A Certificate of Comfort (COC) is a document which gives a squatter a personal right to protection from ejectment from State Land.
A Certificate of Comfort (COC) is NOT:
- Transferable or able to be used by another person;
- Able to give a squatter any legal interest in the state land that is occupied.
Benefits of a Certificate of Comfort (COC) include:
- A person can be regularised where he or she is located, and may be supported in obtaining utilities, access to assistance for home improvements; and
- Obtaining secure title by a Deed of Lease once the recipient does not own or occupy any other dwelling house or residential land or agricultural land upon which a residential structure is permitted.
The Deed of Lease is a legal interest in State Land which may be obtained by the squatter who is entitled to a Statutory Lease, after obtaining a COC.
It is therefore a three (3) Stage Process for a squatter to get security of tenure on State Land:
- COC (2) Statutory Lease (3) Deed of Lease
Only after full payments of specific charges like premium, annual rent etc. will a Deed of lease for 199 years be granted.
Note well: An application for a Certificate of Comfort (COC) must have been made on or before October 27th 2000 to be considered.
For further information and guidance on a COC application status and related matters, contact our Tenure Regularisation Unit (TRU) via phone at 299-0795 ext. 3381 or via email at coc@lsa.gov.tt