On August 19, 2026, the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal filed by the Municipality of San Lorenzo regarding a forced expropriation case. The court ruled that the appeal was premature and lacked jurisdiction, which means the case cannot proceed in its current form. This decision affects the municipality and several property owners involved in the expropriation process.
The dispute arose when the Municipality of San Lorenzo, led by Mayor Jaime Alverio Ramos, sought to expropriate a property identified as a public nuisance under Puerto Rican law. The property, located on Calle La Luz in San Lorenzo, was declared a public nuisance in September 2023. The municipality filed a petition for forced expropriation on October 30, 2025, and the property was valued at $71,900. However, it was also burdened with debts totaling $21,126.95 owed to the Centro de Recaudación de Ingresos Municipales (CRIM) and other expenses.
The initial ruling from the lower court, the Tribunal de Primera Instancia in Caguas, was issued on June 15, 2026. The court granted the municipality's request for expropriation but conditioned the transfer of the property on the municipality paying $49,773.05 as just compensation. The municipality appealed this decision, arguing that it was not required to pay until the defendants appeared in court, which they had not done.
The Puerto Rico Court of Appeals, led by Judge Romero GarcÃa, along with Judges Monge Gómez and Prats Palerm, examined the appeal. The court found that the appeal was premature, stating, "the present resource was presented on July 16, 2026, without the corresponding notification by edict of the sentence having been issued." This lack of proper notification meant that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the appeal.
The court noted that the property in question had undergone a sale on March 20, 2026, before the lower court's decision. The Appeals Court emphasized the importance of proper notification procedures, referencing Rule 65.3(c) of the Civil Procedure Rules, which outlines the requirements for notifying parties who have not appeared in court.
In its ruling, the court ordered that the lower court's decision be re-notified according to the correct procedures. The Appeals Court stated, "the notification of the sentence issued by the Tribunal de Primera Instancia resulted in being inadequate and untimely, which breaks the due process of law required in our legal system." This ruling underscores the necessity of following legal protocols in expropriation cases and the importance of ensuring all parties are properly notified.
The dismissal of the appeal means that the Municipality of San Lorenzo must address the notification issues before it can proceed with the expropriation. This case highlights the complexities surrounding property rights and expropriation in Puerto Rico, particularly when municipalities seek to reclaim properties deemed public nuisances.
Moving forward, the municipality may seek to rectify the notification issues and potentially refile its appeal once the proper procedures are followed. The court's ruling does not prevent the municipality from pursuing the expropriation; it simply requires adherence to legal protocols. There are no indications in the court filing about further appeals or related cases pending at this time.