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!
:iconTU:

[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:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:.

[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:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:.

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!! :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Rubicon]

P.S.

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

[Beavis]

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

You got it, me neither, I'll buy you however many you want to drink for a while then. I am flying into Santiago on the 27th, gonna spend a couple or 3 days there unless I get bored. Then probably going to head to Blackbeards for a couple of days just because I have never been there, then to Sosua. At some time and point I have to get back to Santiago by the 12th for my flight back to the states. This is my pre-divorce bring "Beavis back to life" tour in which I am also going to establish the DR as where I will live for a while. I would guess right now my residency will be Matum for a couple of nights, Blackbeards, for a couple then Rockys. I don't have any reservations and will deal with it accordingly.

Nonetheless like I said the beers are on me once we cross paths. Still have no idea where I will rent a place to live yet, that's sort of the reason for the trip. I get to end this by giving away my house and writing a big check to my soon to be ex. With this I am going to do it right and try to make one that is talked about for years.

[Rubicon]

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.

A couple of months ago I returned and, after speaking to the landlord, was informed that, even if his daughter came to teach, she would stay in his guest bedroom and there would be no problem with me continuing to stay in the apartment. Good news for me.

I came for a quick trip from Oct. 1-5, and then needed to return to the States to handle some business. I returned to POP on Oct. 13 for what I expected to be another quick trip and a return to the States on October 16.

[Rubicon]

I went to the Impuestos Internos (which is catty corner and sits southeast to the Parque Central in downtown Puerto Plata) to pay my taxes. This being the DR, it was not as easy as I had hoped it would be.

The potential buyers of my house wanted some certificate which showed I had paid the taxes on my house. When I purchased it 6 years ago I had been told that I would be excluded from paying taxes (the closing attorney's comment), and even when the law changed a few years ago I was informed that all houses purchased prior to that time would be grandfathered in and would continue to be excluded from taxes. (Be careful of advice that you receive even from some of the gringo expats.) Well, it was not true. I owed 3 years back taxes. Um, oh shit. I was informed of this back in early July when I was here, but I was hoping at that time that there might be some assistance by way of a reduction, and I needed to return to the states then so I didn't have the opportunity to pay then.

Last Friday I stopped in to the Impuesto Internos and expected that I would pay, obtain my certificate, and be on my way. Well, I was sent from one desk to another and, thankfully, I had a Dominican buddy with me, as their was no way I would have understood the level of technical Spanish that was being spoken. To make a long story short, it took all day. I was run around in circles for some time cause no one knew where my paperwork was, but I was told at some point that my taxes for all 3 years would only be 39k pesos (there are some good things about this country) but that I was going to receive a 40% discount. Oh hell, great, I thought, this is my lucky day. After calculating the discount, the woman told me my final price would be 33k and some change. I admit I'm not a mathematical genius but, after doing a quick calculation, I realized that that was nowhere near a 40% discount.

[Rubicon]

I pondered for a moment whether or not I should point out her 40% "discount" inaccuracy, or run the risk of making her feel insulted and find myself paying the full 39k. I kept my mouth shut and went with the 33k instead. After informing her I would like to pay the full amount she informed me that the full amount was for the '08, '09, and '10 tax period, and that there was an additional 4k+ to be paid for the '11 timeframe. WTF. I paid up, glad to get that off my back, and was told to come back in a couple of hours for the certificate as, since I had paid un full, they were going to call the Santo Domingo office and have the document expedited.

I killed time around the Parque Central area grabbing a bite to eat and having a couple of cold ones. About 3 o'clock I returned and, once again, sat around for a bit waiting for a response. After about a half hour I was told I would need to return in 2 days. By this time I was at my breaking point and wanted to shout out, "you stupid mother*****", but thought better and decided to chalk it up to being typical practice here in this country and just move on.

[Rubicon]

I didn't have the certificate and wouldn't get it for another two days (we'll see) but I was now going to have to reschedule my return flight to the US, but I can't say I am mad. It gives me a bit more time here, though I'm sure the boss isn't going to be too happy.

I contacted the potential homebuyers and informed them of the circumstances and told them I did have the receipts showing I had paid the taxes and would be happy to give them copies.

Upon arriving to the house I presented them with the copies and we talked for a bit. Their rental agreement is due to expire at the end of this month and I asked them if they would like to extend it another 3 months to enable them to come up with the full purchase amount, but that that was pretty much all I could do as them continuing to rent was, of course, interfering with my ability to market and sell my house. I also mentioned that it would be helpful if they could provide a deposit to allow me to hold off on putting the house on the market.

The husband asked me what amount I would consider and, when I paused for just a second, asked if 3 million pesos would be okay. Apparently they have a portion of the purchase amount, just not the full amount just yet. I thought hell yeah, but responded with an "ok, that sounds good."

I still had some keys to the house safe that I had forgotten to give to them so I told them I'd run to my apartment and get them and return. When I returned he informed me that he and his wife had spoken and decided that since I had been kind enought to work with them on purchasing the house they had decided to transfer the 3 million pesos to my US account (they had been using it to pay their rent) this Monday. :surprised: Uh, sure, I can live with that.

So, at this point, that is where things stand. I'll have 3 mil pesos now, and it buys them more time to come up with the balance. But, as always, this is the DR, and things don't always turn out as we hope. I'll wait a few days to see if the money actually transfers and just take it from there.

[yayow]

I pondered for a moment whether or not I should point out her 40% "discount" inaccuracy, or run the risk of making her feel insulted and find myself paying the full 39k. I kept my mouth shut and went with the 33k instead. After informing her I would like to pay the full amount she informed me that the full amount was for the '08, '09, and '10 tax period, and that there was an additional 4k+ to be paid for the '11 timeframe. WTF. I paid up, glad to get that off my back, and was told to come back in a couple of hours for the certificate as, since I had paid un full, they were going to call the Santo Domingo office and have the document expedited.

I killed time around the Parque Central area grabbing a bite to eat and having a couple of cold ones. About 3 o'clock I returned and, once again, sat around for a bit waiting for a response. After about a half hour I was told I would need to return in 2 days. By this time I was at my breaking point and wanted to shout out, "you stupid mother*****", but thought better and decided to chalk it up to being typical practice here in this country and just move on.


Man I respect you because you have much more patience and restraints than I. If it was me, after I had already paid, I would have gone off.

I remember a couple of weeks ago, when I was waiting for the registration documents and stickers for the car, I had paid and was told to come back at such and such a time, and I did only to find delays with the paperwork etc. I was actually with my Dominican mechanic, mostly because he speaks some english and I didn't want to miss anything that was being said, although I can understand spanish like you, when things get too technical or it is spoken to fast, I mis-interpret some things, and while that is fine while dealing with putas, it is not good when dealing with official documents etc.

So I am sitting there listening to the conversation involving my mechanic and the people, I ask a question or two and he tells me what is being said in response, and finally I just lost it, I started cursing out everybody, it's amazing how good my spanish becomes when I get really agitated :p:rofl::rofl::rofl:; I knew I was really on a roll when I noticed that the mechanic that I had brought, wasn't saying anything, he was just sitting there kind of with his mouth open in amazement. Finally I kind of figured that I may have gone a bit too far, and wanted to calm down the situation, so I apologized a bit, and said I lost it only because of the bullshit, that was coming my way, explaining to them that I had done everything that was required as told to me, and I now needed them to do their part as well, that it was only fair.

Make a long story short, I got all the needed documents and stickers the next day. :iconTU:

[MrHappy]

I see none of you guys have yet to realize that you're barking up the wrong tree.

The warm body that you deal with in any govt. office, is just that, a warm body.

They don't have any power or authority to change or resolve anything. Their only function in life is to do what they're told, and listen to verbal abuse from customers that don't understand they're not authorized to do anything else.

[Rubicon]

and finally I just lost it, I started cursing out everybody,

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Trust me, I understand chief, cause I was on the verge. But, I'm a firm believer that you don't piss of the waiter/waitress before they bring you your food.

Bottom line is I need those documents and I need them before I return to the states. O have already extended this trip and I don't want to have to make another return trip here just to pick them up. So, yeah, I HAD to exercise some discipline and restraint.

[Rubicon]

I see none of you guys have yet to realize that you're barking up the wrong tree.

The warm body that you deal with in any govt. office, is just that, a warm body.

They don't have any power or authority to change or resolve anything. Their only function in life is to do what they're told, and listen to verbal abuse from customers that don't understand they're not authorized to do anything else.

I get your point, but when that warm body is the only tree you've got to bark up, then what? But, I'm always open to suggestions.

[MrHappy]

I get your point, but when that warm body is the only tree you've got to bark up, then what? But, I'm always open to suggestions.

You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. I've found that an outgoing personality with puppy eyes works wonders.

[yayow]

You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. I've found that an outgoing personality with puppy eyes works wonders.

You know I can play the puppy eyes too, have you looked deep into my eyes lately :mrgreen:

But since I was dealing with a dude, my puppy eyes didn't work, so had to go a little gangster on his ass, don't like to do it too often, but if it needs to be done, I can do it, in my case it worked, wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but if you were in my situation, you probably would have forgotten about the puppy dog eyes as well, it was time to let the motherfucker know, I was done with the Bullshit, sometimes that works as well. :iconTU:

[Rubicon]

You get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. I've found that an outgoing personality with puppy eyes works wonders.

Of course. After all, I did say that I bit my tongue.

[Rubicon]

When the buyers informed me that they'd be happy to deposit the 3 million pesos into my account last Monday I thought it odd that they didn't ask for some type of Agreement or Contract to formalize the transfer of monies or to acknowledge what it was for but, hey, I'm not going to turn down almost 80k. Keeping in mind that this is the DR and most things never go smoothly, they called me Monday afternoon to say they needed a contract before transferring the money.

Tuesday morning I went to see an attorney (he's actually a pretty knowledgeable guy, who also spoke a fair amount of English) and by later that afternoon the contract was finished. Prior to hiring him I asked him what the cost of the contract would be and he told me 1% of the total amount. Hmm, ok, a quick calculation and we're talking roughly $800.00. So, after finalizing the contract and being told by the buyers they would transfer the money later that afternoon, I went back to the apartment with the attorney and Dominican buddy to get the money to pay the attorney, the attorney says he's going to make me a deal. (ANYTIME someone in the DR says they're going to make a deal with you, watch yourself.)

His offer to me was that I could pay him 62,900 pesos now for the whole deal (the whole deal including handling the final closing). I laughed. It's a habit I've developed when dealing with Dominicans. I asked him why in hell would I pay him for work that he had not yet done, and what would happen if I did pay him now and he died tomorrow? Then he started with, "well you can pay........" I said no, I'll pay you what I OWE you now for the work that you've done now, and no more. He backed off pretty quickly and said he would accept what is owed to him now.

In this country you will be tested on an almost daily basis, from the guy on the street to the doctors and attorneys at the higher levels of society. Damned near everyone is prepared to separate you from more money than you owe. Of course, you pretty much expect it from the so-called lower dregs of society, but not so much the professional class. BUT, when it comes to money, treat 'em all the same.

Anyhow, the 3 million pesos has been transferred and now sits safely in my bank account. The buyers have said they should be able to pay off the balance within the next 3 months. Assuming that all works out, that just gets the weight of the house off my shoulders and simplifies my time there, and away from there. Now, I just need to get rid of the moto, which will leave me with my pasola, Jeep, and my apartment, and I'm good. I'll start to feel like I can go back to being a bit more of a tourist and vacationing more when I'm there, than spending more time doing the homeowner shit..

[yayow]

Glad to hear that it all seems to be working out for you, continued good luck.

[eastcoastallstar]

Good for you! :iconTU:


When the buyers informed me that they'd be happy to deposit the 3 million pesos into my account last Monday I thought it odd that they didn't ask for some type of Agreement or Contract to formalize the transfer of monies or to acknowledge what it was for but, hey, I'm not going to turn down almost 80k. Keeping in mind that this is the DR and most things never go smoothly, they called me Monday afternoon to say they needed a contract before transferring the money.

Tuesday morning I went to see an attorney (he's actually a pretty knowledgeable guy, who also spoke a fair amount of English) and by later that afternoon the contract was finished. Prior to hiring him I asked him what the cost of the contract would be and he told me 1% of the total amount. Hmm, ok, a quick calculation and we're talking roughly $800.00. So, after finalizing the contract and being told by the buyers they would transfer the money later that afternoon, I went back to the apartment with the attorney and Dominican buddy to get the money to pay the attorney, the attorney says he's going to make me a deal. (ANYTIME someone in the DR says they're going to make a deal with you, watch yourself.)

His offer to me was that I could pay him 62,900 pesos now for the whole deal (the whole deal including handling the final closing). I laughed. It's a habit I've developed when dealing with Dominicans. I asked him why in hell would I pay him for work that he had not yet done, and what would happen if I did pay him now and he died tomorrow? Then he started with, "well you can pay........" I said no, I'll pay you what I OWE you now for the work that you've done now, and no more. He backed off pretty quickly and said he would accept what is owed to him now.

In this country you will be tested on an almost daily basis, from the guy on the street to the doctors and attorneys at the higher levels of society. Damned near everyone is prepared to separate you from more money than you owe. Of course, you pretty much expect it from the so-called lower dregs of society, but not so much the professional class. BUT, when it comes to money, treat 'em all the same.

Anyhow, the 3 million pesos has been transferred and now sits safely in my bank account. The buyers have said they should be able to pay off the balance within the next 3 months. Assuming that all works out, that just gets the weight of the house off my shoulders and simplifies my time there, and away from there. Now, I just need to get rid of the moto, which will leave me with my pasola, Jeep, and my apartment, and I'm good. I'll start to feel like I can go back to being a bit more of a tourist and vacationing more when I'm there, than spending more time doing the homeowner shit..

[Rubicon]

Guys, thank you. I have to admit it does feel good to have accomplished this much. Another 75k to go and I'm done. It has helped that I'm dealing with some pretty good people. They are a family from Austria who, it seems, have struggled a bit in their time in the DR in dealing with the typical bullshit that I have occasionally mentioned on the board.

Interestingly, after we settled the contract, they invited me to the house the night before I had to return to the states for a few beers and something to eat. I accepted but, later, reconsidered, and then reconsidered yet again. I'm glad I did. At first I figured we didn't have alot in common and there was no sense in wasting our time "hanging out". But I had committed, and I'm the type of guy who makes every effort to keep to my word.

I figured I'd stop by for a couple of hours and then make my excuses for needing to prepare for my return to the states. We sat and drank, and found that we actually had much more in common as far as our time and experiences in the DR, as well as life in general. I finally left at 1:30am, and think I may have made a couple of new friends there who I will stop in to visit on each trip.

I'll do a final update on the house's closing when it happens and hope that whatever information I can provide will be helpful to anyone else who might contemplate a similar thing in the future.

[Rubicon]

Oh, one last thing that might be interesting to some readers.

When I initially bought the house, the previous owner had a Haitian watchman (Ramon) who lived in a shack across the street and pas paid $100.00 a month and an occasional meal. I told him I'd pay him $125.00 a month as I would not be there full time and, even if I was, I didn't cook, so he was certainly not going to be getting any meals from me. After a couple of years or so he died unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage. Fortunately, I happened to be there at the time and, after paying for his burial (yeah, I can be thoughtful at times) I immediately replaced him.

I told the new watchman (Lima) that I would pay him $150.00 a month. Things were fine for the next 3 years with the occasional hiccup. Those hiccups being tools or equipment that somehow ended up broken and needing to be replaced; or the periodic attempts by Lima to squeeze more money out of me for one thing or another. As an example, Lima once came to me with his cell in his hand informing me that it was broken and an expectant look on his face. I had my Dominican buddy explain to him that he had somehow found a way to buy the one he had in his hand and I was sure he'd find a way to replace it, but that I had no obligation to buy him another. He was obviously disappointed but, there in the DR, you have to be firm or, before you know it, you'll be coming out of your pocket every day for one thing or another.

A couple of months ago Lima came to me and said he wanted to quit and return to Haiti. The buyers were living in the house so I figured having someone living there and able to keep an eye on the house, I paid him 3 months separation (or severance, as we call it in the states) and went on my way.

When I returned on October 13 I stopped by the house and noticed Lima and his "family" were still parked across the street at the shack. Ok, so much for going back to Haiti, which, btw, was his excuse for wanting 3 months salary as separation. I noticed he was sitting in a plastic chair with a medical mask on his face. I joked with him about it, assuming that maybe he considered himself too important now to breathe in the dust that permeates the area on occasion. I did what I had to do and left the house.

On another return to the house Lima approached my Dominican buddy while I was in the house and told him that because he had worked for me in excess of a year, I owed him a year's separation as opposed to the 3 months he had received. I turned to look at Lima and thought "you dirty son of a bitch'. I also noticed something else for the first time. My man had lost alot of weight, I mean he looked GAUNT. It was obvious he was real sick. From what, I don't know and I wouldn't want to speculate, but I was going to keep my distance. I told DB to tell him to go see a lawyer as I had followed the law with respect to paying him his separation, and I walked away.

The moral to the story? STAND YOUR GROUND!

I had been good to this guy, relatively speaking. I had paid him in excess of what the other watchman in the area were being paid. When he had a daughter I took clothes down every few months for her like she was my own. Outside of his salary, I'd pass him 500 pesos here and there so that he could eat. And, in the end, he still tried to take advantage of me and cheat me.

For those of you who might be considering buying/moving/living there, these are the types of things you will always have to deal with. Put your foot down immediately or they will be a constant thorn in your side.

Hope this helps.