With no-response from Government following the issuance of their seven-day ultimatum, the displaced Cane View, Mocha squatters have instructed their lawyers to initial legal action over the demolition of their homes.

The residents – Lashonda Ellis, Joyann Ellis, Roxanne Allen, Mark Gordon, and Candacie Williams – were among seven families whose homes were bulldozed by the Government last month to pave with for a major highway.

Earlier this month, the aggrieved residents signalled their willingness to agree to an out of Court settlement, but warned that should the Government fail to respond favourably by February 15, 2023, they will move to the Court.

To date, the Government has not responded, but according to the Minister of Housing and Water, the Attorney General would have been responding on behalf of the government.

Minister Croal, however, said the Housing and Water Ministry has always expressed a willingness to engage the residents.

“We have said all along that those persons can engage us, and it came to a particular point where we could not hold off anymore and we had to dismantle. But you just can’t hold the nation at ransom, blocking a facility, doing everything possible to [prevent the] development from happening on an area that you do not legally own,” the Minister told News Source on Monday.

He said the squatters were offered land and financial compensation but rejected the offer and instead made “ridiculous” counter proposals.

With no word from the Attorney General, the Cane View/Mocha residents said Government has left them no other choice.

“We have strengthened capacity for aggressive representation and have started deploying our litigation and conflict resolution strategies” New York-based Attorney-at-Law Vivian Williams said in a statement on Monday.

Williams together with Attorney Lyndon Amsterdam had written the Government on behalf of the residents on February 8,2023.

Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd was added to the legal team over the weekend.

After being briefed of the unresponsiveness of the Government, the aggrieved residents reportedly expressed disappointment at Government’s unwillingness to engage on the matter.

Last week, Williams and Amsterdam stressed the value of conflict resolution to society and expressed the hope that the Government would grasp the opportunity to engage in sensemaking.

The lawyers are convinced that the affected residents have very strong claims against the Government, however, they were hoping that the two sides could have found a common ground in the interest of resolving the issue.

Meanwhile, two of the seven families reached settlements with the Government following the demolition of their homes

Related posts:

Nine Annandale squatters get keys to new Government built homes; Some worry about meeting monthly mortgage payments “Ali, you diss me” – Displaced Mocha resident said her efforts to engage government before demolition were shunned Mocha squatters want consultation before demolition of their homes Broad and Lombard St. squatters get keys to new homes