Eleuthera commoners seeking decades of compensation

The Harbour Island Commonage Committee is hoping to settle its grievances over land occupation amicably with government, or through arbitration should the government fail to negotiate with the group, which is hoping to recover decades of compensation legally owed to it.

The committee agreed Thursday during a virtual meeting to send a letter to the government laying out its final demands for compensation and reconciliation for years of the government’s occupation of commonage land on Eleuthera, or have the government face eviction from the land.

According to the group, the North Eleuthera Airport has sat on commonage land since 1959, to no benefit of Harbour Island Commonage, a non-profit organization with a goal of developing and providing prime land for all of its registered commoners.

The group is also seeking restitution for the government’s use of land for well fields in North Eleuthera, as well as for North Eleuthera’s dump.

Harbour Island Commonage Chairman Wesley Percentie said while the group does not want to take legal action against the government, it will if both sides cannot come to an amicable resolution that benefits Harbour Island Commonage.

“We’re going to be trying as a committee to seek the method that is easiest and provides the Harbour Island Commonage with the most benefit,” said Percentie.

The commonage’s lawyer Richette Percentie said a court matter could tie up the planned expansion and redevelopment of the North Eleuthera Airport, which is something the group contends it wants to avoid.

“It is not a matter we want to proceed to court on,” said Percentie.

“The aim is to get the government to hear the commoners. Court would tie the matter up and could add to the expansion not happening.” 

However, Percentie said the commoners have tried myriad ways for decades to get the government to acquiesce after occupying many tracts of land for so long, but has not been successful. 

Harbour Island Commonage Vice Chairman Benjamin Simmons read a portion of the Commonage Act which states: “Any person occupying any land held in common who is not a registered commoner shall be deemed a willful trespasser and may upon the application of any commoner, be ejected by order of the commissioner, who is hereby authorized and empowered to issue his warrant of ejectment and cause a person to be forthwith ejected.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/eleuthera-commoners-seeking-decades-of-compensation/