Former government minister Mike Adam has called on the courts to intervene in a re-ignited land-use dispute between his family and the neighbouring Mendoza household.
At the centre of the dispute is a passage that has been used by the Adam family to access their home for approximately three decades. The passage runs across three plots of land, one of which was purchased by Wilson Mendoza who has since built his family home on the parcel, and periodically blocked access to the passage.
The most recent blockage occurred on 14 Feb., when Mendoza placed rocks across the passage, prompting Adam to request an injunction from the court.
“We are grateful that we have been given some legal relief, even if it is temporary,” said Cindy Adam, Mike Adam’s daughter.
She declined to speak specifically about the injunction, upon advice from her attorney.
The passage in question has been declared as an easement and was gazetted to be made into a road by the National Roads Authority.
In September 2019, Mendoza, Crosby Collymore Ebanks, and Mario Alberto Gomez unsuccessfully challenged the gazettal, which upheld Adam’s right to travel across their properties by way of the easement.
Speaking to the Cayman Compass about the Valentine’s Day blockage, Mendoza said he believed the easement has been “misused” and “bisects” his land which has caused him to modify its design.
“The easement has been misused and bisects our parcel directly through the middle,” he said. “Due to the consistent abuse, I recently created an alternate route… so that my neighbours… can divert along the new route to get to their residence without bisecting directly through the middle.”
He added, “However, they refuse to use it because they claim they’ll be trespassing.”
Cindy Adam told the Compass, “This continues to take a toll on my parents’ health, and I just continue to pray that the authorities understand how unlawful it is to block emergency medical services access or essential services access to any individual in these islands, especially elderly individuals with medical conditions.”
The Compass has reached out to Judicial Administration about the awaited Grand Court decision concerning the blockage. No response had been received as of publication time.
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