Nephew cheats uncle out of house, land

A returning resident claims he is homeless because his nephew cheated him out of the money he sent him to build his house.

He said he returned home in May only to discover that people were living in the house his nephew said he had built for him.

"I went to England when I was 20 and I worked very hard because I wanted to return home to live comfortably in Jamaica when I retired," he said.

"I bought two houses in England and when my wife divorced me in 2005, there was division of property and she got one of the houses.

"Now, after living abroad for 40 years, I decided to return home this year. I got married again in 2010 and my wife and I discussed plans to return home, as we are both pensioners. We felt we could live comfortable in Jamaica.

"In 2013, I telephoned one of my nephews, who is a building contractor, and told him of our plans to return home and buy or build a house. He told me he had a lot of land not far from his home in Manchester. He said he would sell me the land and build the house for me.

"I sold my house and sent the money to my nephew to pay for the land and build a four bedroom house on it. We discussed the design of the house and I sent him additional money to pay the workers.

"He sent me a photograph of the house in January and I was very pleased with the design. We came home in May only to discover that some tenants were living in the house.

"I told my nephew that I came home to live in the house and did not expect to see people living in it. He had promised to transfer the title for the land when I came home and he has made no effort to do so. As a matter of fact, he has stopped speaking to me.

"My wife and I have to be living with one of my sisters. We feel very betrayed. One of my cousins suggested that I report the matter to the police, but I really don't want to see him facing a criminal charge," he said.

You could sue him for breach of contract and for specific performance in relation to the transfer of the property. You should consult a lawyer who will take the necessary steps to bring the case before the court.