He saved me between 10K to $20K RD and not to mention alot of red tape between my bank in the states, and the banks in Cabarette.
I agreed to purchased a plot of land (672 Sq mtrs) with titulos from a local farmer. At the signing of the contact in the lawyers office, the farmer declares that he is expecting the sale to be done all in cash. He categorically will not accept a bank to bank transfer (he has never been inside one of those places) and he will not allow the attorney to hold a check on his behalf. He prefers to travel by guagua with his money safely secured in his lovely strap bag, afterall, he has his machete handy (the DR can be a strange place).
In panick I tell the attorney to put everything on hold, give me me an hour and I will go to the bank, cash the check and bring back the cash for the moron. I arrived at BHD bank in cabarete with the stateside check, and the rep there tells me that they can not cash it. They advise me to open an account with them with minimal cash, then have my bank in the states transfer the funds down to the DR. or I can open a new account with them, deposit the check and in a few days or weeks it may clear their system. Meanwhile time is passing by, the lawyer is calling me on the cell, the farmer says he wants to go home, and I am getting really pissed because some freaking idiot in the street is leaning on his horn...........
I ran down the street to Banco Popular and asked if they instead would be willing to cash a check for me. they also turned me down, but said that i can use their ATM to withdraw the amount. However, because it's such a large amount they will have to charge me a 1% service fee, that in addition to what ever my bank charges. By this time I am so stressed that not even the cute little morena eyeing me from across the room could get my attention.
I dash down to Rockys in hope that I will run into a fellow DR'1er or at least post a message calling for emergency assistance. As luck would have it as I am entering the bar, so does Marco. I quickly ran to his office and attacked him with a barage of questions. Should I let the deal go, should I use my Western union account and make three transactions at the $100 service fee, should I pay Banco Populars service fee? I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marco smiles and replies, calm down. If you have your paspoprt, drivers license and your check book, you can go to Judys Eurobank around the corner and just tell her that ***** refered you, she will probably cash a check for you.
Praying that Marco's right, I dashed down to Judys and approached her at the counter. Upon my arrival she stops and looks at me from head to toe (?). I explained the situation and asked her to cash a personal check. With hesitation, she replies that "I dont know you and can't just hand over cash over the counter". She requested that I call my bank and asked that they transfer the cash to her business, and she in turn will change it into pesos. After being put on hold for 10 minutes, the stupid bank teller comes back on the line and says to me that they are just about to close, the transfer will not be done earlier then sometime tommorrow. And again the attorney is calling me on the cell, the farmer wants to go home and now some freaking idiot is blasting his music in front of Eurobank.
By this time my stomach is turning, my nerves are shot and I am about to pass out. At the very last second of this happening, Judy looks at me and says " you know, since you've gone through the trouble of contacting the bank in attempt to transfer the funds, I guess I'll take a chance with you and cash your personal check".
Horray I yelled. I almost jumped her and kissed her on the lips but I instead excercised some discretion and just shook her hand. She then went into in the back of her office and 15 minutes later she presented me with a large brown envelope and said to count it with the teller.
After counting the money, I called back the lawyer with the good news, and he tells me that If I agree to give the farmer a ride home, we will be able to proceed with the deal as scheduled.
I quickly stuffed the money inside the large envelope and my driver and I sped like crazy from Sosua down to the attorneys office down in Gaspar Hernandez. When I finally arrived, we sat down and once again proceeded. the farmer signed the papers, the witnessed signed his, and I signed mine.
The attorney gave me my paper work, I gave the farmer his money, payed the attorney fee and we all shook hands. But for the life of me I couldn't understand why I kept hearing the same damn song blasting from the radio and how it is that some idiot outside in the streets is again leaning on his horn. I peeked my head out of the office to see how that was possible. I then realized that it was my driver all along. The guy was so proud that he was driving a nice rental car, that he sat in the car blasting the music and blowing the horn at every chic passing by that has a nice body.
Oh well, At least my business was done and I felt a lot better. Besides, I said to myself, If you cant beat them join them. so the three of us (myself, the farmer and the driver) purchased three cervezas, climbed into the car and blasted the music all the way to his home. I even got blow the horn.
What a freaking country.......................................
I agreed to purchased a plot of land (672 Sq mtrs) with titulos from a local farmer. At the signing of the contact in the lawyers office, the farmer declares that he is expecting the sale to be done all in cash. He categorically will not accept a bank to bank transfer (he has never been inside one of those places) and he will not allow the attorney to hold a check on his behalf. He prefers to travel by guagua with his money safely secured in his lovely strap bag, afterall, he has his machete handy (the DR can be a strange place).
In panick I tell the attorney to put everything on hold, give me me an hour and I will go to the bank, cash the check and bring back the cash for the moron. I arrived at BHD bank in cabarete with the stateside check, and the rep there tells me that they can not cash it. They advise me to open an account with them with minimal cash, then have my bank in the states transfer the funds down to the DR. or I can open a new account with them, deposit the check and in a few days or weeks it may clear their system. Meanwhile time is passing by, the lawyer is calling me on the cell, the farmer says he wants to go home, and I am getting really pissed because some freaking idiot in the street is leaning on his horn...........
I ran down the street to Banco Popular and asked if they instead would be willing to cash a check for me. they also turned me down, but said that i can use their ATM to withdraw the amount. However, because it's such a large amount they will have to charge me a 1% service fee, that in addition to what ever my bank charges. By this time I am so stressed that not even the cute little morena eyeing me from across the room could get my attention.
I dash down to Rockys in hope that I will run into a fellow DR'1er or at least post a message calling for emergency assistance. As luck would have it as I am entering the bar, so does Marco. I quickly ran to his office and attacked him with a barage of questions. Should I let the deal go, should I use my Western union account and make three transactions at the $100 service fee, should I pay Banco Populars service fee? I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marco smiles and replies, calm down. If you have your paspoprt, drivers license and your check book, you can go to Judys Eurobank around the corner and just tell her that ***** refered you, she will probably cash a check for you.
Praying that Marco's right, I dashed down to Judys and approached her at the counter. Upon my arrival she stops and looks at me from head to toe (?). I explained the situation and asked her to cash a personal check. With hesitation, she replies that "I dont know you and can't just hand over cash over the counter". She requested that I call my bank and asked that they transfer the cash to her business, and she in turn will change it into pesos. After being put on hold for 10 minutes, the stupid bank teller comes back on the line and says to me that they are just about to close, the transfer will not be done earlier then sometime tommorrow. And again the attorney is calling me on the cell, the farmer wants to go home and now some freaking idiot is blasting his music in front of Eurobank.
By this time my stomach is turning, my nerves are shot and I am about to pass out. At the very last second of this happening, Judy looks at me and says " you know, since you've gone through the trouble of contacting the bank in attempt to transfer the funds, I guess I'll take a chance with you and cash your personal check".
Horray I yelled. I almost jumped her and kissed her on the lips but I instead excercised some discretion and just shook her hand. She then went into in the back of her office and 15 minutes later she presented me with a large brown envelope and said to count it with the teller.
After counting the money, I called back the lawyer with the good news, and he tells me that If I agree to give the farmer a ride home, we will be able to proceed with the deal as scheduled.
I quickly stuffed the money inside the large envelope and my driver and I sped like crazy from Sosua down to the attorneys office down in Gaspar Hernandez. When I finally arrived, we sat down and once again proceeded. the farmer signed the papers, the witnessed signed his, and I signed mine.
The attorney gave me my paper work, I gave the farmer his money, payed the attorney fee and we all shook hands. But for the life of me I couldn't understand why I kept hearing the same damn song blasting from the radio and how it is that some idiot outside in the streets is again leaning on his horn. I peeked my head out of the office to see how that was possible. I then realized that it was my driver all along. The guy was so proud that he was driving a nice rental car, that he sat in the car blasting the music and blowing the horn at every chic passing by that has a nice body.
Oh well, At least my business was done and I felt a lot better. Besides, I said to myself, If you cant beat them join them. so the three of us (myself, the farmer and the driver) purchased three cervezas, climbed into the car and blasted the music all the way to his home. I even got blow the horn.
What a freaking country.......................................
