Friendly people

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Birdman

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Jan 29, 2013
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We were recommended by a supposed Dominican friend that his father could help us build a house on a small plot of land. It was supposed to be 200sq feet but later we found that it was only 170. When we exchange the papers we found that what we paid 85,000pesos for only cost the previous owner 10,000.
Anyway the father helped and we paid him the going rate per day for the little help that he gave. The house was built and we moved in. On the day we had a house warming party, I went to the nearby store to get some things and on the way back the father was chatting to a local guy. I was in the house and saw the guy walk around to the neighbours land and set fire to it and walk off. The wind was coming our way. Luckily we put it out but things in our neighbours garden caught fire. Surprisingly there was quite a turn out to watch the spectacle. I think that they all knew what was happening. The fire blazed quite fiercely and I think that our roof could have caught fire. As it was just a lot of dust had to be cleared away.
Every other day the father came to the house with his hand out asking for some dineros. One day I asked him how much he wanted and he said 500,000pesos because he helped us.
One evening soon after I was coming home on my bike and there was a car in the lane. It was blocking my way so I stopped. About 4 people had their heads under the hood. They put the hood down and looked away and the car reversed hard into me knocking me out.
One month I had a good job and I asked the father if he wanted to help me. He was talented in that area. At the end we had a nice payout. My wife and I went into town at 4:00pm for a beer most afternoons and one day, the father was playing dominoes with some people. Two of these people robbed us while we were out.
We called the police and they managed to recover most things and the family paid us back the money that was stolen. The kids were thrown in jail for the day in Puerto Plata.
While we were waiting to go to the jail the father who helped us came down looking very concerned. I thought he came to commiserate with us but he walked straight past and chatted with the thieves - one who was his cousin.
The kid who was skinny enough to squeeze through our pillars to get into the house has turned up recently and today was sat at the end of the lane with a big knife whittling away staring at me.
I feel quite stressed about all this and really don't feel that the people here like having gringos around. They don't mind going to gringo countries but they don't feel the same way for us.
I am not sure if things could escalate and is this natural? Some friends had a similar thing happen to them until the wife had her arm hacked with a machete andf hubby lost a lot of his ear when he went to help. Do you recommend that we run for the hills?
 

caribmike

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Jul 9, 2009
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??????????????????????????? :ermm::confused:

We were recommended by a supposed Dominican friend that his father could help us build a house on a small plot of land. It was supposed to be 200sq feet but later we found that it was only 170. When we exchange the papers we found that what we paid 85,000pesos for only cost the previous owner 10,000.
Anyway the father helped and we paid him the going rate per day for the little help that he gave. The house was built and we moved in. On the day we had a house warming party, I went to the nearby store to get some things and on the way back the father was chatting to a local guy. I was in the house and saw the guy walk around to the neighbours land and set fire to it and walk off. The wind was coming our way. Luckily we put it out but things in our neighbours garden caught fire. Surprisingly there was quite a turn out to watch the spectacle. I think that they all knew what was happening. The fire blazed quite fiercely and I think that our roof could have caught fire. As it was just a lot of dust had to be cleared away.
Every other day the father came to the house with his hand out asking for some dineros. One day I asked him how much he wanted and he said 500,000pesos because he helped us.
One evening soon after I was coming home on my bike and there was a car in the lane. It was blocking my way so I stopped. About 4 people had their heads under the hood. They put the hood down and looked away and the car reversed hard into me knocking me out.
One month I had a good job and I asked the father if he wanted to help me. He was talented in that area. At the end we had a nice payout. My wife and I went into town at 4:00pm for a beer most afternoons and one day, the father was playing dominoes with some people. Two of these people robbed us while we were out.
We called the police and they managed to recover most things and the family paid us back the money that was stolen. The kids were thrown in jail for the day in Puerto Plata.
While we were waiting to go to the jail the father who helped us came down looking very concerned. I thought he came to commiserate with us but he walked straight past and chatted with the thieves - one who was his cousin.
The kid who was skinny enough to squeeze through our pillars to get into the house has turned up recently and today was sat at the end of the lane with a big knife whittling away staring at me.
I feel quite stressed about all this and really don't feel that the people here like having gringos around. They don't mind going to gringo countries but they don't feel the same way for us.
I am not sure if things could escalate and is this natural? Some friends had a similar thing happen to them until the wife had her arm hacked with a machete andf hubby lost a lot of his ear when he went to help. Do you recommend that we run for the hills?
 

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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Damn ! :dead:

I would move out, then sell the house.

All the best and good luck !
 

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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170 square feet house? That's 16m2 or so. I suppose you mean 170m2?

I find this a weird story. Who cheated on you with the house m2? Why did you proceed to buy if the m2 were not correct? Do you have a title?

Why would you keep dealing with and helping a guy who you suspect he tried to have yor house burned down?

I'd recommend: Go back to your own country
 

Birdman

Active member
Jan 29, 2013
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You are right - it was meters. We bought it the Dominican way a few years ago with the idea that we could just walk out after 5 years and break even.
The fact that I tried to help someone who I saw was needing help was obviously a mistake. He does not have any gratitude.
Why do say to go back to my country?
 

Domdream

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Jul 26, 2014
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I would buy a gun and get a large dog.Dominican thieves usually take the path of least resistance. They will move on to an easier mark.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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Fishy story..........

1. 170 instead of 200 m2......
2. Father of friend wants half a million pesos ???????????
3. They ran u over with a car.......
4. Oh I nearly forgot, they tried to burn ure house down.......
5. They robbed ure house, and came back after.

Enough said, if all this is true. Seems kind of u believable.......

Where is this house of yours ????
If it is not too far from me, for a quarter of what ure friend's dad is asking, plus expenses, I ll come and sort out the locals for u.......:devious::devious:

In the meantime buy a gun and get a big dog......
 

Birdman

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Jan 29, 2013
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Which bit is not believable? It all happened and I was asking for advice. I have been told that Dominicans don't like confrontation so I felt that aggression was off the list. I feel that they tried to soften me up to pay loads of money over. As you can see I am a rather naieve person.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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Well if ure story is in fact true, then FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!

THEY were the aggressors if I understand rightly. U should have stood up for ureself. Now they think u are easy prey.
It would help if u told where u were at.
If it is in deep campo..... get out of there.

So forget #1.
#2, tell ure pal's dad to f@#$ off.
#3 u should have gone medieval on the guys who reversed into u.
#4 beat the living day out of the skinny guy who robbed ure house and came back to taunt u.......

Or get the hell out of dodge.
 

Birdman

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Jan 29, 2013
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I am waiting for the father to come round smiling and trying to shake my hand, then I will tell him. I was unconscious when they ran into me and when I came to they had gone. I think that I would end up in jail if I beat a local up. I have already been warned that they could get me in jail if I said anything about this because it might reflect badly on them.
 

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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Where is your wife in all of that ?

Is she Dominican ? If she is Dominican, why her family does not seem to get involved ?

Could she be behind that craziness ? (just asking)
 

Domdream

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Jul 26, 2014
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Of course you will go to jail if you start a fight. Your a foreigner so the police will be very happy to $ee you.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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I am waiting for the father to come round smiling and trying to shake my hand, then I will tell him. I was unconscious when they ran into me and when I came to they had gone. I think that I would end up in jail if I beat a local up. I have already been warned that they could get me in jail if I said anything about this because it might reflect badly on them.

Go on the offensive.
Walk down to local PN, have a beer or 2 with them........introduce urself
Go and buy some stuff at the local colmado and have a chat with the owner and the clients.......
Get to know the village's syndico, he is the one who can solve ure problems.
Brew a coffee for the "elders", introduce urself.....
Go and play dominoes ( but not for money, mind u.....), that is a great way to "insert" in local social life.

It might reflect badly on them ????? And so it should.
Again, since u are not telling us where u are at....... in the campo beating up a guy who offended u will not end u up in jail, but it will earn u some respect....sad, but that is how it is.
 

Birdman

Active member
Jan 29, 2013
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I have had the house up for sale for a few months now. Apparently our agent said that it won't appeal to Dominicans as it doesn't have a back yard. We thought it was odd that they built it away from the road like all the others. We couldn't afford a deslinde so it is just bill of sale.
 
Oct 13, 2003
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Go on the offensive.
Walk down to local PN, have a beer or 2 with them........introduce urself
Go and buy some stuff at the local colmado and have a chat with the owner and the clients.......
Get to know the village's syndico, he is the one who can solve ure problems.
Brew a coffee for the "elders", introduce urself.....
Go and play dominoes ( but not for money, mind u.....), that is a great way to "insert" in local social life.

It might reflect badly on them ????? And so it should.
Again, since u are not telling us where u are at....... in the campo beating up a guy who offended u will not end u up in jail, but it will earn u some respect....sad, but that is how it is.


Sorry but this advice could get the OP killed.

He is by all accounts not a local and doesn't have blood relations there so no posse to help him out if the family of the guy he has beaten up will come for money to pay the hospital bill and to extract revenge. And they will come to the house, sometime in the late evening.

Pack your bags and either sell the property or, if you really want to screw them over, give it to a Haitain church. But make sure you never go back.
 

AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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I have had the house up for sale for a few months now. Apparently our agent said that it won't appeal to Dominicans as it doesn't have a back yard. We thought it was odd that they built it away from the road like all the others. We couldn't afford a deslinde so it is just bill of sale.

What?????? Come on you're writing a book right? This can't be real.
 
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