Dear Editor,
In response to the letter captioned ‘Supreme Court & Land Registries need professional management’ published in Kaieteur News on June 24, I wish to inform the “Name withheld” person that he/she has written utter rubbish with regard to the Land Registry. That person is totally misinformed and needs to take a seat when reading what I have to say.
The status of Land Registry is as follows:
- I have signed off all “In Order” transfers for the year 2014. Many have been uplifted by the respective lawyers.
- Transfers filed for 2015 are being checked as far as April to date and still checking.
- Mortgages filed for 2015 are being processed for June.
- Corrections returned to the Land Registry by the respective lawyers are being processed for August 2014.
- Ministry of Housing transfers are being processed for 30th January, 2014. For this Ministry we have 8,391 transfers filed for 2014.
- Applications for Lost Grosse/ Mutilated Grosse and Certificates of Sale are being processed for June 2014.
- As for the “Out of order” matters, the Land Registry does have these from 2007 to 2012. I sent notices to the lawyers receiving a minimal response, so then I resorted to advertising same in the Chronicle newspaper, again with the same minimal response. I have stopped this as it is costing the Land Registry thousands of dollars and we are getting nowhere.
- Customers visit this office and complain that they have paid off their lawyers who inform them that the matters are filed with the Land Registry. That is indeed so, but when we inform them that the matters are out of order and the lawyer needs to do the corrections, they sometimes take the queries or have the lawyers’ clerks come in and they do take the queries, but the matters are left unattended and I get the blame. Is that fair? I am ready to expose all and sundry as I am doing now.
This “Name withheld” person also said I am arrogant. I suggest that person googles this word along with honesty, sincerity, integrity and principle; I operate within that framework. On many occasions I work alongside the staff at the counter when we have an influx of customers and people tell me that I am not what others say I am, including this “Name withheld” person.
I have often said that I do not take a sweet drink, a fried rice or knock glasses with anyone, therefore I am not friends with anyone, and I like it that way. I was put here to do a job and I know I do it well, regardless of what others say. Incidentally, I was not placed here by Dr Luncheon as was said in the letter. I will give that person some homework to find out who put me here and I will give a hint: I worked in Court of Appeal, Supreme Court Registry; State Solicitor/Public Trustee and Deeds Registry. The latter I left as Deputy Registrar before I assumed the position of Registrar of Lands.
Yours faithfully,
Juliet Sattaur
Registrar of Lands
