An eviction in Dajabon

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Squatters. How does one get them to leave if they refuse to do so? I doubt they didn't KNOW they had no legal right to that land.

A little heavy-handed, yes. There's prolly much more to the story. The property owner was not interviewed.
 
Mar 2, 2008
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Face it, it is purely eviction for hire.

It was just someone who had the money to pay to get some people off a bit of land. It really didn't matter who was right or wrong. It was simply a case of who had the money.

In any event, it was hardly a sterling example of professionalism by the military.
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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While I agree that the military are heavy handed (of course they are usually uneducated thugs) it is important to put an end to this crap of occupying someone's land. 99% of the time the invaders are not families without land, but opportunists (Tigueres) who invade a piece of land only to sell it and make a quick buck.

I had a piece of land that I had to sell, because for some reason people believed this land was "government land", even though I had a clear title. Fortunately for me I had friends in town who gave me a heads up and then I let it be known that this land was MY land, that I had a title and that anyone who invaded it would be thrown out and in jail. The truth is I was scared sh$tless as I knew that if a huge mob went in It would be almost impossible to get them all out and either way it was going to cost me a lot of money or the land itself, so I sold it at the first chance I got.
 
Mar 2, 2008
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I am completely sympathetic to owners of land who are at the mercy of gangsters poising as squatters, but there has to be some balance and moderation, otherwise there is no law, only opportunists with money looking to take whatever they can grab, with the willing help of a paid-off military.

The history of the US is filled with such stories, so let's be fair. This type of situation happened, and continues to happen everywhere. It's just that it much easier to manage if the agents of government are relatively free from corruption. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the DR.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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I am completely sympathetic to owners of land who are at the mercy of gangsters poising as squatters, but there has to be some balance and moderation, otherwise there is no law, only opportunists with money looking to take whatever they can grab, with the willing help of a paid-off military.

The history of the US is filled with such stories, so let's be fair. This type of situation happened, and continues to happen everywhere. It's just that it much easier to manage if the agents of government are relatively free from corruption. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the DR.
Property rights are property rights. Like a copyright, one must enforce property rights or lose them.

There is either law or not. "Moderation" doesn't exist with laws. Law is law. If those folks are/were squatters then they SHOULD be evicted by whatever LEGAL means local statute allows.

And I'll wager there is a whole lot more to the story than a bunch of military guys just randomly showing up with guns and tear gas to kick the poor, innocent folks off that land.
 
May 29, 2006
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Do the squatters get any warning at all, or does the PN just show up one day and toss everything out into the road and tear apart the house?

I couldn't make out too much from the video except "thieves" and "liars" and some curses. I would like to see a complete video with a full account of how the process is started and concluded. Do they have to pay the PN to preform the eviction?

.
 
Mar 2, 2008
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Peter, the answer is, we don't know.

And that is precisely the problem. While some can, and will, jump to conclusions with regard to who is right and wrong in this case, we have no idea what the facts are in this situation.

Not only that, but we will probably never know, and that is to the benefit of those who make their own laws regarding who owns what, and why.

Again, this is all about the money, pure and simple, and until we have more facts to go on, we should probably (or 'prolly', as the case may be) leave the speculating to those with an agenda.
 

Tom F.

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Jan 1, 2002
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I have seen this just past Gaspar Hernandeaz in the late 90's. People were putting up minimal structures trying to establish squatter rights and the buildings were all destroyed on a variety of occasions. There is also an area just outside San Francisco de Macoris leaving near the hospital San Vicente de Paul. The first group (large ) was given a piece of land and latter more and more groups expanded the area and I have seen the structures torn down on various occasions by the police or military. My in-laws use a different road to the campo due to passing this area is not considered safe any more.
 

Shiraz72

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Feb 10, 2010
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I found that difficult to watch. Although I don't imagine I'd appreciate having squatters on my land, my heart goes out to the family who had their meak little home torn down before their eyes. I can't imagine going through that. .:disappoin The attitudes of the police reminded me of the RCMP here in Canada and they way they have been treating Indians on reserves for generations.... outside of the public eye. Then when it's brought to media attention, it's usually gotten to the point of a stand off or road blockade.:ermm:
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Peter, the answer is, we don't know.

And that is precisely the problem. While some can, and will, jump to conclusions with regard to who is right and wrong in this case, we have no idea what the facts are in this situation.

Not only that, but we will probably never know, and that is to the benefit of those who make their own laws regarding who owns what, and why.

Again, this is all about the money, pure and simple, and until we have more facts to go on, we should probably (or 'prolly', as the case may be) leave the speculating to those with an agenda.
Then you don't know how things work in the DR. You need to get out more, away from an ex-pat enclave where you pontificate about how things "should" be in the DR.

Things are as they are.

I can gaurantee you the property owner communicated with the squaters. That's one of the steps necessary in the eviction process. If you think you can just stroll into a PN office and hire guys with guns to go to someone's house and throw them out illegally...well it says more about YOUR attitude toward Dominican law and your personal agenda and bias than mine.

Squaters KNOW what they're doing. They KNOW they neither own or rent/lease the property. They chose their actions and are responsible for the results.

My "agenda" does not include shaping Dominican society and legal structure in my image. I'll let Dominicans run things as THEY see fit as long as I'm a non-citizen resident; I'm here as a their guest. By law, ONLY a Dominican citizen can get involved in politics.

You aren't advocating the direct violation of that law, are you?
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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Again, this is all about the money, pure and simple, and until we have more facts to go on, we should probably (or 'prolly', as the case may be) leave the speculating to those with an agenda.
Really?

It's also ironic that on one hand you say you don't have all the facts to make a judgement, then turn around and make a definitive statement that's it's "all about money, pure and simple."

Again, ironic...
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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i am with cobraboy on that. squatters know what they are doing, they know the land is not theirs and they know they may be kicked out.
i see the tendency on dr1 to side with the poor as if poverty excused theft and murder. the owner had the right to claim his land back and maybe there was no other way to do it.
and i assure you that nearly all who cry crocodile tears here will go to the same lenght to get their property back.
 

skinny36

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Mar 2, 2010
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I agree that eviction happens all over the world ~~ just handled a little different in every country. I would have a hard time watching anyone getting evicted but then in the same instance if it was my property I would be ticked that someone decided to make themselves at home on my land. I do have some rental properties here in Canada and I have had some tenants that decided not to pay rent...soooo, i too had to have them evicted. I sure didn't throw gas at them, although I wish I probably could have, I was very happy to get them out so I could rent it to responsible tenants...soooo, I guess that is the same thing!!
 
May 29, 2006
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Every couple years there are threats that all of the casitas on Sosua beach will be bulldozed. The people in the shops and bars there would certainly be surprized if it ever actually happened.
 

AngelaO

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Mar 6, 2010
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I would have squatters evicted in a heartbeat! I don't even let the neighborhood kids play in my yard. It's mine. I bought it. Go away!!
Still, that video was very disturbing. I swear to God, I thought those squatters were going to face a firing squad for a while there.
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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Every couple years there are threats that all of the casitas on Sosua beach will be bulldozed. The people in the shops and bars there would certainly be surprized if it ever actually happened.

Same threats/rumors for Playa Najayo and Playa Palenque on the southwest coast.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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you will see many similar scenes when they start building 2 more line of navarette-POP road...
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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I would have squatters evicted in a heartbeat! I don't even let the neighborhood kids play in my yard. It's mine. I bought it. Go away!!

You darn kids....Get off my property!!! Were you a character in that movie UP by any chance?