I want to address something that Criss Colon brought up earlier regarding property rights or what's known as "property deeds" or "Land Titles." If one of the moderators wants me to start a new thread about this and explain it there, then feel free to copy and paste this explanation.
Ok, forging of a property deed is a common theme down here, so much so that it has been going on for as long as i can remember. it was going on pretty consistently in the 80's, picked up steem in the 90's, then went nuclear after 2001. basically, there are a lot of way to forge Titles, but i'm going to explain in laymans terms the most common and most efficient way that the thieves here like to utilize the most:
Say you, John Smith, owns a clear title to a piece of property somewhere on this island. A copy of that deed is sitting in a government office (sorry, can't remember the name for the office right now). In your Title/Deed/property file is a copy of your Cedula and/or passport--but always a copy of both (passport and cedula) if you are a foreigner.
I can walk into this office, pay someone to look into your file, give me all the details--i.e passport number, cedula number, etc. i can then go down to the cedual office and get another cedula with your name and same details on it, but with my picture on the new photo id. Now i can go back to the Title/Deed office and ask for a copy of everything in your file by claiming, quite clearly, that i am John Smith, and i have lost the original title of my land. I don't care if you got a 1000 acre property, a 50,000 acre property or a 1,00000 acre property, i now have a clear copy of your ID with my picture on it. I can request anything i want out of your file. Now, i will have the office make me a copy of everything in that file--becuase i will explain to them that i've lost the original Title/Deed to the property. Now, with copies in hand, i can now legally go down to a lawyers office (usually someone in on the deal, but not always), and get the Title/Deed/notarized, and then sell your property to anyone i want--place name here______. Why? because legally, i have your ID (Cedula) in my hand, only with my picture on it instead of yours.
As far as the law is concerned, i fullfilled every legal obligation neccessary in order to prove that i am who i say i am. and since i have declared that the original title has been lost, i can pay to have the government office re-issue me a new "Original" Title/Deed. Now i can legally sell your land to anyone i want.
There's other modifications to this, but they all work in a similar fashion. the goal is to get a copy of your ID (Cedula), a copy of the land/deed/title, then apply for another "Original Title/Deed, then turn around and sell it to some unsuspecting Joe.
It happens everyday, everywhere, all around this island. How do i know? Becuase it happened last year to my cousin who lives in Florida and is a Doctor in West Palm Beach. she came here to take a family vacation and was showing her husband (Non-Dominican) and son some of the land she inherited when our uncle died. When she got to the property, there was a "For Sale" sign on it. she called the number and said she was interested in seeing the property. They said "Sure, we can meet you tomorrow wherever you like." She then contacted some family members, who contacted some higher ups and then met up with them (The new owners) the next day.
It all ended fine, and she got the property back, but if had she waited another year before visiting, they would have sold her land right from underneath her feet and they would never get caught becuase we don't know who was the original person who cloned her ID? We only have a copy of her ID but with someone else's picture on it. And who knows who is on the picture??? Unless they decide to broadcast that picture on National TV and ask for help, there is no way to know who it is on her picture ID.
Frank
Ok, forging of a property deed is a common theme down here, so much so that it has been going on for as long as i can remember. it was going on pretty consistently in the 80's, picked up steem in the 90's, then went nuclear after 2001. basically, there are a lot of way to forge Titles, but i'm going to explain in laymans terms the most common and most efficient way that the thieves here like to utilize the most:
Say you, John Smith, owns a clear title to a piece of property somewhere on this island. A copy of that deed is sitting in a government office (sorry, can't remember the name for the office right now). In your Title/Deed/property file is a copy of your Cedula and/or passport--but always a copy of both (passport and cedula) if you are a foreigner.
I can walk into this office, pay someone to look into your file, give me all the details--i.e passport number, cedula number, etc. i can then go down to the cedual office and get another cedula with your name and same details on it, but with my picture on the new photo id. Now i can go back to the Title/Deed office and ask for a copy of everything in your file by claiming, quite clearly, that i am John Smith, and i have lost the original title of my land. I don't care if you got a 1000 acre property, a 50,000 acre property or a 1,00000 acre property, i now have a clear copy of your ID with my picture on it. I can request anything i want out of your file. Now, i will have the office make me a copy of everything in that file--becuase i will explain to them that i've lost the original Title/Deed to the property. Now, with copies in hand, i can now legally go down to a lawyers office (usually someone in on the deal, but not always), and get the Title/Deed/notarized, and then sell your property to anyone i want--place name here______. Why? because legally, i have your ID (Cedula) in my hand, only with my picture on it instead of yours.
As far as the law is concerned, i fullfilled every legal obligation neccessary in order to prove that i am who i say i am. and since i have declared that the original title has been lost, i can pay to have the government office re-issue me a new "Original" Title/Deed. Now i can legally sell your land to anyone i want.
There's other modifications to this, but they all work in a similar fashion. the goal is to get a copy of your ID (Cedula), a copy of the land/deed/title, then apply for another "Original Title/Deed, then turn around and sell it to some unsuspecting Joe.
It happens everyday, everywhere, all around this island. How do i know? Becuase it happened last year to my cousin who lives in Florida and is a Doctor in West Palm Beach. she came here to take a family vacation and was showing her husband (Non-Dominican) and son some of the land she inherited when our uncle died. When she got to the property, there was a "For Sale" sign on it. she called the number and said she was interested in seeing the property. They said "Sure, we can meet you tomorrow wherever you like." She then contacted some family members, who contacted some higher ups and then met up with them (The new owners) the next day.
It all ended fine, and she got the property back, but if had she waited another year before visiting, they would have sold her land right from underneath her feet and they would never get caught becuase we don't know who was the original person who cloned her ID? We only have a copy of her ID but with someone else's picture on it. And who knows who is on the picture??? Unless they decide to broadcast that picture on National TV and ask for help, there is no way to know who it is on her picture ID.
Frank