Santa Isabel Mayor Meldwin Rivera denounced a dispute over municipal land where a 90-year-old man lives and faces an eviction order. The mayor says the man has nowhere else to go. "It seemed unfair to us," Rivera said of the court determination ordering the eviction.
According to Rivera, the case involves former Santa Isabel mayor Enrique Questell, who held the office for 16 years and, per Rivera’s allegations, maintains an interest in the land where the elderly man’s home sits. Rivera argued there is a possible conflict of interest because the farm in dispute was allegedly municipal property. He alleged that while Questell was mayor and vice president of the CRIM (Municipal Revenue Collection Center) Board of Directors, the land was grouped and later occupied, although municipal documents indicate it belongs to the town of Santa Isabel.
"The only one who can remove him from there is the mayor because that land is municipal," Rivera said. The mayor said his administration and legal team reviewed the documentation on farm 709 and concluded the disputed land is municipal property. He also alleged that a state road was closed in the area.
Rivera said all this information was filed with the Ponce Court of First Instance and that the municipality also went to court after being sued. The documentation submitted to the court runs approximately 500 pages. Rivera clarified that although he believes he has authority over use of municipal property, he does not intend to evict the 90-year-old man from his home. The dispute remains in court, which must determine ownership and rights over the land.