PHILIPSBURG--Civil notaries can finally return to dealing with land transfers and mortgage deeds after almost a month of stagnation due to the Land and Mortgage Registry (referred to as the Kadaster in Dutch) not having a mortgage conservator in place.

 

Such a person is now in place.

 

Kadaster Supervisory Board Chairman Louis Crastell Gumbs informed notaries on Thursday that a mortgage conservator had been appointed as of July 24 for three months with the possibility of an extension. The prolonging of Robert Boekhold’s tenure could come if the Kadaster does not find a permanent mortgage conservator in three months.

 

Boekhold’s appointment is formalised via a Ministerial Resolution issued by Finance Minister Perry Geerlings under whose ministry the Kadaster falls.

 

Boekhold is also the acting director of the Kadaster, which allows him to sign certificates of admeasurement (“meetbrieven” in Dutch) for St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius. He studied Kadastral Engineering and Law in the Netherlands, and has worked for the Kadaster Office in St. Maarten for more than 24 years as a land surveyor. He also provides technical Kadastral support services for Saba and St. Eustatius.

 

The signing off of pending deeds and other items such as certificates of admeasurement and building permit information commenced immediately after Boekhold was sworn in to his new post. All backlogs will be handled swiftly, according to the Kadaster supervisory board.

 

The supervisory board and management, Crastell Gumbs communicated to notaries, will set up a meeting with them “to further work out any other delays and problems the notaries are encountering” with the Kadaster.

 

The stalling of operations at the Kadaster was made public almost two weeks ago by notaries frustrated with the thwarting of their functioning. They had even threatened legal action against government and the Kadaster for the obstruction of their legal duties. This did not come to pass, as the supervisory board promised to remedy the situation a week ago.

 

This resolution did not occur, however. That led to notaries informing the public on Tuesday they were temporarily suspending operations, because they were unable to register property transfer deeds and mortgage deeds until a mortgage conservator was in place.

 

The recruitment drive for a permanent mortgage conservator, which started more than a month ago, will be extended to include Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius and the Netherlands.

 

The Daily Herald