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Kiwi Family in Panama
Land Battle
Panama -
A New Zealand family who has spent the past
decade creating botanic gardens out of
jungle in Panama is battling a powerful
local family for possession of the land.
David Gillingham, formerly of Marton, in the
Manawatu, and his wife, Lin, told the Panama
Star that the circuit judge of the Bocas del
Toro area where they live has three times
tried to enter their property to measure
land the wealthy Eleta family says it should
own.
"Lands disputes between foreigners and
Panamanians are becoming quite common,
mainly because properties, especially in
beauty spots in the provinces of Chiriqui
and Bocas del Toro, have increased their
value dramatically," the newspaper reported.
The Gillinghams said their 9.31ha was
properly titled at the public registry when
they bought the property a decade ago.
They hacked their way with machetes through
jungle on the site an since then have built
a house, a botanical garden and a nursery.
Mrs Gillingham opened the Finca Los Monos
(the Monkey Farm) botanical garden to
tourists last December. The hilltop property
has stunning views both eastward toward the
archipelago of Bocas del Toro and westward
toward mainland mountains.
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But two months ago, the circuit judge
demanded access to their property, to
measure and separate a plot from it.
The land being sought is exactly where the
house, botanical garden and nursery are
sited.
" The Eletas have no legal claim to our
land," Mrs Gillingham said
"We are legally occupying our land." |
