
    October 16, 2008 at 4:36 am
    Kudos Tabitha ! those two and their other alies always have to dump their trash amongst our blogs, i don’t think they even read the news articles, just the bloggers comments that tickle “their” fancies, yet they blame the moderator for editing their filth and or deleting it in it’s entirety, Kudos as well Mr/Mrs Moderator!!
    Reply
  36. Cheryl UNITED STATES says:
    October 16, 2008 at 7:51 pm
    You sound so upset are u a squatter,? seems so, what people do with their money is no one’s business,? yes it is, ask the robbers, they don’t ask what u do with ur money, they ask u for it once, the second time they would kill u for it. You better go check up the meaning of “egress and ingress,” it’s not a common area that nobody really owns, “egress” coming out of, or exit, “ingress”, going into, heeeee, check it out. John Brown, son of a gun remember that song also.
    Reply

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