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COSTA RICA |
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Private
Investigator in Costa Rica Warn Americans To
Be Diligent and Vigilant
Investigator and business advisor, Cody L.
Gear, sheds light on potential problems in
Costa Rica if not done correctly.
"After many years of experience with Costa
Rican law I have come to the conclusion that
anyone contemplating relocating or having a
romantic relationship here needs the
assistance of a licensed Costa Rican
attorney from the start".
Gear went on to explain: "horror story after
horror story have been related to me by
clients who tried to do things the way they
are done in the United States, only to lose
everything that they have invested. "
Gear went on to say that "no one wants to
experience financial or emotional hardship,
but the aftermath of entering into any type
of relationship, whether business or
personal can have severe consequences" As
documented in several well publicized cases,
the opportunity to commit fraud here is
easier than in the United States.
This is primarily due to the lack of
administrative oversight boards that
regulate professions such as real estate
agents and mortgage brokers. There are no
licensing requirements to do either and if
one falls victim to a scam it will take a
long time and a lot of money to try and
recover what has been lost. In some cases
all is lost with no hope of recovery.
"One thing Americans lose sight of when
coming to this beautiful country is that
they are no longer in the United States",
Gear said. He pointed out that as Americans
we expect people who come to our country to
obey and respect our laws and the Costa
Ricans are no less passionate about their
laws being obeyed and followed.
He said that the last thing Costa Ricans
want to hear is "in my country this is how
we do things".
Gear said: "One of the most frustrating
experiences in Costa Rica is the amount of
time and money it takes to accomplish
anything judicially" It is well known that
the judicial process in Costa Rica is
complicated and requires time, patience and
money to traverse.
Gear added: "personal relationships present
another set of problems". As in the United
States, there are laws here designed to
protect the rights and interests of Costa
Ricans. More specifically, Costa Rican
women. He related that American men who are
disenfranchised with American women who come
here seeking a romantic relationship, will
in many cases, fair far worse in Costa Rica
than in the United States.
The reason for this is due to the laws of
Costa Rica that allow Costa Rican women to
do things that are not permitted in the
United States.
He cited the differences in practices at
hospitals when a Costa Rican woman has a
baby. In the United States both parents are
required to give information as to
paternity. If there is any question
concerning paternity a pre-birth DNA exam
can be done without much difficulty.
In Costa Rica this is not the case.
While in the hospital the mother is asked
who is the father and she can give any name
she wants. It makes no difference who she
says, that is the name that will appear on
the birth certificate. The man in question
is never contacted or asked if he fathered
the child. The law in Costa Rica will
require support for that child and will not
permit the father whose name appears on the
birth certificate to leave the country
without first posting support equivalent to
13 months of support. According to Gear it
can take up to 2 years to unravel this
problem and the chances of recovering the
’support’ is somewhere between "nil and
nonexistent. "
Another problem is the aftermath of a
marriage that has wound up in divorce in the
United States.
If the proper steps have not been taken in
Costa Rica prior to the marriage protecting
assets prior to the marriage, an American
man may find himself in jeopardy of losing
everything, even if he has a prenuptial
agreement.
A Costa Rican National can return to their
country and bring an action against their
spouse obtain a judgment and have it
executed in the United States. For this
reason Gear recommends that prior to a
marriage take the time to speak with a Costa
Rican Attorney and learn what can be done to
protect your rights and interests.
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