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San Nicolas seeks reprieve for homesteaders
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Posted on Apr 26 2008
A senator is seeking a two-year reprieve for homesteaders who are at risk of losing their homestead permits.
Sen. Henry San Nicolas from Tinian has introduced legislation to suspend the law on the revocation of homestead permits for two years.
San Nicolas says in his bill that many homesteaders working in government stand to lose their homestead permits because work-hour cuts have negatively affected their financial ability to comply with homestead regulations.
He adds that relief must be given until the homesteaders “personal economic and financial situation improves along with the economy.”
Under the law, a homestead recipient is required to complete a three-year homesteading period before he or she can receive a compliance certificate and quitclaim deed.
A homesteader should have built a house and occupied it within the two years after the homestead permit is issued. The law also requires the homesteader to continue occupying that house throughout the third year.
Homesteaders are prohibited from leasing, assigning, selling, or transferring the homestead lot during the permit period.
The homestead program was created to assist needy residents to purchase homes and lots in order construct safe and decent housing.
MPLA has two types of homestead programs-the village and agricultural homestead programs. The village homestead program allows eligible applicants ample public land lot for the construction of a residential dwelling. The agricultural homestead program allows eligible applicants a sizable lot for the development and maintenance of farms crops.
