–As Gray Estate Owner Threatens Mass Eviction At Mount Barclay’s Disputed Land
The administrator of the 350-acre Gray Estate in Mount Barclay has announced a plan for a sweeping, court-backed eviction targeting more than 200 occupants, including Montserrado County Senator Saah H. Joseph, Nobel Laureate Laymah Gbowee, talk show host Clarence Jackson, and former Nimba County Senator Adolphus Dolo.
Marvin M. Gray, chief administrator of the estate in Nimba United Community, said the pending eviction will be strictly enforced, warning that there will be “no mercy or compromise” for individuals he claims are unlawfully occupying the land.
Speaking Tuesday, April 7, on Truth FM in Paynesville, Gray said the action is backed by legal authority and will proceed despite resistance.
Gray linked the dispute to years of alleged encroachment by individuals associated with a neighboring estate, which he said prompted him to seek judicial intervention.
“March 29, 2023, there was a nine-member jury constituted, and the jurors came up with their unanimous verdict and the court saw it in its wisdom based on evidence presented inclusive of testimonials, the judge upheld the verdict of the jury in our favor,” he said. “Thereafter, the lawyer decided that we do a public notice to all illegal occupants.”
He noted that notices were issued between March and May 2023, with a follow-up in June, inviting occupants without valid deeds to come forward for possible settlement.
Despite multiple notices, Gray said occupants failed to engage, leading to an attempted eviction in May 2024 that was halted following resistance from residents.
“That resistance led to postponement of the eviction but what happened next was that a group of people that appeared on radio stations for nearly 10 days declared the court documents fake,” Gray said.
He further alleged that Senator Joseph intervened to stop a subsequent eviction exercise in June 2024.
Gray accused some occupants of politicizing the dispute and expressed frustration over stalled negotiations with influential individuals.
But after two months with no information, Dolo said he was not interested since others could not join him for collaboration.
He also claimed that Senator Joseph has yet to fulfill a promise to reimburse more than US$6,000 spent during a disrupted survey.
Gray maintained that the land belongs to his family, tracing ownership from his grandfather through his late father.
“So I and a few of my siblings went to the Probate Court and filed a petition through our lawyer, and we were issued the administrator letter and that of the decree of sale for the intestate estate of the late B. William Gray to assume ownership over the 350 acres,” he explained.
Daniel Flomo, a relative of Gray, warned that enforcement will proceed regardless of opposition, accusing some residents of inciting unrest.
“No one is above the law, and whoever wants to solve a problem do it the right way… those illegal occupants should know that those big names are not above the laws,” Flomo said. “On the day of the demolition, negotiations will be denied and the properties will be demolished.”
Some occupants, however, are appealing for a settlement.
“We’ve been on the land and our properties are there but we’re appealing to him for rebuy,” one resident said during a radio call-in.
While Gray said he remains open to negotiation, he warned that once the eviction process begins, those who fail to comply will be removed without further opportunity for settlement.
Meanwhile, the Hot Pepper is still making frantic efforts to contact those involved in the land dispute.
