223 Saipan landowners to get between 89 cents to over $190K

At least 223 Saipan landowners will get anywhere from 89 cents to over $190,000 once the Department of Public Lands starts releasing a total of $800,000 in Managaha landing fees to pay those whose private properties were taken by the government for public use such as road construction, data obtained by Saipan Tribune shows.

The larger the private property taken, the larger the amount that landowners will receive but it is still based on “equal percentage” distribution to ensure fairness.

Based on DPL’s calculation, 1.7288 percent or 0.017288 is equally applied to all land claimants.

For example, a family with a total claim of $8,255 should expect a payment of $142.71.

A family with a total claim of $11 million should expect to receive $190,168.

A family with a total claim of only $51.30 should expect only 89 cents.

A few payments are less than $10. Many are in the hundreds and thousands.

However, the $800,000 payment—which should be expected no later than mid-September—is only a drop in the bucket, considering that total land claims within Saipan is over $46.276 million as of Aug. 4, 2014, DPL data shows.

“But it’s better to receive something than not get anything at all. We’ve waited over 20 years for payment for our family land used for road and utilities,” Pedro B. Camacho, one of those expecting land claims payments, told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

Camacho, who’s about to turn 70, said he’s happy that in his and his siblings’ twilight years, they would be able to see the first government payment.

He is among the heirs of the late Juan N. Camacho, who owned properties in Achugao.

“We’ve never seen any payment; not even a penny. This will be the first time,” the heir said.

Camacho hopes that they will eventually get the rest of their land claims.

“There are a lot of us who have waited for a long time for payment,” he added.

There will be 186 families or landowners with land claims related to right-of-way or road construction, with expected payments totaling $485,774.50.

There will also be $280,313.25 expected payments for 26 families with land claims relating to wetlands.

There’s also $33,933.72 expected payment for 11 families with land claims relating to ponding or drainage projects.

The $800,000 payment was a result of Rep. Anthony Benavente’s (Ind-Saipan) local bill that the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation passed and became law without the governor’s signature.

The same local law, Saipan Local Law 18-19, gives $100,000 each to the Northern Marianas Descent Corp. and the NMI Museum of History and Culture.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb (Ind-Saipan), chairman of the Saipan delegation, said yesterday that land compensation, “like all judgments against the government, are the responsibility of the CNMI government.”

Tebuteb inquired with DPL on the land compensation payments on July 23.

DPL Secretary Pete A. Tenorio, in an Aug. 4 response, provided a calculation methodology pursuant to Saipan Local Law 18-19.

The DPL list, obtained yesterday, does not include the names of individual claimants for privacy matters. It only includes property data and areas acquired, date of claims, certification, location, cash value of properties taken, the applied computed percentage per SLL 18-19, and computed amount of compensation area.

“DPL does not anticipate deducting personnel and other expenses incurred as a result of its effort to implement the law,” Tenorio told Tebuteb.

Private land in Chalan Laulau taken by the government and has a cash value of $122,858 should expect $2,123.97. That was certified in October 2002.

Land with a cash value of a little over $2.2 million in Chalan Pale Arnold, for example, should expect a payment of $38,081. That land was certified in August 2002.

A land in Achugao with cash value of $480,501 should expect payment of $8,306.90. That was certified in August 1992. The list goes on.