Standing your ground

[Rubicon]

Wasn’t really sure where to put this, but this seems as good a place as any.


Every so often I read stories about gringos who have traveled to the DR and fallen victim to various scams by Dominicans. Almost each and every time the gringo was willing to pay the Dominican in an effort to “avoid jail”, get back on the plane and just go home, or to just make it go away. I ain't one of those gringos.


About a year ago a friend and I decided to explore ways to keep myself busy while I was in town. After having taken a one year leave from my job (which stretched out to 2 ½ years) and spending much of that time in Puerto Plata, I decided I wanted to do something to keep myself busy. Anyhow, after a period of time I decided I didn’t travel to the DR to work my ass off, but to party, bang chicas, and just chill. I decided to go back to what I really wanted to do. Contracts were signed off, monies were paid, and I went on my way. Or so I thought.

Three months later I received an e-mail from one of my local Dominican friends informing me that I was being sued by the landlord of some property we had previously rented, and I already had a court date. WHAT!!!! WHO!!!! HUH???? I was fucking pissed. I told him to inform my lawyer and that I’d be down for the court date.

I won’t go into the specifics of the case (and I won’t, so don’t ask) but after arriving in PP and conferring with my attorney (he was the same guy who had handled the property rental contract, so was familiar with the whole issue) I told him that I didn’t give a damn how long it took to fight this case but that I would absolutely not pay this piece of shit ONE FUCKING PESO. I didn’t care if I had to go to jail, I was not going to allow myself to be a victim to these bullshit scams that some of the Dominicans tend to perpetrate against foreigners. Fortunately for me, I am not in the position that most tourists find themselves in. I have a vested interest in the country in addition to fucking chicas and drinking Presidentes all day.

We had to appear before the fiscal and present our arguments. It took everything I had to keep from reaching out and touching this son of a bitch right there in front of the fiscal. He layered on lie after lie. I admit that I have been guilty of a number of things during my life. But I’ve always been an honest man and never a thief. Fortunately, for me, I was able to produce all of my records, along with a local, high-ranking member of the National police who spoke about my character and integrity. In spite of this, I still wasn’t sure if the fiscal was going to side with his fellow countryman or not but, in the end, the fiscal noted that this case was not something for him to decide, and that we should try and resolve it amongst ourselves.

After leaving the courthouse I cut loose on this son of a bitch and told him exactly what I thought of him. Well, the truth is that my buddy had to interpret, but the asshole got the message. It’s been another few months and I just returned to the states on Memorial Day and I haven’t heard another thing. So maybe, just maybe, this issue is over.

I wasn’t raised to give in and give up. There are times I want to call the people who do, cowards. But I realize that everybody has their reasons for doing what they do. What some people don’t realize is that these people who pull this type of shit are just playing the odds. They figure that they can make the most frivolous claim, and you being not only a foreigner, but a tourist at that, will simply want to pay to make the problem go away so that you can return to the comfort of wherever it is you come from. I just refuse to be a victim without putting up a fight.


Next up: Trying to sell a house with strangers still attached

[el toro]

Thanks for sharing your story.

Hopefully that's behind you.

Sometimes it's all about principle and respect. We all have to choose our battles. Sometimes it works out and other times our timing is off or we choose the wrong battle to fight and it bites us in the ass. Peace...

[wtf7301]

Ouch. Hope everything is good now.

[Rubicon]

el toro, you're absolutely right. It's all about principle. I'm part Mexican-American and my mother beat pride and principle into her kids.

wtf7301, thanks. It's not so much that it hurt, but more an irritation. I feel sorry for alot of the people there because they have had it bad for a long time, and even I've seen things go from bad to worse in the several years I've been going down. BUT, if you think you're going to screw me over, especially after I have been good to you, NO WAY. I told my brother before I left to go down to appear before the fiscal that if he didn't hear from me in a couple of days to come down and get me out of jail cause that's how far I was willing to go with it. My brother had spent almost a full year there, so he knew exactly what I was dealing with.

[Rubicon]

I first started traveling to the DR several years ago. I was in Cancun prior to that and had purchased a Vacation package while there, and Punta Cana was one of the destinations I was entitled to travel to. I made several trips over the next few years and just fell in love with Punta Cana and decided that if this was how Punta Cana was, the rest of the country must be great. I had also decided that I was going to buy a residence.

I began to do more research on the country and the more research I did the more I kept reading "go to the North Coast". My first trip away from PC was to Sosua and my first "hotel" the Sosua Palace. Many guys are familiar with the place but, for those who don't know, it was no palace. In any event, inasmuch as I liked Sosua, I knew I didn't want to own a place there, or anywhere near there. You know the old saying about not shitting where you sleep? In any event, I was encouraged to take a look at Puerto Plata as an option, and after having spent only 3 days there I knew this was the place. It is a residential community and, although there was a smidgen of tourism back then, it was only a really small fraction of it, and even that was pretty much concentrated in the downtown area.

Anytime I make a major purchase I tend to spend months thinking it through and deciding exactly what I want. When I decided to buy I decided on a 3 BR 2 BA Condo. I didn't want the responsibility of having to maintain a yard, but I wanted a place big enough so that family and friends could come down and hang out if they wanted. Unfortunately I was to find, at least back then, that 3 BR condos were a rarity. So, in settling, I had to settle on a house.

I got a call one day from a friend informing me that there was a gringo who was desperate to sell his house and that it was in one of the more desired areas of town (Torre Alta). I arrived the following week to take a look see and realized that, outside of it being a house, it was exactly what I was looking for. I gave the gringo a $1,000 deposit and let him know I'd send him an additional $4,000 after I returned to the states, and the balance at closing. The closing went pretty well a few weeks later, and I accepted that for the next several months I would be "muling" everything from clothes to tools to sheets and comforters and pot and pan set. I took everything and anything I could fit into the largest luggage set I could find. What I didn't know at the time was that I'd be doing this for the next several years.

To be continued.....

[Rubicon]

Things went smoothly the first 18 months. Friends and family came down to hang out and party. I told them I'd cover the cost of their plane ticket and they could stay at the house. All they had to do was bring their own spending money.

But, after the first 18 months I was solo. I don't mind running solo as it allows me to do what I want to do when I want to do it, and since I'm spending money, I want to do what I want to do. Things were great and fun in many ways, but then it started with the "can you loan me money until we get back home?"; "can I borrow your car? (Hmmm, and what the fuck am I supposed to do when I'm ready to go out?)"; I need a ride over to........cause I told this chica I would meet her there." Eighteen months of that bullshit was enough, and I went back to traveling solo.

Things settled down a bit after that. I was able to focus on mongering and partying, getting around town and getting to know the place a bit, and making improvements to the house (air conditioning in all the rooms, a larger water heater, satellite tv system, etc). In addition to that, there was the usual maintenance issues. Nothing major, just the typical shit. Exterior paint job here (I swear they use colored water here rather than actual paint. lol), replacing the water pump there, etc.

I loved the house. It was exactly what I was looking for, the exact layout I wanted, in the location I had hoped for, and I got a good deal on it. I really liked knowing that all I had to do was jump on a plane at a moments notice without so much as a paper bag and I'd have everything I needed once I got to my second home. And that's where things started to change. What started out as a "vacation" home became just another home, with all the trappings associated with owning a home. There were utilities that had to be paid, maintenance on the house, the car, motos, insurances, etc., etc., and up until about a year ago I made sure I was there to pay the bills myself.

Of course it was suggested to me that I pay somebody to handle those things. Paying somebody would be relatively cheap, especially if it was a Dominican. The expensive part would be if they decided to run off with the money you sent to pay the bills. Eventually I ended up hooking up with a Dominican who used to live in the states and he turned out to be a pretty decent guy. He has more of an American attitude and approach to things than Dominican. However, I have a $1,200.00 tax bill that needs to be paid and, unfortunately, I'm going to have to pay $700-900 for a plane ticket to go down there and pay it myself cause there's no way in hell I'm sending $1,200 to anybody in hopes that they'll pay a bill for me. As a side note: we're all often warned not to trust the Dominicans and to be weary of them. Trust me when I tell you this, you need to worry about quite a few of the gringos as well. A Dominican will generally try and scam or hustle you out of 1,000 pesos. A gringo is going to try and scam you out of thousands of dollars. In spite of what you might think, some of them gringos are doing no better than the Dominicans.

To be continued........

[Rubicon]

Up until November, 2010, I had spent the previous 2 1/2 years unemployed, but traveled to Rio, Pattaya, and, mostly, Puerto Plata. I had originally taken a one year leave from work, but as a result of 3 surgeries and just simply not wanting to go back to work, spent 2 1/2 years just traveling and hanging.

During the early part of that 2 1/2 years I made a decision to rent a 2 bedroom apartment (10,000 pesos a month) cause I wanted to see if I could live in smaller lodgings. I had become accustomed to living alone in a large house, both here in the states and there in PP, but was finding my time in the house there........empty. Sure, there were plenty of chicas going in and out, and although many guys will have you believe they're fucking chicas 24/7, I'm not one of them. I need my down time, and my space. At that time my brother had moved to PP to spend a year and was renting an apartment about a block off the Malecon. He had returned to the states for a month and during one trip down to PP I stopped by his apartment to check on it and noticed the landlord was cleaning the apartment above my brothers apartment. I asked if the apartment was available and he said yeah. I told him I'll take it.

Within about a week I had furnished the apartment with some of the furniture from the house, as well as some new furnishings. Although it felt a bit cramped at first, I gradually began to get used to it........until the electricity started going out. At first I thought it wouldn't be too bad. After all, the Dominicans are used to it, and I grew up extremely poor and going without was nothing new, until the day I decided to cook some pig feet in a crock pot I had brought down and the power went out, forcing me to have to throw my shit away. I was not a happy man. The power went from going out periodically to being off most of the time. In fact, I recall one 11 day trip where the power had gone out 8 of the 11 days I was there and, on some of those days, 3-4 times during the course of the day. This shit was getting reeaaalllll old.

I happened one day to be hanging out at one of my usual watering holes and another of the customers asked me if I was looking for an apartment. I said I was thinking about it. He put me up on an apartment which was available in the same area my house is located and which was part of a house owned by an American. I wasn't excited about the fact that it was only a 1 bedroom but agreed to take a look. I made arrangements with the fellow American and, for a number of reasons, I was pleased and agreed to rent it. I went back to the old apartment and moved everything in 1 day.

I've had this new apartment for just about a year now, which means the house has been sitting vacant for almost 3 years. I paid cash for it so I'm not saddled with a mortgage, just some minor bills. I had thought a couple of years earlier that I should probably consider selling it and made some half-assed attempts, but nothng serious. I had a couple of Dominicans I didn't know show up out of the blue with interested parties, but nothing ever materialized. In spite of that, I informed them both that if a sale did transpire, they would have to be paid by whomever it was they were representing because they didn't work for me, but for the potential buyers. They both acknowledged that they understood. However, most things in the DR are rarely what they seem to be.

Next up: the final installment to Selling a House With Strangers Attached.

[Rubicon]

Gotta say I was really starting to enjoy the apartment. Things were a little tight as far as space was concerned, but the fact of the matter was that I really needed to get rid of some of the shit I kept. Twice I made an effort to thin things out a bit, and so far it seems that I've not been as successful as I had hoped. Nothing unusal as I'm going through the same thing here in the states. I pay slightly more than what I had paid for the two bedroom, but all utilities are covered, I have the use of a two bay garage for my scooter and motorcycle, I park my Jeep inside the gated property, and I have the added security of the homeowner being on site. On top of that, he's actually a pretty decent guy, and I think I can go so far as to say we've become friends over the past year.

I was in PP sometime in April and got a call from my Dominican buddy informing me that there was a family at the house who wanted to take a look at it. I ran up and upon entering the house (Dominican buddy has a set of keys) saw the family, a couple of younger guys, who I assumed were with the family (and they were), and the guy who had previously brought another interested party to the house to have a look. I wasn't quite sure what he was doing there but assumed he was with the other people. I spoke with the couple and talked some specifics back and forth, me holding to my price, and them informing me of their various purchasing options. They weren't in the position to buy at that moment and, even if they were, I wasn't in the position to close on the sale. I had to return to the states the following day but told them I'd return again the following month.

Sometime after returning to the states I got an e-mail from Dominican buddy asking if I recalled the guy who had previously brought someone to the house to look, and who was present the day the family was there to look at the house. (He will hereafter be referred to as asshole) Well, according to the Dominican buddy (DB), this asshole informed DB that I owed him a commission as a result of the people who had come to look at the house, and that he was going to put a lien on my house. Owed money? For what? First of all, there had been no sale of the house. Secondly, and most importantly, asshole had never been contracted to represent me in any way, verbally or otherwise. In fact, when he had come by my house many months previously I specifically informed him of this. I ain't giving him SHIT!!!

I returned to PP and at some point met up with the couple at my house to talk further and, upon leaving, encountered asshole outside of my house. I walked up to him, put my finger in his face, and told him that I didn't owe him shit, he wasn't getting shit, and if he kept up with his bullshit, I was going to put my foot in his ass. He looked a bit shocked (I guess he's used to screwing people over without having to deal with any consequences) and I turned and walked away.

The following day I was leaving my apartment and as I was about to enter my car, another car pulled up and out jumped ANOTHER Dominican who had brought some Canadian woman by the house about a year earlier to look. He was complaining that DB was blocking him from selling my house and that it was his house to sell, and it wasn't fair, and that DB was a piece of shit, blah, blah, blah. WHAT?!! YOU"RE house to sell? Partner, this is my house. I say who sells it. You don't represent me, and I explained that to you the last time you brought somebody........... Damn, this was starting to get tiring.

I returned to the states on Memorial Day and, as was becoming a pattern, I received an e-mail from DB informing me that asshole had contacted the prospective buyers and told them that he was filing a lien on my house. Of course, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this could potentially negatively affect the sale of my house. I'm not as worried about it is I might otherwise be, the buyers really do seem to want the house. But, if I have to go to court to fight it, it could delay the sale of the house and, possibly, put the buyers off from buying. And, to be quite honest, understandably so.

I had DB contact the attorney and explain the situation to him and, according to DB, the attorney says not to worry about it. I'm not WORRIED, but it's irritating. How is it that some MF's can come along and just, out of the blue, lay claim to representing you on a transaction for which you've not hired them? How? Because this is the Dominican Republic, where almost anything goes. And, because of that, I now find myself in a position of trying to sell my house, with strangers attached.

I guess at some point if this potential sale progresses then I'll find out where things stand. But, I can assure you that this piece of shit, like the other piece of shit, will not get ONE peso out of me. I wasn't raised that way, and I can't live that way.

I'm going to keep my apartment, at least for as long as the owner allows me to rent. He did mention during my last trip that his daughter was considering moving to the area to teach, so my renting option might not last much longer. BUT, in spite of all the BS, I'll continue to travel to PP. I just have the feeling that my time as a part-time resident is coming to an end, and the transition back to a tourist is lurking somewhere around the corner.

P.S.
If I can remember, I'll keep this updated as things progress. There might be some interesting information for others who might be thinking about buying versus renting.

[gdogg]

P.S.
If I can remember, I'll keep this updated as things progress. There might be some interesting information for others who might be thinking about buying versus renting.

Don't worry, I'll be reminding you. This is good stuff!

[Rubicon]

Please do. I hoped it would be good stuff, but more informational than entertaining.

[continentalmike]

Warn him for the last and final time. Then pay someone (pref police) to beat the shit out of him... that will get the message across

[Rubicon]

Warn him for the last and final time. Then pay someone (pref police) to beat the shit out of him... that will get the message across

Yeah, I have to admit it's tempting, but the guy isn't a physical threat, just a thorn in the side.
Just goes to show how financial desperation will drive someone to do desperate things.

[Rubicon]

After leaving the courthouse I cut loose on this son of a bitch and told him exactly what I thought of him. Well, the truth is that my buddy had to interpret, but the asshole got the message. It’s been another few months and I just returned to the states on Memorial Day and I haven’t heard another thing. So maybe, just maybe, this issue is over.

Just received an e-mail from DB telling me that my Attorney said that my case has been won. At least in a legal sense. You can never be sure what some of these idiots will resort to. Otherwise, it's good to have gotten that behind me.

I'll be in town the weekend of October 1-5, and will need to pay property taxes, as well as follow up with the potential homebuyers to determine whether or not they're interested in following through on the purchase. Outside of that, I'm due for a much needed fiesta.

[DominicanBilly]

A good friend of mine ordered some living room furniture and paid a sizable deposit. He waited 3 month and went back over to the manufacturer to see when he'd receive the goods. He saw it almost finished and was told within the week. Another month went by and on the next trip over the furniture was gone from the floor of the company. It appeared as if it was sold to someone else.

After 6 months he went to the fiscal in Santiago with the contract and receipt. The fiscal ordered that he was to receive his deposit or the furniture within 2 weeks. Didn't comply. Fiscal and police went to factory with my friend and they put the handcuffs on because he couldn't produce the money or the furniture. He pleaded with Patrick not to put him in jail. Patrick ask how long for his living room suite to be delivered. Two weeks or he have the guy locked up.

Bottom line he was back up by the fiscal and had his furniture in the next two weeks. They don't always side against the "gringo".

[DASBOOTY]

I just have the feeling that my time as a part-time resident is coming to an end, and the transition back to a tourist is lurking somewhere around the corner.

Thanks for the info.

After reading this it makes want to re-think my dream of living in the DR part time of the year (winter).

But what other options are there:

Mexico - too dangerous, except maybe for the Mayan Riviera, which is way out of my price range.

Cuba - would love to, it is relatively safe and there are mongering opportunities, but foreigners can't own land there (and I don't they can rent there either).

Costa Rica or Ecuador - inexpensive, but too far and lack of familiarity.

Canada - five months of 0 degrees (and below) weather and 3 feet of snow.

After reading the last option...............maybe the hassle of living in the DR is not so bad after all.

[jose1234]

Thanks for the info.

After reading this it makes want to re-think my dream of living in the DR part time of the year (winter).

But what other options are there:

Mexico - too dangerous, except maybe for the Mayan Riviera, which is way out of my price range.

Cuba - would love to, it is relatively safe and there are mongering opportunities, but foriegners can't own land there (and I don't they can rent there either).

Costa Rica or Ecuador - inexpensive, but too far and lack of familiarity.

Canada - five months of 0 degrees (and below) weather and 3 feet of snow.

After reading the last option...............maybe the hassle of living in the DR is not so bad after all.

If I were to live in the DR part time, I would rent and not own... But if I decided to own, it would be in a nice condo development within walking distance to places I like (drink and eat and beach if you like) and I would have to make sure about title, it would be on the second or upper floors and it would have a nice balcony with a decent view and breeze. Go with a top of the line attorney to make sure you have a good title and the development is not in trouble for any reason. Go with the second floor or upper floors because it is safer. And go with a nice balcony, because you want to enjoy the climate and have your own place to chill with a nice drink and do nothing once in a while... Finally, go with the condo in a nice development because of security and maintenance. Everything here deteriorates quickly and needs to be repaired, better someone else does it even if it costs a couple hundred bucks a month....imho...

[Beavis]

Just received an e-mail from DB telling me that my Attorney said that my case has been won. At least in a legal sense. You can never be sure what some of these idiots will resort to. Otherwise, it's good to have gotten that behind me.

I'll be in town the weekend of October 1-5, and will need to pay property taxes, as well as follow up with the potential homebuyers to determine whether or not they're interested in following through on the purchase. Outside of that, I'm due for a much needed fiesta.

What part of the country will you be in? I want to buy you a beer. I will be in the DR then.

[Rubicon]

DASBOOTY, I am by no means trying to discourage anyone from living there.
My mistake was assuming that by surrounding myself with all of the trappings of home, it would make my time as a tourist more enjoyable when, in fact, I only re-created my home life, which was what I was trying to get away from to begin with.
The other problem was that I always took into consideration the needs of family/friends, hence the decision to buy a 3 BR house rather than looking for a 1 BR apt/condo, and even going so far as to buy motorcycles/pasolas so everyone would have something to ride and enjoy themselves. (Had a second cousin wreck one of the pasolas while leaving the driveway, and I'm still waiting for the money he promised to pay for repairs.)
So, in short, I guess my point is that if you're only going to be there part time, take the advice and get an apartment or condo, something you're not going to be tied to if/when the lease expires, and maybe even a small, cheap pasola if you like the freedom of getting around on your own.
Outside of that, what could anyone want besides the chicas, sun, and booze? All the other shit is just unwanted headaches.

[Rubicon]

What part of the country will you be in? I want to buy you a beer. I will be in the DR then.

Puerto Plata. Oh, and BTW, I don't drink a beer. I drink BEERS!!

[Rubicon]

P.S.

Don't let that scare you off, The Phoenix. I'm always good for covering a tab.