The land was razed when the police and bulldozers came through. A few burned-out shells of cars and roof iron is all that remain.
"Most people didn't expect the eviction to be carried out," William Paul, who lives here, said.
He has set up a lone table under a tarp to sell cigarettes and buai, a popular chewing nut, next to the scorch mark where his brother's house and store once stood. He's been sleeping in a bus since the eviction.
"The police fired warning shots and set the house on fire. We could only watch. It was emotional. All of us cried."
It's thought half of the people in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby live in informal, or squatter, settlements like this one.
Housing affordability and availability are so dire squatters build communities on vacant lots, but they live under the constant threat of eviction, as they don't legally own the land.
Locals said 11,000 people live in this settlement, known as Morata One, and some have been here for decades.
Sixth Estate Limited, the company which has the land title, said it plans to develop a housing estate.
It first leased the land from the state back in 2011 and in the years since has fought several legal battles with settlers and the National Capital District Commission, which runs the city.
When police moved in with the court-ordered eviction notice, many settlers tried to stand their ground, and there were clashes.
Hundreds of homes were destroyed before a last-minute court order halted the eviction.
A few hundred metres from Mr Paul's market table, year 8 student Nellie Sampson is getting ready for school. Her family's house was one of those demolished.
It is her final day, and she has one last exam to sit, but she's worried she may fail.
"The eviction that happened two weeks ago destroyed most of my schooling materials, so I cannot study," she said.
Her mother Anna is cooking food for Nellie to take to her grade's end-of-year party.
She has a pot boiling over a small fire, next to what remains of their home.
"This is what is left; we tried to save some of our belongings while the eviction was happening," Anna said.
Some roof iron has been propped up on empty 44-gallon drums; below it is a mattress where the mother and daughter are sleeping.
"I am not sure where to go," Anna said.
"It's difficult to find another place to resettle especially when there is the threat of eviction everywhere."
Last-minute court bid halts eviction
There are now informal settlements in most cities and towns in Papua New Guinea.
Many people move to major centres in search of better services and opportunities – that urban drift, coupled with a population boom, a lack of affordable housing and high unemployment, is seeing settlements grow.
The eviction at Morata had been going for a couple of hours when a last-minute court bid from the city authority stopped it, arguing the warrant being used to expel the people was out of date.
"I'm confident that justice will come," said Romney Tengere, the Chairman of the settlers' group Morata One New Block Association, as he walked in for one of the hearings as dozens of other people waited outside for news.
While the court action halted the evictions, it didn't put an end to them.
The court found the initial eviction had been unlawful because a new warrant should have been sought and directed the company to apply for a new one before it could continue.
The company, Sixth Estate, is attempting to have the proceedings dismissed while the City authority and settlers have filed a contempt proceeding and are promising to fight any new eviction orders.
Outside court, the lawyer representing Sixth Estate, who did not want to give his name, accused Port Moresby's Governor and community leaders of giving "false hope" to the settlers.
"There is no free land here, or owner-less land, where you can just build your house and after 10 years claim that it's yours," the lawyer said.
"The law is clear; you have title then that is your land.
"So we'll go to Supreme Court, National Court, Supreme Court, National Court — at the end of the day, you will still be evicted, end of the story."
The settlers and the Governor have argued the land title was invalid and illegally issued, in part because the company didn't set up the required utilities — like water and power — after getting the initial lease, which should have been required before the title was awarded.
"Those matters are before the court, [the] court will look at it, some of those proceedings have been dismissed and it's a court of law," Sixth Estate's lawyer said.
"An allegation is an allegation, once you make an allegation you have to prove the allegation, why not do that in court?"
Sixth Estate has argued in court the settlers "have no legal standing or recognised interest" in the land.
One case on the validity of the land title was thrown out after the settlers failed to comply with court directions, but the Supreme Court noted there were "serious compliance issues raised regarding land administration".
"We note with concern that the Department of Lands, tasked with land administration in this country, failed to make an appearance in the proceedings to assist the Court and the parties involved," the court said.
'Huge legacy issue'
Elsewhere in Port Moresby, other settlements have also been served with eviction notices in recent weeks.
The country's Deputy Prime Minister and Lands Minister, John Rosso, told the ABC the government had inherited a "huge legacy issue".
He said there will be a program starting next year to try to address the housing affordability and availability issues.
"What we're trying to target [is] building new suburbs around the city's periphery, acquiring new state land," he explained.
"Most of our towns and cities have grown but there is no government land available."
About 97 per cent of land in PNG belongs to traditional owners; getting procedures in place to properly secure land for development, and empower landowners, is vital but has proved difficult in the past.
When the eviction at Morata stopped, it was right on the border of Martin Meriva's home.
"I bought [my block] from the customary landowners, I thought this land was my land, never knowing that this land has been taken over by somebody else."
Mr Meriva said he has lived here for almost two decades, and after leaving his home village at 13, he has nowhere else to go.
"If I go [to the village], they will say, 'I'm sorry, you don't have any land – where are you going to live'?" he said.
"Homes are very important, aren't they? Home sweet home. So, we find it very hard to leave this place."
It is not clear if the settlers will be relocated to another site by authorities.
Many said they felt abandoned by the government, and some are even suggesting they should go to Australia as refugees.
"Since our government is failing us, we would like to call on United Nations, the international community, Australian and New Zealand High Commissions to put us under refugee status since we don't have anywhere to go," said John Eka, the Deputy Chairman of Morata One New Block Association.
Uncertain future for settlers
With the matter back before the court, many people are continuing to live on the cleared land, out of hope or desperation. Others have moved in with friends and relatives elsewhere in the city.
Sixth Estate Limited has not responded to the ABC's request for comment about its plans for developing the site.
Some settlers have expressed anger believing the land is being given to foreigners because the company previously had a Chinese director. However, it currently has only two directors and shareholders, who are both Papua New Guinean.
According to public records, the company has one full-time employee and one part-time employee but had signed agreements with development partners.
The minutes from a board meeting held in January 2019 said it was a "relief" that after "almost 10 years of struggle" the company had found local investors and developers.
The document said development agreements had been signed with two companies, which are PNG-based but which have directors from Malaysia.
"[A director] told the board that he is looking forward to the Court Case on the eviction as it is has been frustrating (sic) so we can bulldoze those illegal squatters who have been giving us hard time," the minutes read.
But the matter remains before the court, almost four years later.
As Nellie returns home from school, her mother greets her with a hug.
Nellie said she is feeling good about her exam.
"I have faith I will pass this exam," she said with a smile.
"I was satisfied when I got out of the exam room."
Her mother is delighted to hear it but is still concerned about their future.
"As a mother, I worry a lot."
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