Real Estate Costa Rica
If you have beachfront real estate, Costa Rica laws dictate that the beaches belong to everyone and anyone has a right to use them. The first fifty meters from the high tide line are public property. You will find yourself in trouble if you think that you own a beach and block it off so that people cannot have access to it. Also, along most of the coastline, 150 meters of beach property after the first 50 meters are considered government property. A foreigner must live in Costa Rica for five years before being able to lease more than 49% of this property. Many people get around this regulation by assigning the lease to a corporation or to a Costa Rican citizen. You can run into difficulties with squatters when dealing with real estate. Costa Rican law a person can claim ownership of a property if the owner permits him/her to use or maintain the property for more than a year. After that time, the squatter cannot be evicted unless proper compensation is paid. If a person uses the land for ten years, then he/she can go to court and claim full ownership and register the property in his/her own name. If you have squatters on your real estate, Costa Rican law states that unless you take action within three months, you cannot evict them. When you purchase real estate, you have to make sure that your ownership rights and transfer cannot be challenged in court. You also have to look carefully at the conditions and rights of any workers that were previously on the land. If the former owner did not compensate them properly, then they may claim a portion of the property. Caretakers may also be able to make a claim if they have been living on the property for any length of time. In order to avoid problems with real estate, Costa Rican authorities will tell you to make sure you get rid of squatter within three month and to keep careful records. If you hire people to care for the property in your absence, make sure you keep records of how and when you pay them. It is also advisable to register them as employees. | ||
Search Hotels in Costa Rica :
|
Home About Us Adventure Tours Adventure Travel Beach Rentals Beaches Costa Rica Facts Family Vacations Costa Rican Food Golf in Costa Rica Hotels Maps Nature Tours Real Estate Costa Rica Retirement Surfing Tours Vacation Packages Villas Weather History San Jose Costa Rica Images Contact Us Privacy Statement Free Costa Rica Screensaver
Copyright © 2007, Wi-Web Publishing bvba