Country's sagging infrastructure becomes a priority

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Narrow streets, massive amounts of potholes, century-old rotting bridges and two-hour long traffic jams for a trip that should take 10 minutes. Sounds like one dreaded Monday morning? Such is the reality of transportation in Costa Rica, which just last month reached a breaking point. The tragedy Oct. 22 when the bridge that communicated Orotina and Turrubares collapsed has opened perhaps the biggest can of worms: the long overdue and deliberate negligence towards investing and maintaining local infrastructure has become clear.

This country has two major problems: inadequate preparation for its seismic nature and deplorable road-bridge conditions. Both mix to form the perfect recipe for disaster. Sadly, it seems that Costa Rica only reacts after major tragedies claim precious lives. 23 people died in Cinchona Jan. 9, and five died in October in the Río Grande de Tarcoles. Both incidents have shed some light over the historic governmental negligence that has turned Costa Rica into a time bomb. 

Rental law is the key to being a happy expat tenant

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Renting properties in Costa Rica is as common for locals as it is for foreigners. However, relationships with landlords may be negative for expats who expect property owners to adhere to the basic rental laws. When renting a property in Costa Rica, expats can expect many headaches along the way, most of them provoked by landlord negligence.

Even though landlord problems occur in every country, if Costa Rica is the country of choice, expats may be better off buying than renting. Foreigners who plan to live in the country temporarily should prepare to deal with frustrating situations, miscommunications and neighbor issues provoked or plainly overlooked by property owners.

There's one fact expats can count on: Most landlords in Costa Rica never read the rental law (No. 7527). They have no idea about their rights or duties as property owners, or about violations or legal procedures that protect both tenants and owners.

Customer service finally getting a hard look here

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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Having a business — despite the effort, paperwork, and bureaucracy — can certainly pay off. A small entrepreneur may dream about earning so much success that the local business goes global and becomes a landmark around the world.

However, do schools in Costa Rica teach future business owners that what pays them is their clients' preference? And if they do not go to school for business, do owners forget they have been keeping every business they have visited open by being a client there and that the success of their business depends on their customers' satisfaction?

Although it should be almost instinctive to consider customer service to be the most inherent component to any business, Costa Rica has a long way to go. Not only in providing clear and timely customer service policies, but also in educating its citizens to demand the satisfaction their money is paying for.

Latin American countries are not famous for providing customer satisfaction, and that varies from culture to culture (including exceptions), but they have always been a few steps behind developed nations. However, culturally, why do most Hispanic nations share the notion that when one has a business, suddenly one gets to run the show, and the peskier one gets the more business-like one appears? Well, some possible answers come to mind.

Preparation lacking for those inevitable earthquakes

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Even though it is common knowledge that Costa Rica is a seismically active country, not everybody knows that it is the third country in the world with the highest seismic activity. In fact, it is the most seismic nation in Central America. One would expect that in a country ranking among the first earthquake-prone nations, its government and population would be decently prepared.

However, Costa Rica might also be among the least prepared countries to deal with seismic disasters, which directly threatens not only its citizens but also its growing Expat community. They say the best way to predict the future is looking at the past. From the time important events started getting recorded as news (the beginnings of 1900s), Costa Rica has documented rough encounters with its seismic reality, from which the following events are the most significant:

For expats working here, it's a very different world

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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Being an important expat destination, Costa Rica offers great weather, beaches, and plenty of rainforests, and it can be, bureaucracy and all, a good location for expats who want to grow their businesses. However, there is a group of expats who not only do not own businesses but also need to make ends meet. They get to know a very different kind of jungle: Costa Rican workplaces.

Common employment for expats or foreigners looking for a temporary Costa Rican experience include English teaching, sales and customer service at sportsbooks, casinos, other call centers and real estate firms. Jobs in tourism are the fewest, and they usually require applicants to speak fluent Spanish. In addition, some expats or foreigners seek to get hired or, if popular enough, get requested for cultural activities, especially in the music scene.

In many interviews with expats about their employment experiences in Costa Rica, there appears to be some common denominators in Tico workplace environments. Aiming to set the record straight – unlike many sites that sugarcoat everything about this country – the following are some of the most important ones.

Trash and littering have become major problems

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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Generating, disposing and treating waste has become one of the biggest and most serious problems of Costa Rican culture. The issue is not only a contradiction to the self-proclaimed ecological, diverse and clean reputation of the country, but also accurately illustrates the Tico short-sightedness that prevents Costa Rica from becoming a developed nation.

The Tico littering mentality is, in fact, a combination of short-sightedness, laziness, and pecking order. Many Ticos believe someone else should pick up their messes, as illustrated by going to any fast food restaurant. Rarely do Tico’s pick-up their tables and throw their trash in the garbage can.

Government officials lack the vision and commitment of turning waste into lucrative businesses and much needed sources of employment, keeping civilians in the dark about how serious the littering issue is for their health, their communities, and the planet. Therefore, Ticos have never worried about what a chocolate bar wrapping or a bottle of water can create when they mindlessly throw it on the street or out their car’s window. They only think of getting it out of their immediate surroundings. They still think recycling is just an ecological trend, not a necessity.

The question remains: What was first, the chicken, or the egg? Short-sighted government officials or short-sighted Costa Ricans? As puzzling as that question may be, the reality of this so-called green paradise is changing into a littering nightmare, and faster than anyone imagines.

Underdevelopment and the origins of Pura Vida

By: Garland M. Baker B. 

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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There is a Chinese proverb that says, “If you are thinking one year ahead, sow seeds. If you are thinking 10 years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate your children.”

This proverb gives light into how much planning goes into Chinese culture. Therefore, if the Chinese think 100 years in advance – reflected in their progressive and hard-working culture – could it be assumed that Europeans think 70 years in advance and Americans 50, according to their progressive history?

And what could be said about our fellow Costa Ricans? An observer of the culture might conclude that Costa Ricans think no farther than their noses. Does that have something to do with why many Hispanic nations keep falling behind global progress? Yes, in fact, it has everything to do with it, and Ticos are definitely not the exception.

From their education or personal expenses to huge white-collar fraud in high governmental positions – including the presidency – Ticos are a vivid example of the Latin short-sight attitude towards life, and who better than President Óscar Arias Sánchez to confirm it?

As he said in his speech for the 5th Summit of the Americas, held this April in Trinidad and Tobago, “No one is to blame except for us.” 

Lasers lead the way to dentistry without hated drill

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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For most people, going to the dentist is reason alone to have nightmares for several nights before sitting on that dreadful chair and getting tortured by the infamous chilling drill. Having a traumatic experience at the dentist has almost become a rite of passage during childhood for thousands of people. Fortunately, technology is now transforming the painful and horrific aspect of dentistry into a painless and actually pleasant experience for patients around the world, including Costa Rica.

Laser dentistry has been available in the U.S. for some years, and plenty of clinics offer laser treatments. Laser technology is used to treat both hard (tooth) and soft (gum) tissues. It can treat most problems related to dental health, and it is the main tool used for cosmetic procedures.

There are many laser treatments available for teeth and gums. The following, based on extensive interviews and seminars, are some of the most common.

Frequently that beautiful charmer is really a witch

By: Garland M. Baker B. 

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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It is not news that Costa Rica is a sex destination, famous for legal prostitution and escorts virtually waiting for Gringos at the airport. Many foreigners who want to have a wild vacation choose this country specifically for that reason. There are Websites that advertise sex tourism just like any other type of tourism.

Many others come to visit, only to move here after they find out how easy it is to find nice-looking women. Most Ticas are cute, friendly, affectionate, everything one could ever dream and never got from women back home. Whether one is paying for escorts or just found a nice girl casually, Ticas seem to always charm male foreigners.

Therefore, even though a tourist may consider Costa Rica a paradise for a playboy-like lifestyle — and while many do live like that — there is a group of male expats who have ruined their lives since getting involved with Ticas. Naturally, one would wonder how on earth can experienced, well-traveled and even wealthy men ruin their lives in the hands of pleasant, charming Ticas? The answer to this dilemma is not a simple one.

Culture magnifies impact of pesky pets on neighbors

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Besides all the problems one can find when moving to Costa Rica, there’s one that takes longer to notice, but it’s no less serious: pets. Ticos consider and handle pets in an entirely different way than Americans, and not at all better. Pets are considered an optional responsibility by Tico pet owners. Therefore, should a pet do something that could be considered a nuisance or a threat to the health or safety of others, their Tico owners attribute it to the animal’s nature. They accept it as such, disregarding any social norms or respect for others.

Being normally a subject of quarrels between neighbors – rarely reported to the authorities because culturally, pets are considered free creatures innately. Tico pet owners allow their animals to bark, poop, run around and bite whoever and wherever. Everybody has to be OK with it because they are only “animalitos,” as they call them, “they do not know any better, porecitos!”

This ignorant attitude and lack of responsibility towards proper pet handling escalated to a level where Costa Rica was accused of violating Human Rights.  Allowing the mauling of a Nicaraguan citizen by 2 Rottweilers in 2005, in the presence and negligence of 8 police officers.

There are some advantages to making a will here

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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Too many people put off doing their will and succession plans. Here is another reminder to do so, but more importantly, some tips to save money and make you more secure if you live in Costa Rica.  A last will and testament means making life easier for the left behind.  This priceless document can also make it much harder for the vultures that cloud over an expat's death in this country to steal assets from their rightful heirs.

Foreign residents are usually considered walking wallets by locals, which means there is always somebody looking, counting, waiting for an opportunity to take it all. There are local women who prey on expats, making them believe in their love and devotion while they slowly and diligently do their research and calculate everything to make their move. There are also neighbors lurking through the fence, ready to take over expats’ assets. Yes, it happens more frequently than anyone can imagine, and there is always a starving lawyer ready to sell his soul to the Devil.

Gender inequalities in family laws are rampant

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

The inequities in Costa Rica's family laws are in large part the fault of men. This is especially true in cases of domestic violence, where men now have little or no rights. Women are now in control in this country, and they know it. Some find expeditious ways of doing in their male companion.

Cases of violence by women on men are usually not reported to the authorities because of fear by men to be labeled as weak. In Costa Rican culture — as in many other cultures — admitting to being victimized by a woman means a man has lost his maleness, his superiority over women.

The fact that men do not protect themselves via this law has created a trap for them as well. By not reporting abusive females, men have set the precedent that women are victims and men are abusers by default, which has in turn given a legal advantage to women.

Due to an increase in family legislation in Costa Rica aimed to protect women, Ticas are now taking advantage of the sexism in the legal system. Which allows them to get away with and profit from cruel lies about their male counterparts.

Specter of transparency stalks expat bank accounts

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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The transparency phantom stalking clients back in 2005 was not as obvious as he is today. Now, Costa Rica is on its knees in front of the world, pleading for forgiveness for its tax haven practices and wanting to change. The country seeks to send a strong signal to the world, it has done so.

This has given the specter new, ominous powers, and he wants everyone to succumb and disclose their secret nest eggs. Many expats are scared to death their secret monies and investments in Costa Rica will be found, and they will be put away in that nasty place the phantom puts tax cheaters.

Costa Rica simply is not a foreign worker's paradise

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Costa Rica is labeled a paradise by many sources on the Internet: By visitors who describe their great trips in online blogs, by travel Websites trying to entice tourists to visit and Websites offering general information about Costa Rica's nature, history, culture, and the like.

Too many — especially young people — take the bait and move to Costa Rica, thinking they're going to earn big bucks teaching or by working in call centers. Only they get trapped earning very little and what they do receive is easily consumed by living expenses.

Validating child's citizenship easier than for spouse

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Many expats who have built families with a Costa Rican want to get their natural or adopted offspring a U.S. passport. Some believe that since they are U.S. citizens, the right to pass on U.S. citizenship is automatic. It is not. However, it does not need to be a daunting task, either. 

Whether expats are applying for their biological or stepchildren, the procedure seems to be less painstaking than getting their spouse U.S. citizenship. 

In a nutshell, there are certain permanence requirements for the parents to be able to pass citizenship on to their biological, adopted or legitimated children. The process is much smoother and faster for children under 18 years of age than for older children. 

Expat's guide for bringing foreign spouse to US

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Most people have heard the Costa Rican dream story. A tourist comes for vacation, falls in love with Costa Rica or a Costa Rican, goes back home and sells everything or ships it down here to become an expat. This usually applies more to men than to women. Often, older men find younger Costa Rican women, some with children from former relationships.

In numerous instances, the Costa Rican counterpart, whether it be a wife or a husband, does not want to live here but wants to live in the United States and, most importantly, wants to be a U. S. citizen. Some even believe it as something of a prize they need to win to be happy and constantly pressure the expat to repatriate — go back to the United States to live— so they can get their citizenship.

Getting married by itself does not give a Costa Rican wife or husband U. S. citizenship. This is true for both expats and Costa Ricans who want citizenship in either country. Many expats do not want to go back to the United States, but some concede to do so for their new spouse.

Some changes are afoot at data reporting agencies

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

A few years ago, data reporting was new to Costa Rica.  The major players in the market were Datum.net, Cero Riesgo S.A., Protectora de Crédito Comercial S.A. and Trans Union Costa Rica.  Today, the same companies are still in the market.  What is interesting is the increasing role they play in providing credit, localization and employment reporting to companies, lawyers and financial institutions.  

Everyone in Costa Rica, including expats, is being systematically logged into databases and the information is easy to get by everyone.  Everything one does is put under a magnifying glass, studied, categorized, logged and then sold to others.  

Judges are above the law, Sala IV seems to decide

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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The judge won.  He said his decisions were not open to question.  The Sala IV of Costa Rica agreed.  A judge can make whatever decision he or she wants in a case, and it is not up for discussion.   The office of judicial inspections were told not to question the decisions — even in cases where there may be obvious bribery or fraud.

The Sala IV said that a judge's decision could be overturned by a superior court, but could not be voided by anyone besides him or herself.  The decision would seem to reject any oversight of judicial decisions.

The Sala IV ordered the judicial inspection department of the court to reinstate a judge who made a suspicious decision and pay all his back wages because the office suspended him wrongly.  The inspectors questioned one of his decisions and suspended the judge because investigators felt there was some monkey business going on concerning a civil collection case.

New law makes it easier to bring someone to court

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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One big problem with the Costa Rican legal system is notifying the parties to a criminal or civil court action. Hopefully, this difficulty has been solved with the revamping of the judicial notification law. Even the name has been changed to make it easier to understand.

Expats involved in court actions who want to move the cases forward can now help the court out by getting people summoned without counting on the court to do so. This is true for notifying someone in Costa Rica as well as notifying someone anywhere in the world regarding a court action here. One just needs to know the tricks the new law provides.

Little theatrical production puts expat out on street

By: Garland M. Baker B. 

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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The abuse of Costa Rica's domestic violence laws is touching everyone, even senior expats. One 72-year-old man — who is blind in one eye — was thrown out of a home last week in a theatrical production put on by his wife's daughter from another relationship. The man's wife wants the house they once shared.

The event — the so-called domestic violence — was staged. It was a complete fabrication. However, that did not matter to the police. The man was thrown out of the house with nowhere to go.

Here is the incredible story:

Here's one option for the itinerant expat loverboy

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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The free sexual atmosphere of Costa Rica can have negative consequences when sex tourists and expats inadvertently create offspring and then either turn their backs or leave not knowing what they have done.

One way to curb this is with a vasectomy, but many men fear this procedure. They believe it will do something to their manhood. Cultural mores also influence a man's decision to take the step. Often, women have their say too. Some of them also believe a man is lesser if he is not functioning fully.

How to see your property without leaving your chair

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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Here is a great tip for expats to find property with Google Earth when a real estate sales agent provides them with a catastro or a plat map of a parcel. Google Earth has come a long way in the last several years. Back in 2005, there was very little high-definition photography available for Costa Rica, but today there is much more, and it is very impressive.

A positive report on seeking a U.S. visitor's visa

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica 

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

A long-time friend asked for a recommendation letter last week, so she could apply for her U. S. visa. Reluctantly, this author agreed to provide the letter. She picked it up and nervously went off to her appointment that she scheduled months ago. Expats complain all the time they cannot get their girlfriends or boyfriends visas to the United States. A single woman, like the friend, would seem to be a certain refusal.

The woes of those seeking U.S. visas were outlined here in a 2007 article, “Burden of evidence is on those seeking a U.S. visa.”

Lawyers love to make simple things complicated

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

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Many times going to see a lawyer in Costa Rica is like taking a science lesson. Every so often, they tend to make any discussion about the law or a legal matter very complex. They love to write out lengthy descriptions of legal procedures on blackboards or whiteboards.

There are times when this is important. A thorough explanation of a subject needs to be outlined in detail, so a client can understand the facts. This is especially the case for many expats who do not speak Spanish — or are up in their years — to grasp the intricacies of a situation or a legal case. This is not true in many other matters. A simple explanation is better. Most importantly, many expats prefer a succinct discussion to a long, drawn out one.