Land owners with dilapidated buildings in the Corporate Area could lose their properties if they are not repaired within 14 days after the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) posted a notice on the premises.

The occupier of a building in Kingston went home this week to find a notice ordering him to repair the building. The notice was signed by the town clerk and was issued under the Towns Nuisances Prevention Act.

"I was so shocked when I went home and saw the notice that I immediately wondered whether Cricket World Cup had anything to do with the notice because my premises is near to Sabina Park," the bewildered occupier said. "I have been living at the premises along with several tenants for 30 years and I really don't have the money to repair the premises because I have not been working for several years. I try very hard to get a job, but jobs are very hard to get," he said.

"Instead of just putting the notice on the house, I think the councillor for the area and officials from the KSAC should meet with me and see what assistance they can give me towards the repair and painting of the premises," he added.

Section 4 of the Towns Nuisances Prevention Act states that "whenever any lot, piece or parcel, of land situated within the limits of any town is certified by the city engineer, or superinten-dent of parochial roads and works, to be wholly unenclosed or not sufficiently enclosed, or any land has standing on it any house, erection or building, which is certified as aforesaid to be so dilapidated as to be dangerous to the public, or to the neighbours, or to persons who may enter it, or to adjoining buildings, it shall be lawful for the council of the parish within which such town is situated, by resolution to declare such lot, piece or parcel of land, a public nuisance."

The section states further that the Council shall give notice in writing and order the nuisance to be corrected.

The notice must be signed by the chairman, secretary or clerk of the council and the notice must be posted on some conspicuous part of the land.

If the order is not obeyed then "it shall be lawful for the said council" after 14 days has expired from the posting of the notice to apply to the Supreme Court or Resident Magistrate's Court for the land which was declared a public nuisance to be sold.

Once the court grants the order, the council must sell the land by public auction to the highest bidder and invest the money in a bank.

Persons who have legal rights to the land are entitled to the purchase money, but they must apply to the court within three years after the sale of the property.