Kingston, Jamaica, 24 June 2026
Landowners who leave property idle could soon face closer scrutiny of any adverse possession claims made against it, with the Government considering a role for local Adjudication Committees in reviewing such applications.
Robert Montague, the Minister without Portfolio responsible for Land Titling and Settlements, raised the proposal in the House of Representatives on 9 June during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate. He said the Government was examining how applications could be referred to these committees so that local input is heard before a claim advances.
A system some are exploiting
Adverse possession allows a person who has occupied and used land for a sufficiently long period, without the owner’s permission, to seek legal ownership of it. The minister told Parliament that some people were abusing the arrangement and had turned it into a business, and that the State does not back wholesale or speculative claims even though it supports putting land to productive use.
Alongside the committee referrals, he pointed to a planned property watch service as a way of giving owners a fairer chance to defend what is theirs. Digitising land processes, he added, should also help officials spot informal subdivisions when valuation rolls are updated and identify idle parcels more accurately.
A message to absentee owners
The minister was equally direct with landowners at home and overseas. Holding a title while doing nothing with the property, he argued, invites trouble. Owners were urged to visit their land, fence it, use it, keep taxes current or sell it rather than abandon it.
He stressed that paying a modest annual tax bill on its own does not settle the risk. In his words, the “best remedy is for you to use the land productively.”
What it means for property owners
For families holding inherited land, and for diaspora owners who may not see their parcels for years at a time, the message is clear. Regular visits, visible boundaries, up-to-date tax payments and some form of use all strengthen an owner’s position. Anyone with land in another parish or abroad may wish to arrange for a trusted person to check on it, keep records and photographs, and seek legal advice early if a stranger appears to be occupying it.
The proposed changes have not yet been set out in detail, but they signal a tougher stance on speculative claims and higher expectations of registered owners.
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