probate fraud

Fraudsters are fabricating wills and grant of probate documents in order to claim ownership of Jamaican family land after the death of a landowner. Lawyers and the courts have flagged this as a growing threat to legitimate heirs across all parishes.

Executors and administrators of Jamaican estates are in some cases selling property, diverting proceeds, and failing to account for assets that should be distributed to the rightful heirs. Lawyers warn that executor misconduct is a significant and underreported category of property fraud.

Family land disputes — where multiple heirs inherit an undivided interest in a property and cannot agree on whether to sell, divide, or develop — are among the most common sources of property litigation in Jamaica. Without a clear legal mechanism for resolution, these disputes can paralyse a property for years and leave it vulnerable to squatting, deterioration, and fraud.

When a property owner dies in Jamaica, the right to deal with their estate — including selling real property — must be formally granted through a grant of probate or letters of administration from the Supreme Court. Fraudulent sales by persons who purport to act as executors or administrators without a valid grant, or who have been stripped of their authority, are a significant source of property dispute in the Jamaican estate market.