Riverton residents face eviction

Several residents of Brighton Avenue in Riverton Meadows are on tenterhooks as they face the possibility of eviction from the place they have called home all their lives.

The residents have been told that the lands they now occupy are owned by someone else. They have been given notice to 'quit and deliver up possession' of the property by October 17, which has passed. However, they are adamant that they will not moved.

"We nah move from right here suh. A yah suh we plant. When we come a this part a Riverton come live a bare swamp and bush and tall tree. People never even use to walk round a dem side yah and a we come dump it up and fix it up and live. We are not fools so we know that we should get first preferences if dem a sell di land. We nah move," one resident said.

Anthony Hylton, member of parliament for St Andrew Western, where Riverton falls, used the floor of Parliament to call attention to the simmering issue on Wednesday. He said that someone who previously owned land elsewhere, along the industrial belt, has shown interest and is insisting that the people be removed in order to make way for the building of a factory.

"The person claiming to have purchased the land, without sufficient proof of having done so lawfully, is insisting that the families remove themselves from the land immediately or face being fenced in behind a wall to be built. Tension is rising in the area. Predictably, the area is on edge," Hylton said.

The residents told THE WEEKEND STAR that they have been told that nine households comprising some 32 persons will be affected.

"They want space to park their trucks and other things, so why dem wah push we fi guh live near the river. Dem fi bring their things round dere, but we a human being so we want to stay on the front page. They suggested that were going to split up $3 million for all of us, which means seh we would get little over $300,000 each, but dat cannot put we back on we feet, suh we never agree to that," another woman added.

"Dem a say we nuh haffi badda move but dem ago build a fence behind we house and some a we house a guh get chop off. Mi nuh wah nobody fence we in. Dem naah guh trick we and do that because it simply mean say we would a give dem permission to build on our place and as soon as dem get di title dem a guh throw we off, and we nuh fool or dunce," the resident added. .

One mother of two told THE WEEKEND STAR that Riverton is the only home she has known all her life and she will not be leaving her property without a fight.

"If dem say I have to leave today or tomorrow is on the streets mi and mi family will have to live because is Riverton mi born. I don't know anywhere else. This is where I built my house and not because is board means say it cheap. Is $12,000 for a piece of ply and a lot of us have two and three bedroom houses," the woman said.