land questions

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
1,358
113
elizabetheames.blogspot.com
Someone here asked about land titles in Haiti and I answered that the public building which held the title records had collapsed-- evidently not the case.

here is a snippet of info on the process in Haiti.. from another list serv


"All real estate sales must go through a Notaire. Notary are assigned to do transactions specifically in the area where their office is located. Money exchange must be done through the Notaire who checks on the origins of deeds and holds deposits and papers until the transaction is complete. Notaire must issue receipts for purchase of land. Land must be surveyed by a government appointed surveyor called Arpenteur. Arpenteur are also specific for their area. "arpantage" are drawings official definitions of the borders of a lot are made and where neighbors are notified and present. Arpantage records are showed to the Notaire and the Notaire writes the arpantage and sales together. Records of sales go to the courts and are kept in a permanent record in office commonly called "Contributions" in Haiti. official name Direction Generale des Impots or DGI. Contributions are the equivalent of the IRS. That building collapsed during the earthquake but the land record in the basement was saved.
Land issues are very complex and difficult to solve in Haiti but your best bet is to go to a reputable Notaire and a reputable lawyer."
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
3,410
465
0
This is true.
There is a lengthy but solid process for buying land in Haiti.
Lots of investigation of previous owners - not just the vendor but the previous owners. People in the vicinity are contacted and are given an opportunity to speak up if they dispute the ownership.

Some conflicts do arise where, for example, a Duvalier has confiscated land and given it to somebody else yet the original title exists.
This has caused problems in the cruise ship resort of Labadie recently.