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St. John Land Records Need Help, Residents Say

St. John records in the Recorder of Deeds office are in “shambles,” St. John resident Yvonne Wells said at a meeting Wednesday of the Legislature’s Committee on Culture, Historic Preservation, Youth and Recreation.

Held at the Legislative building on St. John, the meeting was called to discuss a bill that would mandate a full assessment of the territory’s land and cadastral records every five years. While the senators took testimony at the meeting, Chairman Myron Jackson said the committee would hear from more people when it meets again on St. Thomas to further discuss the bill.

Wells said the pages of the St. John records are worn and tattered. “Years ago I even heard of records being tampered with,” she said.

Wells said that because of problems with land records, “crooked” people take advantage. She said that people change boundaries to suit themselves.

She also said that a developer on Lovango Cay, where her family has property, was allowed to replace an old dock historically used by her family with a new dock. In order to use the new dock, she said the developer told the Wells family they had to join the homeowners’ association, whose dues were beyond their means.

According to Wells, the developer also altered a road.

Lorne Battiste, in speaking of issues with family land on St. John, said surveyors working in concert with attorneys are allowed to disregard old land records.

“The result of these actions is increased property taxes,” he said.

Battiste suggested the FBI and other federal agencies be called in to investigate the Recorder of Deeds and Cadastral offices because he believes they are violating constitutional and civil rights, especially of black, indigenous landowners.

Battiste said that in 1939 old records were purposely incinerated, leaving gaps in the territory’s land records.

Tax Assessor Ira Mills later clarified that the records had been burned but it happened because the person who did it didn’t think the old records had any value.

Early land records at the Recorder of Deeds and the Cadastral offices are in bad shape, several testifiers said.

“Several early volumes are in fragile condition as a result of aging,” said Ingrid Bough, director of the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums at the Planning and Natural Resources Department.

Jane Sheen, who said she’s done research on land records at the Recorder of Deeds and the Cadastral offices for 15 years, pointed out that some records are in such bad condition they are wrapped in brown paper.

“They cannot be touched for fear of them falling apart. There is at least one old record book that has literally turned to dust,” she said.

Sheen added that the Recorder of Deeds office is on the top floor of a building that sometimes leaks when it rains. When that happens, the staff must put buckets out to catch the drips. She said it’s possible the records could be damaged or destroyed if a hurricane hit.

In addition to Jackson, committee members Sens. Terrence “Positive” Nelson, Tregenza Roach and Janette Millin Young attended the meeting. Sens. Kenneth Gittens, Shawn Michael-Malone and Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly were absent. Noncommittee members Sens. Craig Barshinger and Clifford Graham also attended the meeting.

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