PHILIPSBURG:--- The Court of First Instance has confirmed a St. Maarten woman’s ownership of the land where she has lived for years, while deferring a decision on a second parcel she had set aside for her daughter. Both lots form part of a larger property still registered in the name of a deceased owner.
In a ruling delivered June 23, 2026, and published November 9, Judge L.J. Saarloos found that the heirs who attended the June 10 hearing agreed the home parcel should be registered in the woman’s name. The representative for the absent defendant heirs confirmed their agreement. The court noted that other heirs had also been allocated parcels within the larger tract where they live.
The court ordered the defendants to cooperate in the transfer before a notary chosen by the woman within 14 days of service and/or publication of the judgment. If any defendant fails to cooperate within that period, the judgment can stand in place of the required consent, deed, or other legal steps. The court made that part of its ruling immediately enforceable.
Heirs contest claim to second parcel
The woman also sought ownership of a second parcel, saying in her filing that she had long possessed it. At the hearing, she said she had set it aside for her daughter. A foundation had already been laid, but construction stopped after heirs objected.
The heirs argued that the second lot remains part of the estate and should be divided among all the heirs. They said the woman’s daughter is not an heir and has no claim to the parcel. The court deferred its decision and scheduled the case for August 18, 2026, for the defendants to file a written response. The heirs were expected to propose how to divide the parcel, with the woman given an opportunity to respond.
The case was filed in January 2022 and put on hold after the court found that some heirs named in the filing had not been summoned. The court reopened the case in 2025.
