Efforts are underway to clean up the controversial Chamorro Land Trust Commission leases that were revealed to be improperly awarded back in 2018.

Speaker Therese Terlaje’s Bill 334 seeks to remove ‘legal clouds’ on existing CLTC leases so new leases can be awarded to those waiting their turn.

The measure was introduced at the recommendation of Attorney General Doug Moylan and his office.

It addresses legally problematic leases like ones issued to people who improperly “jumped the line” and to those who switched their lease priority with someone else.

“No one wants to tell a lessee to vacate what they regard as their home. But when the Legislature created the Trust, it created expectations for those who were essentially getting free land. We think it's important to move off people who won’t meet the Legislature’s and our People’s expectations, and to give the opportunity to another potential tenant to put the land to more productive use,” said Moylan.

Six years ago, a KUAM investigation found Department of Land Management employees and their relatives received a significant amount of leases in Barrigada Heights while other CLTC applicants continued to wait decades for their opportunity.

“If you’re going to pass the rules, then make it so only those whose date and time is out of line. Because the sheer number of people waiting to be issued a lease is staggering. And we are still accepting applications,” said CLTC Land Agent Lydia Taleu.

Taleu speaks in a personal capacity and adds she can’t fully support the measure as it’s unfair to those who followed the rules.

“The thousands of people that have been waiting patiently that have followed the rules now have to qualify under a new set of rules and they can’t get a lease because their date and time is not up. But people who illegally jumped and got their lease, that was blatant about it, they get to get a new lease,” said Taleu.

It’s a complex issue as the legal woes have been stalling new leases and new eligible beneficiaries.

CLTC Acting Director Joey Cruz said as of today, the commission has awarded 2,911 leases, all of which have been ratified.

Only 19 of them meet the priority status of ‘first come, first serve.’

102 leases were deemed ‘null and void’ after an investigation by then Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson. Only six of these leases have been adjudicated.

Cruz said the CLTC is going through the ratified leases and will vet them individually to ensure they comply with any bills that become law.

Meantime, CLTC lessees will be asked next week to update their contact information.