47. Recovery of land illegally occupied
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(1) Invest Saint Lucia may apply to the High Court for an Order requesting a squatter occupying land owned by Invest Saint Lucia to vacate the land, and if there is a building or structure on the land requesting him or her to demolish the building or structure, within the period specified in the Order.
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(2) The High Court may grant an Order applied for under subsection (1), if it is satisfied that a squatter is occupying land belonging to Invest Saint Lucia and the Order shall be served on the squatter personally or by leaving it in a conspicuous place on the land which the squatter occupies.
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(3) Where the squatter fails to vacate the land within the period specified in an Order under subsection (1), Invest Saint Lucia, with the assistance of the Sheriff of the High Court and a police officer, shall evict the squatter, and, subject to subsection (6), where a structure or a building has been erected on the land, Invest Saint Lucia shall demolish the structure or the building.
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(4) Invest Saint Lucia, the Sheriff of the High Court or the police officer are exempted from any liability for any action taken under subsection (3).
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(5) Notwithstanding subsection (3) and subject to subsection (6), notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a squatter does not acquire title by adverse possession to land owned by Invest Saint Lucia.
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(6) Notwithstanding subsections (3) and (5), where a squatter in good faith has erected a structure or building on lands owned by Invest Saint Lucia, he or she shall be given the option to purchase the land at the market value prevailing at the date of the service or at a price to be negotiated between Invest Saint Lucia and the squatter.
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(7) In this section —
“land” includes any building or structure owned by Invest Saint Lucia or any building or structure erected by a squatter on land owned by Invest Saint Lucia;
“squatter” means a person who is illegally, or without the permission of Invest Saint Lucia, occupying land owned by Invest Saint Lucia.
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(8) In this section a reference to Invest Saint Lucia includes a reference to a body established under section 6(1)(b).