The Horror Stories - fact or fiction?

wildnfree

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Jun 14, 2005
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OK, I hope to relocate soon to the DR and have been researching extensively...but I have heard so many horror stories - enough to turn even the most hardened traveller away..

someone said it is hard to find a trustworthy landlord. THey will befriend, 'forget' to give rent receipts and then claim u never paid. Loosers on every corner trying to hook up with, befriend you then rip u off. A favourite passtime is gringo - staring ect ect.

Is this fact or fiction?
 

POP Bad Boy

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Jun 27, 2004
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It's fact...............

.................it would be impossible to MAKE UP some of the stories you read here.....
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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wildnfree said:
OK, I hope to relocate soon to the DR and have been researching extensively...but I have heard so many horror stories - enough to turn even the most hardened traveller away..

someone said it is hard to find a trustworthy landlord. THey will befriend, 'forget' to give rent receipts and then claim u never paid. Loosers on every corner trying to hook up with, befriend you then rip u off. A favourite passtime is gringo - staring ect ect.

Is this fact or fiction?

This is absurd. If they do not give you a receipt, do not deliver the money. You can also pay with checks that can serve as receipts.

The horror stories are the exception, not the rule. There is much that can be done to prevent being victim of a scam or unscrupulous landlord.

On the contrary, there are many many more horror stories of tenants victimizing the landlord.
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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wildnfree said:
OK, I hope to relocate soon to the DR and have been researching extensively...but I have heard so many horror stories - enough to turn even the most hardened traveller away..

someone said it is hard to find a trustworthy landlord. THey will befriend, 'forget' to give rent receipts and then claim u never paid. Loosers on every corner trying to hook up with, befriend you then rip u off. A favourite passtime is gringo - staring ect ect.

Is this fact or fiction?

There is probably a very small element of truth in what you have heard, but bad things happen to some good people everywhere. My wife and I have lived in the DR for 19 years. We would not have been here for so long if it was such a bad place to live.

Dolores is right that it is more common for renters to take advantage of landlords. As written, the laws give more rights to the tenant than the landlord.

There no doubt are "loosers" on at least some "corners trying to hook up with, befriend you then rip you off." But are these the sort of people you associate with in your home country? If not, then why do it here? If you live your life here like you do at home, you should have no trouble.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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I agree with Ken. I would have been out of here a long time ago if it was so bad. But I am here, and have been for several years.
No, not all people are good, but as Ken said, you chose who to asociate with,
and if you deal with descent people at home, this will probably be your choice here as well.

When you rent an apartment or house, you would need to ask all questions to be sure you are renting what you want to have. ( I.e water, electricity, check if you are ok with safety, check that locks work, that toilets are flushing etc etc ). When you pay rent you give the money when you get a reciept, simple and plain.
I have never had any problems in this aspect.
 

rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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I never had any problems when I rented an apartment. I even got back my security deposit without a fight. It all depends on whom you are dealing with. Like anywhere else, you need to do some homework and as another poster said always get the receipt when you pay the rent (or pay by check).
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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Remember, the reciepts are your proof if you should come in to a fight or discussion. Being able to show you paid in time, is all and everything.

I know of people who have had hard times with some landlords here in Puerto Plata, but again look who you are dealing with. These people I refer to here, did not check out anything, not whats included and if those things actually work, did not talk to or check out neighbours and then complaining about those etc etc. At some point they themselves did a bad choice, and paid for it. As they would have anywhere in the world.

So
- Check out the area where you are renting, make sure you are ok with it
- Talk to neighbours, make sure you are ok with them
- Check the inside of the apartment, that you feel ok with it, everything from
water preasure, light, security arrangements or not, locks...
- Check with the electricity supplier that the previous person paid their electricity, otherwise it will be you paying
- Check the area so that, if important to you, it handles cable, internet etc-
In POP not all areas do this.

Pay your rent on a specific date, make an agreement to meet the landlord on that day and ask him/her to come with a reciept and you will gladly pay.

You shouldn?t worry much about this, just make sure you rent something that you can live with...If it is trouble from the start, "this will be fixed, and then I will do this"... etc.. then it will be trouble, do not rent until fixed.
Or find something else.
 
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Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Well I used to think Frankenstein was real....

So, do take these hrror stories with a few grains of salt.

Remember "birds of a feather" and "if you are caught with the crows...."

That should keep you away from trouble. Follow advice from Ken or Dolores or Carina as they are very wise. And alsways play your cards close to your vest.

Oh yes, that should have been "losers" on every corner....but a lot of them are "loose", too.:p:p:p

HB
 

miguel

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Jul 2, 2003
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Can you read minds, Dolores?

Dolores said:
This is absurd. If they do not give you a receipt, do not deliver the money. You can also pay with checks that can serve as receipts.

The horror stories are the exception, not the rule. There is much that can be done to prevent being victim of a scam or unscrupulous landlord.

On the contrary, there are many many more horror stories of tenants victimizing the landlord.
You were reading my mind, werent' you?.

This is not only absurd, this is plain stupid!!!. Even if my father or brothers were my landlords, no money will be handed to them unless a receipt is on my hands first.

COMMON SENSE PEOPLE, IT WAS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD, DARN IT, USE IT SOMETIMES!!!!!.
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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miguel said:
You were reading my mind, werent' you?.

This is not only absurd, this is plain stupid!!!. Even if my father or brothers were my landlords, no money will be handed to them unless a receipt is on my hands first.

COMMON SENSE PEOPLE, IT WAS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD, DARN IT, USE IT SOMETIMES!!!!!.
There are many good people in DR. I never ask for rent recipt from my landlords (office and home). I pay them whenever and if I don't feel like paying them this week, I pay them the next week. This has been going on for 5 years. I always pay and always keep close friendship with them. My rent has never been raised in 5 years and they take care of me. If I tell you how much I pay, you will all laugh.
So find good dominicans and become their freinds. they will carry you in this country.
AZB
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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How good for you AZB, but the OP is planning to move here, so in my opinion the best suggestion would be to get a reciept from the landlord when paying rent, and to pay rent on time.
 

miguel

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Jul 2, 2003
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Say what??.

AZB said:
There are many good people in DR. I never ask for rent recipt from my landlords (office and home). I pay them whenever and if I don't feel like paying them this week, I pay them the next week. This has been going on for 5 years. I always pay and always keep close friendship with them. My rent has never been raised in 5 years and they take care of me. If I tell you how much I pay, you will all laugh.
So find good dominicans and become their freinds. they will carry you in this country.
AZB
A little piece of advice for my brother from Pakistan::

When it come to money, EVERYTHING can change within seconds: friendships, family togetherness/closesness, love feelings, EVERYTHING.

Once my brother needed 5,000 dollars to complete his downpayment on a house and he was surprised that I had him sign a document at a lawyer's office.

When he asked me why, I only told him " because you are my brother and I want to keep you as my brother. Money change people and I really do not want to take the chance to find out if you will change".

Btw, my brother is one of the nicest man that I know and it still took him more than 2 years to pay a loan that it was supposed to be paid in 8 months!.

Ps: If only I could write the horrors that I have heard about close friends of mine. I even have a few horror stories myself but that's another thread!.
 
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carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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miguel said:
A little piece of advice for my brother from Pakistan::

When it come to money, EVERYTHING can change within seconds: friendships, family togetherness/closesness, love feelings, EVERYTHING.

Once my brother needed 5,000 dollars to complete his downpayment on a house and he was surprised that I had him sign a document at a lawyer's office.

When he asked me why, I only told him " because you are my brother and I want to keep you as my brother. Money change people and I really do not want to take the chance to find out if you will change".

Btw, my brother is one of the nicest man that I know and it still took him more than 2 years to pay a loan that it was supposed to be paid in 8 months!.

That?s common sense Miguel. I agree completely.
I know my landlords, they live next door. One is my cleaninglady, the son is a friend of my son, I spend time with them, I pay low rent, they are friends in the best sense.
Still I pay my rent in time, and I get a reciept.
That has nothing to do with friendship.