Tonight, our feature story is about another conflict between a man's right to do what we wants in his yard and the right of his neighbors to their space. This squabble this time is in the usually quiet community on the Western Highway just outside of Belize City. The man at the center of it is controversial developer Arnaldo "Papi" Pena whose neighbors say he has turned their prized real estate into swamp. Keith Swift waded into the water.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning Dennis Bradley showed me what used to be his backyard. It used to be his backyard because the space where his children played ball and where he used to be able to cut the grass is now a swamp.
Dennis Bradley,
"We actually have only half our yard in use now."
Keith Swift,
You no longer have a backyard?
Dennis Bradley,
"No we don't because the water won't come down. We've never had this type of flooding before except in hurricanes."
That's the same story next door at Donecia Aguet's home. She too claims she has lost access to her backyard at mile 3 and a quarter on the Western Highway. She describes the situation in one word - awful.
Donecia Aguet,
"It is awful. We haven't had this before and as you can see, we are flooded out. The slightest rain and the water stays, it is stagnant, there is no drainage."
Keith Swift,
So you no longer have a backyard?
Donecia Aguet,
"It is swamp."
Keith Swift,
How long have you lived in this area?
Donecia Aguet,
"44 years."
Keith Swift,
Has it ever been like this?
Donecia Aguet,
"Never."
Both Bradley and Aguet say it is like this now because of what has been done next door on this property recently acquired by Arnaldo Pena. The white sand you see is land fill and residents claim that is where a lagoon used to be.
Dennis Bradley,
"Immediately as he filled the place, the first two heavy rainfalls we had, flooded us out. My neighbor next door and myself here. We were flooded
out beyond what we could expect. Obviously, all of us in this area can be affected by this filling."
Of course that filling is being done on Pena's private property and an environmental clearance aside - it is a right he should have - right? Well not exactly according to these residents.
Keith Swift,
How can you tell somebody what to do and what not to do in their yard?
Dennis Bradley,
"Well I can't actually in fact but when it starts to affect us and threaten the whole neighborhood because our property values can go down because of any of this type of work."
Keith Swift,
But again it is his land.
Dennis Bradley,
"Yes I know it is land but the point in fact is that I am told that we up here could sue him but at my age, 80 years old, we aren't contemplating a lawsuit."
No lawsuit because all these residents want back is their backyards.
W couldn't confirm with the Department of Environment if Pena received clearance to fill the land. Pena declined an on camera interview but he told us that the entire country has been deluged by rain and so just about everywhere is wet. He added that the residents in the neighborhood weren't complaining when other nearby developers were filling their land.
