A Belizean woman from Independence Village, Sherene Garbutt, is preparing to take legal action against the Lands Department after discovering that a 22-acre parcel of land she was in the process of acquiring was sold to another party. Garbutt had obtained official permission to survey the land in May 2022, completed the survey in August 2022, and applied for a lease, only to learn earlier this year that the land had been sold to someone else. She claims that the survey she paid for was used to issue the title to the new owner. The Ministry of Natural Resources offered Garbutt $6,500 to cover her survey costs in exchange for signing an agreement to prevent future lawsuits, but she refused, demanding either the original land or a comparable parcel in the same area. Garbutt asserts that this incident represents a blatant breach of due process and undermines her legitimate expectations. The Lands Department has acknowledged the case but maintains that completing a survey and applying for a lease does not guarantee ownership. Garbutt’s legal battle highlights systemic issues in land administration and raises concerns about transparency and fairness in property transactions.