By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AFTER a decades-long battle over land left to her by her late mother, 79-year-old Reverend Laura Glinton says she can finally sleep in peace after the government granted her conveyance of full ownership.

Ms Glinton was among 24 families who received conveyances during a ceremony at the Fox Hill Community Centre last night, formally securing title ownership of their land.

She has lived in Fox Hill her entire life but has been fighting since 1973 to keep her property in the family.

Ms Glinton recalled “sleepless nights” from people insisting they owned the property her mother passed down. She said the challenges began after her mother moved to the United States and left her with the land.

“Going back and forth to the lawyer, having the people come and telling me I got to get off their property, you know, I had my papers to show and everything,” she said.

Her daughter, Denise Roker, also remembered the difficult times when people arrived at their home with a magistrate and police, creating chaos. She said the family spent thousands in legal fees trying to resolve the matter but only last night did they finally gain certainty.

Minister of Housing Keith Bell explained that while many recipients were already considered legal owners due to long-standing possession, they lacked proper documentary title. This meant they could not get a mortgage, sell their property, or renovate without dispute.

To address this, the government used compulsory acquisition to transfer the land to the Ministry of Housing before conveying it directly to the rightful families for a nominal fee.

Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said securing proper titles has been a decades-long struggle for many Bahamians. He added that the Davis Administration made a commitment to tackle land reform because “land is the key to wealth.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis also underscored the government’s efforts. He said the conveyances give families clear documentation of ownership and peace of mind.

“We are saying to Bahamians everywhere, your struggle with unclear titles, with missing records, with endless disputes, this struggle must end. We are creating a fair system where land rights disputes are resolved clearly, where records are properly kept, where families are not left in limbo,” Mr Davis said.