Gaisanos expose subdivision scam
DAVAO CITY -- The Gaisanos have exposed an ongoing scam victimizing people who want to buy a house and lot from a firm claiming to be a subdivision developer "selling" the 50-hectare land in Matina, which the Gaisano cousins and their matriarch owned.
"We're just going public to say, we own the property and we are not authorizing anybody to sell it," businessman John S. Gaisano said Monday in an interview at the Apo View Hotel.
Gaisano said they intend to take action against those behind the scam, although he did not give any details, saying the present concern is to expose the racket.
In the past weeks, the Gaisanos have been receiving calls from friends and associates inquiring about the subdivision development of their 50-hectare land that cuts through Quimpo Boulevard and the Matina Aplaya road, verifying whether they are truly developing the property.
"Apparently, a lot of businessmen being invited to buy a property know that it is our land," Gaisano said.
They first heard of the development project on their land when one of their tenants was invited to buy a lot in the alleged subdivision.
The tenant recognized the shape of the lot because he had earlier wanted to lease a portion of it.
United Gilmore Land Inc. has apparently staked claim over the property and is selling this as a 1,472-unit subdivision development named Corinthian Plains Subdivision.
The site development map that the firm has been giving to prospects only indicates the McArthur Highway and a strip of road marked 30-meter existing road, and the address written is just Barangay Matina, Davao City.
However, the dogleg shape of the lot is unique to the three properties owned by the cousins and Gaisano's mother.
An earlier cellular phone inquiry from the subdivision's marketing head identified as Manny Panes also confirmed that the property they are selling is the "vacant property right after SM City."
The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB)-Southern Mindanao already declared the "license to sell" being furnished to sales agents as fraudulent since it has not issued a license to any firm named United Gilmore or Corinthian Plains.
The fake "license to sell" shown by sales agents for the subdivision is numbered 11401. It was allegedly issued by HLURB on October 10.
HLURB Regional Officer Roy T. Lopez has already met with Gaisano after receiving orders from their main office to confer with the owners of the lot being used in the scam.
"He (Gaisano) was advised to issue public statement that he has not authorized any party to subdivide his property at Quimpo Boulevard and offer this for sale to the public," Lopez said Monday.
The tract of land owned by WGI Gaisano Group Inc., which comprises 10.5 hectares of the 50-hectare plot, is covered by TCT number T-244776.
In a copy of the contract to sell used by the United Gilmore, it describes the plot of land as covered by 13 titles, namely TCT numbers T-198647 to 659. A check with the Register of Deeds at the Hall of Justice here showed that not one of these titles exists in the registry.
The "license to sell" itself is dubious as it lists Batas Pambansa Bilang 220 as its basis for development.
Batas Pambansa Bilang 220 is for economic and socialized housing projects and has a ceiling of P500,000 per house and lot unit. Those exceeding this should be developed under Presidential Decree 957, the Subdivision and Condominium Development Law.
Per square meter cost of the alleged subdivision is also way beyond affordable range of socialized housing market with a price range of from P5,500 to P12,500 per square meter and a density of 30 units per hectare. A regular economic and socialized housing project has around 150 to more than 200 units per hectare.
The people behind the subdivision scam, however, appear to be aggressively selling the properties, even holding a sales meeting with their prospective buyers at the Grand Men Seng Hotel on Thursday last week.
Source: Sunstar - Cebu by Stella A. Estremera. 11/01/2006.
