Long Time No Talk!

GirlieGirl

New member
Jun 19, 2003
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Hey All,

Long time no talk. The store has kept me busy. So much for Casa Linda being safe. I have only been there 7 days and last night my house was invaded by someone while I slept through the whole damn thing. Over 1000 USD taken... Josefina Covents is working on it as we speak... we think we know who it is... he is actually one of the security guards. I do not want to talk to much... just wanted to log in and let those people that I have not emailed in a few weeks let them know why... I will post more later.

Talk to you all soon

GG
 

GirlieGirl

New member
Jun 19, 2003
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Escott... thank you,

Scott,

Thank you for your concerns. I am not too hopeful. I doubt I will recover a penny. I am more of an emotional mess than anything. It is the first night I brought the cash drawer home from the store. I normally leave it there... but we were going to be closed today so that we could pick my hubby up from the airport. They took everything except the one peso coins out of the cash drawer. 15 days worth of sales... I have been crying all day... not as much at the loss... but at the emotional stab it gave me. I felt comfortable and safe... not a fear in the world... and now I am afraid... I am never afraid of anything.

GG
 

Larry

Gold
Mar 22, 2002
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GG

Sorry to hear that. Are you sure you know who it is? How many people knew you were taking that much money home that day? If you were asleep and the person was still willing to risk waking you up while burglarizing your house you can bet he knew what was there. He knew it was worth the risk.

Dont get discouraged. Put it behind you and move on. Try and take better measures to secure your home and property. Dont let one incident sour you to Cabarete. Take care.

Larry
 

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
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Sorry to hear this GG,

How big is the cash drawer? They must have seen you carry it in.
 

maryanne

New member
Mar 16, 2003
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Hey GirlieGirl! I'm so sorry to hear what happened. Damn! I'm glad hubby is around now.
I emailed you last week to see how things were going, but I figured you were swamped (between the move and the store).
Email me if you need to chat (or vent).

Maryanne
 

Escott

Gold
Jan 14, 2002
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www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
I would contact the owner about putting in a Lock Box in the wall in a closet. I put one in each bedroom in my condo because of these types of things.

It cost me under 6k pesos to do this. At least the SOB's would wake me up and I can hit them on the head with my frying pan:)

Your post is going to upset a few people who have said over and over again how safe Casa Linda is. When you live in a country run by a government that is only looking to line their own pockets to the detriment of the citizens you will have desperate people who do this sort of stuff.

Larry is right, you have to move on. Write this off as just another expensive lesson that you can't be too careful about this sort of thing.

Good luck,
Scottb
 

MaryS

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Feb 13, 2003
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GG

Good luck on finding out who did this. When our house was broken into I didn't feel safe for a long time. It's such an invasion. It does get easier though. Take care.
 

JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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GG - How horrible for you! It does sound like someone knew you had that cash box. Did you go home in a taxi or someone else see you with that box? Do you sleep with your doors locked?

Most places we've seen down there have built-in lock boxes. Maybe you have one and don't know it.

Maybe it's someone you know that's been to the house and knows the layout?

Shoot - gated mansions with roving night watchmen have suffered from cat burglars here in US. If someone wants something bad enough, they're going to get it no matter where you live!

Write it off and move on. Maybe next week you'll make twice the sales!
 

XanaduRanch

*** Sin Bin ***
Sep 15, 2002
2,493
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Welcome to the club, GG, I am very sorry to hear of this. I have not yet had that experience, but getting screwed like this a few times in the first couple of years of living here seems to be pretty normal.

I said it before, and I'll say it again, I do not trust those security companies, or their guards any further than I could pick one up and throw him. I have known more than a couple of ex-pats who have been robbed in this manner, and when the culprit was discovered it turned out to be the guards, or someone who was working through the guards. One incident they even went so far as to rough the guard up a little, cut here, black eye, etc. so he could go back to the owner and say he tried to fight them off but there were just too many to mask the fact that he was helping them do the robbing.

I feel much safer here, than I did there and I don't have guards. What I do have is lots of eyes here, and four very good young Dominican friends who I know I can trust, and have trusted for years. A couple have gun licenses, and guns, and I've made sure they know how to use them. And I make sure that one always has a job here, and a room. Plus all the neighbors have little 2-way radios we bought so if we did have a problem we'd have the bad guys surrounded in minutes if we hadn't already taken care of the problem, that is.

If there's anything we can do, don't hesitate to ask. At least you've been through it now, so after a little while maybe the thought won't be so scary anymore. Take it easy, GG.
 
Dec 9, 2002
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So sorry to hear this news GG, but I do know exactly how you are feeling. Several years ago my house here in England was burgled whilst I was asleep in bed, and I never knew a thing until the next morning.

For me, the absolute worst part - much worse than the loss of possessions - was the feeling of my own personal security and space having been violated. It terrified me to think that some stranger could have been standing beside my bed and watching me whilst I slept. I rember the feeling of shock that someone could get in and move around without waking me. I lived alone at the time and it took me a long time to feel safe in that house again. But eventually I did. Bit by bit you will manage to put it behind you and move on.

Glad to hear your husband is now with you, lean on him, he'll help you through it.
 

goatfarmnga

Bronze
Jun 24, 2003
548
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Sorry about the theft!

Similar thing happened here in US to my Parents neighbors on each side of them.....Police said my parents did not get robbed because they had a dog who barked..Easy extra security measure is a good barking house dog! Hope things get better and I bet the security guards were in on it..relatives or something..:( Cheer up better to lose money than a life! Pam
 

GirlieGirl

New member
Jun 19, 2003
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Thank You All So Much!!!

This is so couraging to see this many supportive responses. We actually know who did it now. The police were involved and they threatened to throw all of the guards in prison until someone ratted. I am not going to say how it came to light on a public message board, but as it turns out, one of the El Protecto staff is the one that came in the house and took it. He actually split it among some others so they would watch out. Now the police have been demanding that man come forward and he has not come to work in two days. It turns out the same thing happened to a womens wallet two weeks ago in Casa Linda by one of the guards and they are still looking for the guard, they think he is almost to Haiti now. It also turns out that this is the second time he has come into our house. The first time he took a relatively small amount of pesos out of my wallet (about 2-3,000) according to the "source" and felt he could get more and had come back after that and was not able to find my purse (must have been the night I put it in a night stand), but he got lucky on thursday night. Evidentally the thief likes to brag and somebody feared their job so they came forward.

I drove home that night in a rental car because I was picking hubby up the next day. I did not think anyone saw the cash box. It is about 18 inches long, by 8 inches wide and about 4 inches deep. It is very heavy, but I had it in a book bag, so I just do not know if they knew about it or just took a chance and got lucky. Either way about it... I am working with the police and casa linda management (who are anything but helpful) and josefina covents to have el protecto removed and another security company in place. El Protecto (the company) is saying that my sister and I are making this up to damage the reputation of the company. And Casa Linda management is trying to say that it is our private gardner... yet he never signed in the night things were missing.

I love how everybody tries to place blame on everyone else. Needless to say, I sleep with my windows and doors closed and locked (sucks, because I love the breeze from the windows), my husband is dead set on buying a dog before he leaves, and I am on a war path to get that entire security company removed.

I have to get up and move on, but I do not have to lay down and take it. You screw with me... and I will eat you alive (or try my best to)... I guess you could say I am over the fear and upset now... now I am angry, pissed and ready to go.

Thank you all.

GG
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
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GirlieGirl, a couple of thoughts/observations:

1. What is that huge cat of yours doing to justify his keep? He/she should be functioning as your attack cat.

2. I recommend that you try to reach as many Casa Linda owners as you can, explain your experience, and ask for their help in improving security in the complex. Can you get a list of the owners? If not, start a thread for Casa Linda owners. At least 3 are regular readers of this board and they may be able to help you identify more. The management has a good thing going and don't like to be bothered. This is usually the case when a manager has been in the position too long. But if the manager starts getting emails, etc, from owners, I'm certain it will be more responsive.

3. If the police have identified the thief, how can management say it was your gardner, and how can the security company plead innocence?

4. Dominicans who commit a crime very often brag about it. The police know this and lock up the family, coworkers and close friends of the suspects and hold them in jail until somebody talks. Civil libertarians may protest, but this is usually very effective.
 

XanaduRanch

*** Sin Bin ***
Sep 15, 2002
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Many of us come to this country espically, and specifically because we are independent and like doing things for ourselves without a nanny government or neighbors looking over every detail of our lives, butting in, and legislating changes in our behavior.

That being the case I am constantly somewhat amazed by the numbers of the same otherwise, strong-willed, intelligent, rational, wonderful people who think nothing of trusting the most important aspect of their lives, their very life and security, to some company they don't know. Folks, wake up call. This is not the U.S. Hell, it ain't even France. I have no faith or confidence in any company run by or employing vast numbers of Dominicans to provide for my life and security and that of my family. Or, for just about anything else for that matter, like phones, electricty, and water. I've learned the hard way that if I want it done right, I have to do it myself down here.

I am glad you've found out the truth GG about what happened to you. Don't say I didn't try and warn you though! (Sorry I had to say that) I hope you'll have better luck at knocking heads there than I did. Want some help? :: smirk ::. And I am glad the CL will get shaken up a bit to make things right. Why wouldn't they side with the people paying the bills for crying out loud, the renters and the owners. I am amazed but not at all surprised based on my experiences there. They've got a cash cow going there but do diddly in my opinion for the renters and precious little more for the owners. It's time someone held them accountable or exposed them so people can make an informed decision about buying and renting there.

Caveat Emptor!

Tom (aka XR)
 
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GirlieGirl

New member
Jun 19, 2003
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Do not have much time!

Hello All,

I do not have much time to post as I am at an Internet Cafe and want to keep this short, however I do want to clarify some things.

They have apprehended the suspect, however as of noon today he has yet to confess and they have yet to recover any money. There is talk of a few of the guards being in on this together.

I would also like to state that Casa Linda Management has been telling people that our money has been recovered and/or reimbursed through insurance. That is also NOT THE CASE. We have not received anything from anyone, as a matter of fact Casa Linda Management would not even give us the sign in book of the guards the night of the theft, the Police had to come force them to hand it over. They have NOT been cooperative. I want to make sure that the truth is known! I will keep you all posted.

Also, if you own or rent in Casa Linda, please contact me, as I would like to start a petition to have El Protecto removed and another company replace them.

Talk to you all soon.

GG
 

Peter & Alex

Bronze
May 3, 2003
700
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www.rainbowsenddr.com
GG,
Replace which set of thieves with which other set of thieves?
Get rid of them all, put in bars and get a big F*** off dog!!
Sorry, but this thievery and the blind belief that a security company will make it go away is making me mad!!
 

ecarignan

New member
Jan 9, 2003
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www.commtech.ca
Girlie Girl,

I'll stand behind you 100% regarding security in there. I have not experienced any forms of security lacks but if there are, action is needed. I would think JanH thinks the same.

I always like to hear both sides of the story but yours and Casa Linda's are contradictory and that concerns me even more than the theft. If the amount would have been returned and fixed by now, I would feel that the management stands behind its word but that may not be the case. Send me an e-mail (I think you have my e-mail) and we can take an action plan. Paul is usually pretty good at fixing things and I'm sure he doesn't want bad publicity here or anywhere.

Theft happens everywhere but we have insurance for that, which is not the case in the DR, we instead pay a fortune to have security every month.

E-mail me with all details and I'll have an e-mail go out to management. They are usually good people to deal with.

Good luck,

ecarignan