Juan Hombron and the Lucom estate dispute: Connecting the dots

GPI-HSM Agreement

Local media brings up again the issue of Juan Hombron and the 54 hectares which boundaries partially overlap those of finca 7022 (Cocle) of Hacienda Santa Monica, S.A., (La Estrella) formerly part of the Wilson Charles Lucom estate.  Lucom had signed in 2005 an Agreement (link) for the sale of the company shares to Grand Panama International, Ltd., a company owned by U.S. investors (SEC.gov).   Lucom passed away in 2006 without the agreement ever being annulled.

After the claims of Alberto Sudarsky and others over the beachfront of Juan Hombron in 2007 (link), daily La Prensa presented a news report about land claims in the same area awarded by the ANATI land titling authority (headed by former in-house counsel to the company of then Minister of Presidency Demetrio Papadimitriu (The Minister denied involvement).   ANATI awarded several parts of the 7022 beachfront to Trapp Real Estate Corporation and other shell companies in a few months of 2011 what takes other applicants several years, in what became object of a RICO claim in the U.S. against foreign nationals conspiring to the detriment of a U.S. national.  The RICO claim was dismissed by Florida courts in May 2012 (trusts_estates_prof).

The literal bequest in the Lucom will of the Hacienda Santa Monica, S.A., shares to a Nevis trust for sale to benefit the poor children of Panama, was construed by the Supreme Court of Panama Civil Section to mean that the deceased gifted all assets to his "dear wife" Hilda Piza as sole heir to do what she pleased.   With the passing away of Ms Piza, the road was clear for her descendants to arrange a shareholders agreement of October 24, 2012, under which the share ownership of Hacienda Santa Monica, S.A., was reorganized.   According to La Prensa of September 6, 2013, former Minister of Economy Alberto Vallarino acquired shares in the company, after the Lucom probate case (La Prensa).  The new board of Hacienda Santa Monica S.A. also includes board members from the neighboring Buenaventura company, with which a border dispute and several lawsuits for damages had ensued in civil court :

Título del Dignatario

Nombre del Dignatario

TESORERO	DIEGO VALLARINO
PRESIDENTE	FERNANDO DUQUE
SECRETARIO	JUAN CARLOS FABREGA
VICE-PRESIDENTE	SAMUEL URRUTIA CANTORAL
VOCAL	HECTOR INFANTE

Testamento Abierto

Reports about the future destiny of the Pacific beachfront of the property vary.  Ideas range from a tourist project to take advantage of the new Rio Hato airport, an environmental park (cambiodemocratico507) to a $5m naval station by Nov 2013 (minseg.gob.pa, presidencia.gob.pa ).
In the meantime, actions continue in the courts...

See also:
Las Uvas: Fever in the coast
Latin America's First "Branded City" Planned for Panama Gold Coast
Video: Inhabitants of Juan Hombron explain their side of the story
More about the Lucom dispute in Hacienda Santa Monica and Juan Hombron 

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Las Uvas: The town that only exists in paper

WHO LIVES IN THE 54 HECTARES TITLED BY ANATI?

The desolate lands in coveted Juan Hombrón
R. M. KOSTER
periodistas @laestrella.com.pa


Before the coastal peninsula became a public issue, 'La Estrella' visited it twice in three years and found no traces of human life in the place

12.07.2011 Title resolutions issued by the Ministry of Finance for the twelve corporations listed 45 people. The vast majority alleged land holders, the others, witnesses, 'who have declared under oath that they are residents and residents of the community in Juan Hombrón Las Uvas, district of the chiru, a district of Antón, Cocle province '.

In almost all cases the residence period exceeds 20 years. In no case is less than five.

I tried to visit the community of Las Uvas three years ago, on November 13, 2008 to be exact. A few miles west of Rio Hato is a stone path that runs from the Panamerican highway to the sea, where the five or six houses of Juan Hombrón are.

If the tide is low, the peninsula can be reached on foot or by car.

I drove along its length. A group of investors were attempting to obtain title land which rights of possession they had bought from some fishermen, and I researched for La Estrella.

I found a strip of sand, half covered on the lagoon side of the scattered scrub. Aside from insects, crabs and birds, it was empty of animal life, and the only trace of human life were a couple of decaying ranches, rotting from rust.

I could not visit the community because there was none! although 45 people have said, 'under oath', who resided in it when I visited the peninsula.

In January this year, the 28th, two journalists from La Estrella went there. Cortez Zelideth reporter and photographer Luis Garcia.

They found the same as me, except that now there are three ranches. Apart from the two and their guides, no one was there.

What would have happened to the 45 residents? Could it be that, on both occasions, they were all on vacation.

Residents often have residences. What has happened to them? Neither I nor Luis Zelideth not see nothing worthy of appeal. Perhaps the residents, such as snails, had brought, or penalty of perjury may not weigh much in the Las Uvas, as elsewhere.

Zelideth and Luis spoke with some of the persons mentioned in the land title resolutions.

They live near Anton, several miles from Las Uvas. They said that sometimes, when fishing, they spend the night in Las Uvas.

It may be true, although it would have been necessary to bring drinking water, for on the peninsula there is not a drop. You may tell the truth, but spending a night in a place from time to time is something different from what the alleged inhabitants of Las Uvas declared "under penalty of perjury ', and gives no possessory rights over anything.

Some of the people mentioned in the resolutions have the same names and identification numbers that they sold their alleged possession rights to the group of investors that I researched in 2008. I do not blame them at all. There are wealthy bums who make their land scams, it is fair that poor people take something, and the most they got was a few thousand dollars.

A funny thing happened when the group tried three years ago to obtain title in Las Uvas. A real estate broker named Jimenez sent an e-mail to Mr. Steve Guthrie, Denver, United States, secretary-treasurer of Grand Panama International, offering lots at bargain prices. 'He wanted to sell land that we had bought from Mr. Lucom and for which we had paid half a million dollars!' said Guthrie.

"That lagoon is where we thought of putting the marina, and without those miles Santa Monica beach is unfit for the project."

RANCHES. In Juan Hombrón (Las Uvas), the houses look more like ruins. Photo: Luis Garcia | La Estrella

http://laestrella.com.pa/online/impreso/2011/12/07/las_desoladas_y_codiciadas_tierras_de_juan_hombron.asp

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54 hectares of Juan Hombron (in Spanish)
New suit alleges RICO conspiracy
Las Uvas: Fever in the coast
Latin America's First "Branded City" Planned for Panama Gold Coast


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August 6, 2011, decision by Justice Oyden Ortega
September 30, 2011, clarification by Justice Oyden Ortega
Grand Panama International et al vs. Hacienda Santa Monica, S.A,, ... Interplus Inversiones Internacionales S.A.; Interplus Panama, S.A., complaint by company Lucom promised to sell his property to.

Latin America’s First “Branded City” Planned for Panama Gold Coast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 3^rd, 2007

Latin America’s First “Branded City” Planned for Panama Gold Coast

Meneren Corporation, a US-based international project development/project management company today announced that it expects to resume completion of the detailed master plan for a 3,000 Hectare waterfront community along the Gold Coast of Panama, in Cocle Province.

The preliminary master plan for this new community was crafted by internationally recognized North American master planning firms in 2006. It provided for 10,000 residential units situated on a series of golf courses, fresh and salt water marina’s, and an equestrian center.

The incorporation of a Village Center, with commercial and retail space, an Ecological Center, several resort hotels, casino’s and spa’s, combine to create what is called a “Branded City” in booming overseas markets. Branded Cities have been very successful because their Developers have the ability to plan, design and build a fully sustainable community from the ground up. Grand Panama, as it is being called, will have an ultimate population of 25,000 and provide post-construction employment for an estimated 5,000 Panamanian’s.

Grand Panama, will be designed and constructed using important “Sustainable Development” principles. Meneren Corporation was previously selected by the United Nations to complete a specialized development master plan to protect one of the most sensitive ecological treasures in the Eastern Hemisphere, and Meneren hopes to make Grand Panama one of the “greenest” large scale projects in the America’s—something that the people of Panama can be especially proud of.

Meneren Corporation and its technical team have global experience in planning commercial marina’s and commercial cruise terminals, and believe that integrating a “mega-yacht” harbor into the Grand Panama master plan will benefit locals and international visitors to Panama and the region.

The initial master plan effort for Grand Panama was suspended when the land which had been sold to Grand Panama International Ltd, Meneren’s Client, became entangled in one of the most contentious Probate Court disputes in Panama’s history. After a year and a half of intimidating charges and counter charges between the Legatees and the Executor of the estate, Meneren is now hoping that the land purchase can be allowed to go forward by the Panama’s courts in order to finalize the master plan and Government permitting process over the next months.

Point of Contact: Bill Tolbert, 1-303-221-3369

Full text in http://www.meneren.com/news.htm

Grand Panama Project

(For 2008 PDF Presentation,
Click Here)2007 Powerpoint

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