Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The legal representative of the owner of the Haven Riviera Maya hotel says the seizure was due to a 20 year legal battle.
According to the FGE, the Haven hotel was seized by the state on April 25 for dispossession. Ana Francisca Soto, legal representative of the alleged owner of the property, said that the hotel was built on a 163-hectare property called Laguna Azul whose title has been in question since it was acquired in 1998.
Shortly after the property was acquired, the title of its owner came into question and is what remains in dispute.
“The property was acquired in 1998 by the first owner directly from the Agrarian Reform Secretariat who followed a procedure to be able to have possession of it, and thus have a property title which was controversial, which led to a series of continuing trials for more than 15 years,” she explained.
There are also legality issues with the construction of the hotel.
“What is also necessary is to resolve is the problem of the construction that has been done on the land with one of the owners,” she added.
On April 25, the hotel was placed under the custody of the FGE, which caused grief for tourists who had reservations.
Several days after the seizure, the FGE reported that the seizure did not affect tourists and that the hotel continues to operate.
