NASSAU, Bahamas — Businessman and developer Sir Franklyn Wilson said the lack of proper land registry laws in The Bahamas could lead to people “stealing” land on storm ravaged Abaco and East Grand Bahama, according to the Nassau Guadian, one of The Bahamas’ leading newspaper, in a story published on October 28.
Wilson was contacted for comment regarding reports of a “land-grab” on Abaco by people seeking to purchase property on the island cheaply post-Hurricane Dorian.
“Land value is a matter of supply and demand, and today, I would imagine that land value in Abaco today is not where it was before Dorian,” he said. “So when one says someone wants to grab something, the fact of the matter is there’s risk because people will factor into account the probability of there being another Dorian or whatever the case is, and these things will go into determining what they’re prepared to pay for land. So, I’m not worried about that. I think supply and demand will take care of that.”
He added: “It calls into question however, the ongoing problem of dealing with land in The Bahamas, because of a lack of land registration. People are likely to, in this climate, increase the probability of stealing the land. This matter has been talked about for decades and successive parliaments have failed on this question about land registration in the country.” https://thenassauguardian.com/2019/10/28/sir-franklyn-calls-for-land-registry-law/?fbclid=IwAR0yAWghJQSZUYNhceQf4aqWODF_bECdmIerQR_eRsdSXVIo-YxbkuEfABc
