NIA wins legal battle to secure tittle certificate for Bath Hotel & Stream

The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) wins a long court battle to secure the certificate of title for the historic Bath Hotel & Bath Stream, putting ownership officially in the controls of the government and people of Nevis.

Nevis: The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) wins a long court battle to secure the certificate of title for the historic Bath Hotel & Bath Stream, putting ownership officially in the controls of the government and people of Nevis.

Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley illustrates the acquisition of the title for the iconic property as a significant win for Nevis’s people.

Mark Brantley further noted, “Thanks to our Legal Advisor, Mrs. Helene Lewis, and her dedicated team of lawyers, the judge ruled that a title should be issued to the Government for the Bath Hotel and Bath Stream.”

“This regularizes the position. I am grateful that my Government has been able to secure and put beyond doubt that the historic Bath Hotel and Bath Stream belong to the Government and people of Nevis.” Brantley noted.

He added, “This is a significant victory for all Nevisians at home and abroad.”

“We have secured title to this historic site for the benefit of generations of Nevisians yet unborn.” He noted.

Mrs. Lewis explained that when it came to the attention of the government that an individual was claiming ownership of the Bath Hotel property, the government began the legal process of acquiring the title in December 2020.

“Several months ago, the Cabinet became aware that a private individual was claiming to own the Bath Hotel,” explained Mrs. Lewis. “This seemed very peculiar to us, since the government had occupied the Bath Hotel since at least 1987.

“The assertion that this private individual owned the Hotel was of great concern, so the Cabinet charged me with resolving the issue,” said Mrs. Lewis. “That involved making inquiries at the Land Registry to discover where the title for the Hotel was registered, and then getting to the bottom of who owned the hotel at an earlier stage.”

Mrs. Lewis said after discovering a company registered in Nevis had held the property, she contacted the majority shareholder in France. Once the individual confirmed that the Hotel and the surrounding lands were, in fact the property of the Nevis Island Administration, the government set about getting legal documentation in support of that claim.

Built-in 1778, Nevis’ Bath Hotel was the first tourist hotel in the Caribbean. The main building sits on a seven-acre property, which includes the thermal Bath Stream. Historically the people of Nevis and international travels have visited the Bath hot springs to enjoy its therapeutic properties.

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