so, la duena doesn't want to return my deposit for my apartment.

If you want to get input from the lawyer who answers our questions you should repost this in the Legal section. That is the only one he checks

Ken said:

If you want to get input from the lawyer who answers our questions you should repost this in the Legal section. That is the only one he checks

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I will move!!!

well the problem is she probably doesn't have the full money (12K) at the bank, it was spent long time ago. I would take what she has (6K) and live out the rest of the deposit - it's not worth your time and money to involve lawyers etc over this.

In Higuey I have never seen returning deposits, it's always lived out ... I rented a place in La Romana for my project, a small apartment, and I insisted on a clause that the deposit (two months) can be lived out and a two month notice as well.

irateskateboards said:

i've been renting an apartment in los coquitos boca chica for the last year.my friend juan carlos said me and my familiy can stay at his house for free cause he's in argentina visiting his mother.so we talked to la duena del apartamento that we're stayin at and told her last month we're moving out this month.we had an agreement.i would paint the apartment and would be out by the 28th and she will give me my 12,000 peso deposit.well it's getting very close to the date and now one excuse to another.first, it was all good.then she does't have the money right now,then it's, could we move out by the 26th,now its...how about i give u 6,000 now and when the next people move in i'll give u the other 6,000.....which of course i'll never see if i was stupid to do that.i am deciding on tellin her i'm stay for the 2 months for the deposit of mine she dont have and she can paint her own f***** house now.
any suggestions please if u had a run in with this before.

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Remember where you are.

The deposit is gone and spent a long time ago.

Just go ahead and live out the deposit. she'll agree.

irateskateboards said:

.....then she does't have the money right now,then it's, could we move out by the 26th,now its...how about i give u 6,000 now and when the next people move in i'll give u the other 6,000.....which of course i'll never see ......

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in my early days here a similar thing happened to me in santo domingo. stayed in a place in ave. jose contreras for a couple of months before deciding it was crap. landlord was pleasant enough and agreed to return the deposit, only problem was he could only return the half of it straight away.

the next month he gave me a dodgy cheque for the other half (it bounced). i just kept returning to the landlord on the dates he promised, didn't let it go and eventually got my money back in cash (of course he asked for his cheque back).

i don't remember any hassle, everything was kept friendly, i don't remember waiting that long to tell the truth. it was a long time ago, but i have seen the landlord since and there is obviously no problem.
why assume you will not get your money back? sure it has been spent already, but if you choose to write it off that is your choice.

i think generally most people here are honest, your money will be returned....eventually. you just have to be there to take it.

now i am a landlord in santo domingo......i have never returned a complete deposit to date, but the reasons are justified to the tenant. the reasons can always be found.
i also do not allow tenants to "live out" their deposit for the last couple of months. in fact i have a clause in my contracts that specifically states it is not permitted.

now i am a landlord in santo domingo......i have never returned a deposit to date, but the reasons are justified to the tenant. the reasons can always be found.
i also do not allow tenants to "live out" their deposit for the last couple of months. in fact i have a clause in my contracts that specifically states it is not permitted.

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you never return the security deposit *and* you don't allow to live it out? How do you justify that to your tenants - I am just curious... Unless I am missing something here, you are the kind of landlord I would never rent from.

VJS said:

you never return the security deposit *and* you don't allow to live it out? How do you justify that to your tenants - I am just curious... Unless I am missing something here, you are the kind of landlord I would never rent from.

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that was fast......i added the word "complete" .....my fault.....changes it a bit.

most people don't know what their landlords are really like until they leave.

I would take the 6K, let her paint her aparment and move out...

If dominican, then live as much out as you can and then move, it is normal. If NA or European then leave them with a headache, review the place where you can to be sure no one will rent there again, have a play with the plumbing or electrics before you leave, throw the keys away rather than return them so they have to change the locks, anything to cost them the money they owe. It sounds immature but I hate this mentality that just because they are in DR they can adopt this attitude and get away with it. IMO, somehow make them pay what they have cost you, and more if you will not be returning to the area.
A bit of a sore point for us in the past I'm afraid.

But to be honest if she is going to give you the 6K, then take that and leave without decorating or cleaning the place. Seems fair to me.

bochinche said:

i think generally most people here are honest,

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<SNIP>

That's the gringo's first mistake.

Yesterday I bought a battery at the freteria. Got out and opened it and realized it had been opened, and carefully taped back. Walked back into the freterria and demanded a new pack (2 minutes after purchase). Was told no.

You can never let your guard down here. Scam artistry is a national sport!

kimbjorkland said:

<SNIP>

That's the gringo's first mistake.

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i don't think assuming most people in the DR (or anywhere in the world) are honest is a mistake.

surely assuming most dominicans are dishonest is a mistake ...........as you will end up sad, always complaining and friendless.
i know quite a few gringos here like that.

Givadogahome said:

If NA or European then leave them with a headache, review the place where you can to be sure no one will rent there again, have a play with the plumbing or electrics before you leave, throw the keys away rather than return them so they have to change the locks, anything to cost them the money they owe. It sounds immature but I hate this mentality that just because they are in DR they can adopt this attitude and get away with it. IMO, somehow make them pay what they have cost you, and more if you will not be returning to the area.
A bit of a sore point for us in the past I'm afraid.

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Can't imagine such pettiness being productive in any way. Likely the landlord doesn't have the money as this time, but if she comes up with half that's something. Why burn bridges that still may have been open?

Try reading the entire post my dear!

Givadogahome said:

Try reading the entire post my dear!

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I did!

Had you just said But to be honest if she is going to give you the 6K, then take that and leave without decorating or cleaning the place. Seems fair to me. "

I wouldn't have commented, but you spent more time explaining how to get back at her, and suggesting it would be better for a gringo to behave in that way, but not a Dominican, to boot!

surely assuming most dominicans are dishonest is a mistake ...........as you will end up sad, always complaining and friendless.

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most of them are honest, it's just they define honesty differently. I would classify not sticking to the terms of the contract as dishonesty while in their mind they have a 100 different reasons why they are right and it's never their fault - and as long as it's not their fault, they are not responsible. With this one rental I had service interruptions with TV cable, power and water, and every time I called the landlord the first thing she always did was carefully identify and blame the guilty party (it's never her), and she would lie straight up when it's convenient: the electrical company made a mistake (I knew she hadn't paid the bill!). Overcharged and under delivered is your typical DR experience, it is what it is.

Truth hurts.

bochinche said:

you will end up sad, always complaining and friendless.

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I would rather be friendless with my money intact than have loads of friends that have either "borrowed or taken" my money.
My "friends" don't pay my bills.....

B in Santiago

La Rubia said:

I did!

Had you just said But to be honest if she is going to give you the 6K, then take that and leave without decorating or cleaning the place. Seems fair to me. "

I wouldn't have commented, but you spent more time explaining how to get back at her, and suggesting it would be better for a gringo to behave in that way, but not a Dominican, to boot!

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Wrong, I was telling of how it is not uncommon in the DR for landlords to withhold the deposit, that is how they do it sometimes, who am I to try to change how they do business. What I was saying it that in Europe and possibly NA landlords would rarely behave like that, and certainly would be in trouble if a contract was taken, and so why they feel they can adapt this mentality in the DR, they do know better, they know it is wrong and so if they want to play funny buggers then they deserve to know they can not get away with it.
Look, in our starter years in DR we moved around a bit, I figured out that in deposits we had spent or lost around 100K+ that we didn't need to or want to because of living out deposits, moving without them returning the deposit, making silly reasons for not paying, or even promising to pay us and then not. Why is our money in their bank accounts, they need to know it is wrong or they will continue to do it and people will continue to lose money to them,
Now if you are the type of person who gets robbed and then invites them back for a coffee morning, that is your choice. For me, I had enough of people taking my money, or making me stay in a property I didn't want to be in purely through dishonesty. I can accept it to a certain degree with a Dominican, but not a foreigner who knows better, that is more than exploitation.