Panama has a unique law that allows individuals to live on government-owned land and make improvements such as planting trees, growing food, and building structures such as cabins, houses, storage sheds, and more. This law is known as the "Right of Possession" (ROP), which provides legal permission to live on government land. Once you have legally acquired a property with a Right of Possession, you are entitled to live on the property as long as certain conditions are met:
1) You have the right to use the land, but you must keep it clean and make improvements, such as planting fruit trees and also building structures.
2) You can transfer your ownership (ROP) by transferring the possession certificate to someone else.
3) You can also purchase the land from the government.
4) In rare cases, the government may need the land to build a road; in that case, you will receive a compensation refund or a relocation proposal, especially with Coastal Land.
If you want to obtain a title deed for your ROP land, you can do so by purchasing the land from the government while you possess it. The government's prices are affordable, especially in the Bocas South region (which includes Popa island, Loma Partida, Aguacate, Cauchero, Punta Laurel), where you can buy land for $1,000 US dollars per hectare (2.47 acres). However, you will need to pay for inspections and lawyer's fees in addition to the purchase price. The process of obtaining the title may take several months. Once approved, the property will be registered in the Panama National Registry under your name or the name of a corporation of your choice.
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