fp Turks and Caicos

One year after threatening to publish the names of people and businesses in arrears on Crown land purchase leases, the Turks and Caicos Islands interim government now is wooing them with a special offer to get title to their land and avoid court action.

How long the offer will last depends on how many choose to participate, according to a Nov. 4 press release from the Ministry of Environment and District Administration.

“The government has a new policy for the acquisition of freehold title to Crown land, and I would urge Crown land leaseholders, whether your lease has expired or is still current, to apply while the invitation remains open,” said Permanent Secretary Mary Harvey.

That number could be quite high if many of the hundreds holding conditional purchase leases (CPL) take advantage of the offer.

The Crown Land Register shows that about 80 percent of those who received Crown land under CPLs made their first year’s rent and never made another payment to fulfill their leases and gain title to their land. Last year the Crown Land Unit said they owed the government about $3 million.

Government quietly dropped its threat to publish the names of those who are in arrears. The Crown Land Registry shows that very few have fulfilled their lease conditions and received title to their land during the last year.

The new offer says that people with current leases not in arrears can quickly gain title to their property for the discounted price stated in their leases without having to meet the lease requirements relating to planning permission or building. Any arrears in rents must be paid.

Those with expired leases have several options:

• They can apply to buy their land but at current valuations and discounts. They must pay all lease arrears, but they won’t have to meet lease requirements for planning and building.
• They can apply for a two-year extension to their leases, but only if they make lease payments in arrears.
• They can surrender their land without court action, but only if they pay the rent specified in their leases. That means a standard three-year lease will require the leaseholder to have paid three years’ rent.

Government reserves the right to reject any application, including those being involving in pending or eminent court actions.
The offer includes a non-refundable $100 fee.

Applications and terms and conditions of the offer are available at www.tcilandinfo.tc. They also are available at four Crown Land Unit offices:

• Grand Turk: Government Square
• Providenciales: Palmco Building, Leeward Highway
• North Caicos: Bottle Creek
• South Caicos: District Commissioners Office, Basden Street

Click here for the government's release on the Crown land offer

Click here for the Crown land offer form

Click here for the Crown land offer procedure

Click here for the Crown land offer terms and conditions

Click here to read the new Crown Land Policy