By Belize Live News Staff: The Court of Appeal has reversed a High Court ruling that would have required the Government of Belize to pay $2.1 million in compensation to Rudolph Ramirez and Julius Zabaneh, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
The case stemmed from a 2008 land transaction in which the Government mistakenly sold 14.76 acres of land on Cats Caye in Stann Creek to Ramirez, who later sold the property to Zabaneh. Unknown to them, the land had already been sold to another individual years earlier.
In 2021, Ramirez and Zabaneh sued the Government for nearly $9 million, citing the precedent set in the Andre Vega case where duplicate land titles resulted in large compensation payouts. The High Court awarded $2,087,936.28 to the claimants in January 2024, ruling that the Government had no viable defense.
On appeal, however, the Government successfully argued that the claimants knew by 2019 that the title was invalid, disqualifying them from compensation. The Court of Appeal agreed, clarifying that the Vega case should be limited to its specific facts where the buyer had no knowledge of prior ownership.
The ruling allows the Government to contest future duplicate title claims and marks a significant shift in how land disputes involving the state are resolved.
The Attorney General’s Ministry praised the outcome, crediting Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay and Assistant Solicitor General Samantha Matute for their roles in securing the decision.
