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Agreement with Armier caravan owners 'not legally binding' - Lands Commissioner
Lands Commissioner says agreement between government and Armier Developments Ltd limited to boathouses and stone structures; calls for eviction of caravan owners
26 July 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
The Commissioner of Lands has insisted the caravan owners at Armier must be evicted as they hold no legal title on the land they are occupying. According to the Commissioner, the agreement reached between government and Armier Developments Ltd did not cover caravans or vehicles.
Amier Developments Ltd, representing caravan owners, appealed a judgement by Mr Justice Anthony Ellul, who ruled that caravans had no legal title and were thus illegal.
After years of battling their case in court insisting the court should declare caravan occupants as legally entitled to make use of their structures, the Lands Commissioner today said the presence of the caravans was preventing the attainment of a blue flag status for Armier.
He also declared they were causing environmental damage.
In 2011, caravan owners and Armier Deveopments Ltd - who represents the Armier squatters - sued the Lands Commissioner and the Attorney General. The requested the court to declare they were legally entitled to make use of their structures. They also sought a declaration that an eviction order issued against them by the Land Commissioner was unenforceable.
Going back to 2003, the representatives had received a letter from then Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg who had declared government was prepared to accept the construction of a number of units in the area subject to a number of conditions.
The Commissioner today however said that a letter from any previous government could not be taken as a binding contract, allowing people to occupy a land and take it.
The battle continues as the Armier Development Ltd continues to argue that an agreement with the government could not be ignored, while the Commissioner for Lands insists the appeal should be thrown out of court.
If the Appeals Court rules in favour of the Lands Commissioner, the government would be able to evict the caravan owners.
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Yesterday friday at 9.00 p.m. near Armier they were using bulldozer to reclaim more ILLEGAL land. The Lands commisioner must act NOW.
Joseph MELI •
Last I looked the Lands Commissioner is not a legal expert nor practioner and is merely offering an informed opinion-one which the majority of us concur with,I would suggest.Does anyone know the timescale allowed in which one may lodge an appeal against a judgment-as the time between such seems inordinate in this case?
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I'd like to know if I can steel something and it will becomes mine legally ?
If the government accedes to their demands then I have a right for a piece of land too like all the other Maltese and Gozitans who didn't occupy a piece of land illegally. Malta Taghan Ilkoll u mhux ta min huwa b'sahtu jew BULLY.
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What a beautiful picture. An excellent example how to build or put a caravan next to the beach on public land which the court ruled illegal. The Mayor of Mellieha Robert Catajar had tried to move these illegally parked caravans but again he was stopped by the invincible Armier Association. These people must have some kind of power over the government in general. Now their appeal was ruled against them and still the government is afraid to touch them. Mr Land Commissioner now you have a paper from the court saying that you can move these eyesore caravans off public land. So what are you waiting for? Enforce the court order and give these owners 24 hours to move out or you will definitely move them yourself. These people are not above the law, so why give in to them. If you can do the talking you must be able to do the walking.
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No one, not even Tonio Borg, Lawrence Gonzi and the whole lot have any right to give away land belonging to the people. Judge Ellul was perfect in his judgement and the Commissioner of Lands at last is protecting the rights of all of us against the few who usurped our rights and our lands, and who were stupid enough to accept a promise made by the GonziPN lot written in sand. Justice will triumph at last.
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The land Commissioner has the law to back him up. Why not give these people 24 hours to clean up their mess by Monday and then order Mepa to move in and tow those eyesore caravans away? How powerful is this Armier Association? Is it more powerful than our laws or more powerful than our government itself? How much control do they have over the government? Why not finish this saga once and for all and do something which should have been done years ago? Shame on both governments for not being in compliance with the law. This has gone long enough. These caravans were deemed illegal by a court of law, what is Mepa waiting for? maybe a wrapped cigar? Do what is right and tow these eyesore caravans away.
