Gringo Legal Mistakes

Let me try and help you avoid mistakes and try and keep you out trouble while you are in Costa Rica.

Below are some of the most common mistakes made by Gringos. 1.  Do not do anything you wouldn’t do in your own home town.

  • Don’t think you can outsmart the system just because you’re in a less developed country, as some foreigners seem to do.
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  • Do your homework, ad find an attorney you feel comfortable with. It is best not to try the “Do it yourself” method.  Do your homework, ad find an attorney you feel comfortable with. Call a lawyer for free legal advise at 8373-2085

2.  Do not rush the decision of hiring an attorney.

  • If you are thinking about investing in Costa Rica, hiring an attorney is a must.  Buying a car, or starting a business, you will need an attorney.  Legal fees are much cheaper here.   The idea is to have your lawyer working for you as ‘preventive medicine’, as a kind of insurance against what ‘might happen.
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  • Once you have found a lawyer that you like, call the Costa Rican Bar Association and inquire if they are in good standing.  Once you have decided on an attorney, ask what their fees are.

3.  Do NOT only follow the real estate broker’s advice when thinking of buying Costa Rica real estate!

  • In Costa Rica, real estate brokers are licensed (or NOT licensed) differently from the US.  Some are real professionals, but a lot are just “enthusiastic” sales people.  In either buying or selling, you will probably need a broker’s services, but even if your agent is first class, have your attorney on board and have him supervise the process. Call a lawyer for free legal advise at 8373-2085

4.  Do not trust your own country men!

  • US citizens are constantly conned by other US people, and Canadians by other Canadians, and so forth.  Be careful!  There are a whole lot of strange people in this country, some of them fleeing from FBI, Interpol, ex-wives and even from mental institutions.

5.  Gentleman, do NOT marry the first beautiful “Tica” (Costa Rica woman) that you meet!

  • Let’s just say NOT all tica’s have good intentions and leave it at that.

6. If you buy a piece of property, it is important that you keep an eye on it, or you are more than likely going to lose it.

  • US Citizens come down all the time, love it, and are tempted to explore more “wild” parts.  More often than you’d think, visitors will buy a piece of land.  Happy with the purchase, they return home and live happily for years, until they remember the nice piece of land they have in Costa Rica.  They take a plane, and guess what happens.  The man they left in charge is now the owner of the property.
  • What do you do? Simple! If you are ready to buy Costa Rica real estate or Costa Rica land, you have to take care of it. And I mean physically, you have to have the actual and real possession of the land, otherwise it can be a mess to recover.

7. If it sounds too good to be true, then yes! It probably is too good to be true. Nobody on this earth can give you 45% per annul in a legitimate investment.

  • If you have investment questions, email Glenn at Glenn@GapInvestors.com or check out www.GapInvestors.com.  He has helped people invest hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 20 years. If you feel you must invest with someone else, remember, do not do anything you wouldn’t do in your own country.

    Diana Wilson

Orbitz