UPDATED: February 22, 2011 –
The Mafia won: Violet Beckles died on August 23, 2010
With the current fuss in the news about our broken, corrupt and unreliable Land Titles system, this past article about one of the victims of that system deserves a read. Without a reliable, secure and accurate Land Titles system the crooks and their crooked lawyers descend upon the innocent and naive like flies to sugar. (We’re trying to maintain some standards ’round here, you can substitute any word for sugar that you like!) 🙂
As you read about Violet Beckles, be aware that this lawlessness surrounding the ownership of land in Barbados has been thriving for decades – and the lawyers like it so.
Original article first published December 13, 2009…
“When an incident happens in Barbados – any incident – we knowingly look to the status of the people involved and can usually predict the outcome. Is the victim a nobody, elderly, poor or especially a woman – and the other person one of the elites? We all say… tough luck sweetheart – you haven’t a chance of seeing justice!”
Old Ladies with land are fair game in Barbados
New marina a Six Men's won't wait for a court decision on Violet Beckles' land claim
An old lady who has title deeds to what is now incredibly valuable land in Barbados will not stand in the way of “progress” as defined by the Barbados “mafia” who have spent decades waiting for her to die.
So far the informal coalition of lawyers, politicians, land developers and other big shots has been successful in keeping Violet Beckles running to and fro with a series of lawyers while construction on land claimed by her never stops and successive governments keep expropriating more of her land without waiting for definitive answers on her claims.
Barbados, of course, is the country where simple civil suits of condo ownership can take two decades to arrive before a court… and that’s not counting appeals! (Previous BFP story on justice delayed here)
But those politicians, lawyers and land speculators won’t have much longer to wait as Violet is now 91 years old. Yes, she has a son – but as the lawyers are well aware, the longer the cases drag on, the more evidence is lost. Witnesses die, papers in the Land Registry get “lost” and the Beckles family will run out of energy and money to fight the Princes of the Court.
One of the great tragedies in her case is that early on – some 20 years ago – no lawyer advised her to move to take control of the lands she has deeds to. Golly… I wonder why no lawyer advised her to do that? Now, 20 years later the courts tell her “Oh… too bad Violet. Ya should have taken control of your lands 20 years ago. Tough luck!”
Yup, shouldn’t be much longer before Violet passes on and those who write history and the news stories can safely label her as a crackpot – instead of telling like it is.
The truth is, the Violet Beckles story is an inconvenient microcosm that reveals everything that is wrong with Barbados.
Further Reading
Nation News: Old lady lays claim to Six Men’s
(Interesting how the cynicism of the journalists comes through in the URL: “http://www.nationnews.com/news/local/beckles-owns-all-of-buhbadus-copy-for-web“)
Barbados Advocate: Justice needs to be delivered
Barbados Free Press:
Chaotic & Corrupt Land Titles System Makes For Risky Real Estate Transactions In Barbados
Buying Land In Barbados? Welcome To The Crap Shoot!
… and finally…
Barbados Free Press 
BFP do you have any hard evidence that supports the allegations?
I have wondered why it takes years to settle estates and other civil matters in Barbados.
The reasons given by Lawyers are ridiculous.
Their favourite words are “they can’t find” and “we are waiting on”.
Of course the rich and famous get things done more quickly because they will pay the Lawyers to get on a plane and bring documents.
One Lawyer even got a Helicopter ride from an airport to the Client’s office and got to marvel at the view of the client’s zillion acre property in England.
The rest of us regular Bajans just have to learn to be patient. If we die while waiting, our beneficiaries will wait even longer.
We should start a list of Lawyers in Barbados who are honest and efficient.
nothing will change until bajans are prepared to get placards and bull horns and go down town and demonstrate for all the public to see that they have a grievance with the government and it’s officials our problem is that we are too patient and too understanding ,we also need to start naming the wrong doers,corrupt lawyers make the innocent pay,while good people keep quite,the whole system need a good shake up the government has to be made more accountable to the people,this nonsense about the B’s and D’s has to stop when it comes to giving people justice, good justice is a right of all citizens not just for the well connected and those with money,at the moment what we have is the news papers are protecting the wicked fearing to name them because of the law of liable and at the same time stroking their ego
Hants,
would there be enough for a list?
Perhaps someone can start listing the lawyers involved in this scam starting with our PM who is going to presumably expropriate when this old lady is dead and leave the estate with nothing
@Sundowner
I still believe that there some honest lawyers in Barbados.
Unfortunately I cannot name any because I don’t live in Barbados and it would not be fair to fellow bloggers to name people with whom I have limited contact.
The only way that I believe that laywers in Barbados are honest is when the laws in Barbados start prosecuting them for their trachery. Until that time all lawyers are part of the system there have devised and to that end, all are dishonest and tricksty
I thought that in law, bad title is no title. What is the legal trail of the title deeds?
One question, how can a parcel of land be expropriated without knowing the legal owner, or if it is in doubt.
Surely an expropriation will being with a title search?
Will the contents and outcome of that search be revealed publicly?
In the past I have had reason to question what I deemed to be the lack of responsibility on your part, but having read this story I hope you stay on top of it. Kudos to you on this occasion. I am not privy to all the facts in this case, but a mere cursory reading of the details here and in another media outlet leaves my nostrils reeling from the stink. This and other stories related to the land grab going on in Barbados have led me to draw comparisons with the Scramble for Africa. I sincerely hope that there is some REPUTABLE group, whether domestic or international, which will come to this lady’s assistance.
This is VERY unfortunate. It seems as though this is a case of “Let us move ahead with this project and deal with the consequences later. To hell was this old lady who may have a legitimate claim to the land.”
Hants
Following is a list of honest lawyers in Barbados
@ peltdownman
Thanks for the list.
There might be 2 more. Our blogging comrades Jeff Cumberbatch and Anonlegal.
Just remembered another one.He has a law degree but never practised law.
Moderation BFP? Wha I do?
Didn’t do nothin’ Hants. Only that old computer spam guard pickin on ya. Fixed it for ya!
george
Thanks George.
The attorney for Violet…( Ernest Jackman) is he not the same attorney who has been accused and now before the Court for stealing his Client’s money ?
bfp have you done any research on this woman or are you assuming that her story is true? i grew up on the same street as her and she is not the nice old lady your paint her to be. ask the people in the area how many houses and parcels of land she stole from others living around her. the day after my father died she turned up at his house claiming that the house and land belonged to her! luckily we had the papers to prove otherwise. everyone in the neighbourhood knows about her wicked ways and all the property she has acquired through stealing.
Beckles might be a victim or a big liar but she deserves to be heard in court. So far the tactics of the “mafia” has kept her from court for 20 years. That’s how they win in Barbados: delay, delay, delay until the little people die or go away. We don’t have “trials” in Barbados, we have “procedures”.
To 104..It is impossible to “steal” someone`s land. A chicken, ram goat, cow, limes…yes..but not land and a building on it! How can a claim be made that she stole “houses and parcels of land”…Do you know how this was done? Did she put them in the back of a truck? Lets see how far investigative journalism goes to uncover the truth in this very interesting case.
The people who do not want to pay her rent would say anything. Butall those lawers should be lock up. they stole her land and live in the homes left for her. linzzyyy is one of them.
The High Court is a where the CJ have his last stand . Jackman and Johny together back to back in the same pool of dirty water.
Walk out on the 28th? get hook up on the 29th?
I know of a family whose land was taken from them at Hinds Hill to help build the ABC highway, and up to now no compensation has been given to the family of the land; and to make matters worse some years ago Government was putting the rest of the land up for sale. Can some one shed some light on this issue?
Just want to Know
There is no Rule of Law in Barbados, but rather a continuing reign of terror on the poor and defenseless by amoral and unscrupulous lawyers .
Our politicians are by profession, to a great extent,lawyers.As such they are all members of an association…the Barbados Bar Association.They are often partners in law firms,members of the same lodge and other social organizations.They consider themselves to be a privileged class.Few, if any, are driven by a sense of moral purpose ,duty or obligation when it comes to dealing with the society at large.They see others as fools;an underclass to be controlled,manipulated and exploited at every turn.We must wake up! We must let it be known that we will no longer allow this mafia-type organization of approximately 800 “liars” to rob,steal,pillage and exploit 280,000 decent hard working people.Soon people will take the law into their own hands !
David J.H Thompson , The Truthful leader He was. Made plans with the Fraud Squad to look in the the Estate of Beatrice Henry to Violet Beckles.On 19th of August 2011 , 13 GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ARE NOW RECORDED AS RENTALS . At a cost of 2.7 Million Dollars per month each . As the EX C.J said BY DEED ALONE , THE HIGH COURT MOVE AGAINST LAND FRAUD
Micah 2;;Man’s Plans And God’s
Woe to those who plan iniquity to those who plot evil on their beds.At the morning’s light they carry it out because it is they power to do it. They covet and fields and seize them. and houses and take them. They defraud a man of his home a fellowmen of his inheritance. Therefore the Lord says:I am planning disaster against this people from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly for it will be a time of calamity. in that day men will redicule you, they will taunt you with this mournful song,.We are utterly ruined: my people possession is divided up.He takes it from me, He is assign our fields to traitors, therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord to divide the land by lot.
continue reading Micah 2. GOD is watching.no justice . God Bless the Thompson family. he was the only one who try to do right by her. . God Bless Violet Beckles family..
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When I was in Barbados in the mid-1980’s, a jitney driver tried to cheat me and several other persons who had engaged the jitney driver to take us to Sam Lord’s “Castle” (actually a Marriott Inn) and the botannical gardens.
Once we had been to the “Castle”, the driver became surly and said he needed more money than what we had agreed to when we “Carnival” line tourists requested his driving service. We denied his usurious deceit and he took us back to the embarkation spot after we took in the gardens. Once back in the U.S., I wrote to the Barbados government to complain and report the driver’s car license number. I was asked if I wanted to return to Barbados to testify, a ridiculous question, but was told the driver’s license would be suspended for a day. I doubt the driver suffered what he deserved. The Caribbean islands are massively exploited by the U.S., Britain and Canada and the natives try to revenge themselves on naive, unassuming tourists. A pox upon all of them. I will never travel there again, I assure you.