Here’s a good story about, erahh…..justice in the deep south.

A judge in La Paloma, Rocha ruled to transfer a vast beach property of the Mar del Plata area in Rocha, valued at more than USD 4 million, to Luis Sosa for UYP 17,000 (USD 750) using the adverse possession (squatter’s rights) rule. In Uruguay, adverse possession implies that if for 30 years an individual has behaved as the owner of the land, paying corresponding taxes and making improvements, the land becomes this persons property. (The land still has property tax debts totaling USD 100,000. Huh? Go figure.)

The municipality of Rocha requested that the judge reverse her ruling on the transfer. However, Martínez believes the municipality was late in presenting the lawsuit. The judge, Amalis Martinez said, “I don’t give anything to anyone. He has rights in accordance with the evidence and the demands of the law,” Martínez told El Este newspaper.

The 200 hectare property is near La Pedrera on route 10, between El Palenque and San Antonio. It has five kilometers of coastline and can be divided into dozens of high value seaside farms.

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