A drug addict with friends in high places? I don't think so... Maybe you should pay....the police, that is. Just as Berzin and BushBaby suggest. A few dollars can go a looong way in DR...
- Thread starter El Diego
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Neighbor wants to extort money from us, please advise
This is in Pto Plata (bay of Luperon)
i live in ny, have wife in dr.
this guy is drug addict, low class individual, hangs out with cops and thiefs.
thnx
My only advice: Move your family!
sorry to say this, but you are in a loose loose situation. no matter which path you take, if you stay in that house, you will forever be a target. if you pay, you WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY. if you don't pay, he will forever remind you and harass you and your family. good luck.
UPDATE:
the police have arranged an appt w/fiscal today at 3pm DR time (2pm NY)
to discuss a resolution. The police have advised family to pay something to the guy.... and now the guy is asking a little something to help pay for the
rooster's vitamins/food.
i have advised the wife, her brother to go to fiscalia and resolve this situation
and pay the guy some $$ but in front of fiscal. And to mention to fiscal
to understand that we're not paying off the guy, that this is not accepting guilt, and to have on record that if something happens to dog, or to anyone from the family that he will be prime suspect. And that after giving this guy some money as helping him out, that for him to stop threatening family and for him to stop asking for money, and for him to not ask any more money.
we'll see what happens.
Re: moving family
I'm looking to rent house (maybe apart) in santiago. I have started
another thread asking anyone advise of possible locations in santiago
to look for house to rent. Snuffy advised of Cerro Alto.
Re: trip
i'm considering going early next wk.
i'll post udpate as they happen.
i want to thank everyone for their support/advise
pls feel free to continue providing possible solution/advise.
the police have arranged an appt w/fiscal today at 3pm DR time (2pm NY)
to discuss a resolution. The police have advised family to pay something to the guy.... and now the guy is asking a little something to help pay for the
rooster's vitamins/food.
i have advised the wife, her brother to go to fiscalia and resolve this situation
and pay the guy some $$ but in front of fiscal. And to mention to fiscal
to understand that we're not paying off the guy, that this is not accepting guilt, and to have on record that if something happens to dog, or to anyone from the family that he will be prime suspect. And that after giving this guy some money as helping him out, that for him to stop threatening family and for him to stop asking for money, and for him to not ask any more money.
we'll see what happens.
Re: moving family
I'm looking to rent house (maybe apart) in santiago. I have started
another thread asking anyone advise of possible locations in santiago
to look for house to rent. Snuffy advised of Cerro Alto.
Re: trip
i'm considering going early next wk.
i'll post udpate as they happen.
i want to thank everyone for their support/advise
pls feel free to continue providing possible solution/advise.
sorry to say this, but you are in a loose loose situation. no matter which path you take, if you stay in that house, you will forever be a target. if you pay, you WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY. if you don't pay, he will forever remind you and harass you and your family. good luck.
we hope to resolve this at the fiscalia and give him some money but not much b/c we don't accept accusations as being true and the fiscal already stated the guy had no evidence, and he gave mixed versions of his story.
get a lawyer to cut a (reasonable) deal...
{quote} from the other thread i mistakenly wrote 2x.
umm we hope today to resolve this w/o lawyer at judge's office.
Also, the police stating that something might happen to your family is either a threat or a stern warning. Don't take this guy lightly, start thinking proactive with this situation, to protect your family.
Are you, El Diego, Dominican or foreigner? Because I think different responses apply. What Ricardo said is spot on. People here have a way of signalling what will happen. This is a 'signal'. If you and your family are Dominican before you try bribing the police to get them on your side, get your family to find out if the local police are involved themselves in drug trade: if they are they and the addict extorter might share friends in high places (as per all part of the same drug distribution network). If they are then it is unlikely that you will be able to 'divide and conquer' by a few bribes (it won't stop them taking your money of course, but they won't actually do anything for it). Make like you're amenable to paying and later make a 5000 peso or so 'contribution' as per the advice already given as a way of buying time while you figure out what next to do.
If you're all foreigners, get your family to a safe location straight away. Then sort out what you intend doing about your property later. Don't bother trying to find out any of the stuff mentioned above because you won't be able to do it in a way which doesn't alert people whereas Dominicans can.
The physical safety of your wife is the most important thing and you have had a telegraph already. We have had other cases where people didn't act on those 'telegraphs' and........well I won't finish the sentence but you can read threads on DR1. And yes of course it needs you here to sort this out; you can't expect your wife to handle this alone.
You're not being a coward if you pay and move. But before you decide on that get your wife out of the area first then you can relax a bit. Good luck.
I was typing while you were updating. Looks like you have things in hand. Well done for taking threat seriously and doing something about it.
Because you have family there...
Two choices....take the family and go far away. Second, move the family temporarily.........I would then try to resolve the matter at a reasonable price.
If I were you I would be very scared. Don't feel weak just because you pay. Paying may be the smartest thing to do.
But I highly recommend you take the family and go. You are a target for the druggies and the police. They will be back.
Two choices....take the family and go far away. Second, move the family temporarily.........I would then try to resolve the matter at a reasonable price.
If I were you I would be very scared. Don't feel weak just because you pay. Paying may be the smartest thing to do.
But I highly recommend you take the family and go. You are a target for the druggies and the police. They will be back.
thnx all for your suggestion.
UPDATE:
the judge/fiscal said not to pay anything to that guy or to the police. And
that he's certain that the guy and the cops are together in this extortion.
The guy and the cops did not show up at the fiscalia at 3pm (DR time).
The judge said he will not write up anything on record in his office if we pay the guy there. So, the guy i'm sure will come back and ask for the money but to be dealt outside of the court. I told my wife that it's better to pay if that guy continues to insist.
Re: nationalities
she's dominican; i'm not. I'm hispanic, grew up in nyc but was born in El Salvador. But in the eyes of locals i'm still a foreigner (which i am) with
a lot of money (which is not true).
UPDATE:
the judge/fiscal said not to pay anything to that guy or to the police. And
that he's certain that the guy and the cops are together in this extortion.
The guy and the cops did not show up at the fiscalia at 3pm (DR time).
The judge said he will not write up anything on record in his office if we pay the guy there. So, the guy i'm sure will come back and ask for the money but to be dealt outside of the court. I told my wife that it's better to pay if that guy continues to insist.
Re: nationalities
she's dominican; i'm not. I'm hispanic, grew up in nyc but was born in El Salvador. But in the eyes of locals i'm still a foreigner (which i am) with
a lot of money (which is not true).
El Diego, again, if I was in your position, I would move my family temporarily and quickly. And quickly, let them know that there is some money in it for them so that they back off. Safety first!
Me too. If Police arranged the 3pm meeting and didn't show it means they will show at another time. And by now they've probably guessed that Fiscal thinks they too are involved. For now I'm taking it that Fiscal is straight (I know, I know, but there are enough indicators and you have to start somewhere).
Go through the possible scenarios in your own head. Maybe they won't show tonight, but could tomorrow. If your wife gets some protection into the house that they may her feel better but wouldn't avoid unpredictable action by a crazed druggie. Better she should be in a location where police and druggie don't know her whereabouts and can't find her. The more difficult it is, the less effort they'll put in. And she shouldn't tell the other neighbours where, just in case. It also gives you a safe place to be when you come down next week to sort it all out.
Go through the possible scenarios in your own head. Maybe they won't show tonight, but could tomorrow. If your wife gets some protection into the house that they may her feel better but wouldn't avoid unpredictable action by a crazed druggie. Better she should be in a location where police and druggie don't know her whereabouts and can't find her. The more difficult it is, the less effort they'll put in. And she shouldn't tell the other neighbours where, just in case. It also gives you a safe place to be when you come down next week to sort it all out.
Where is the Dominican "street justice" from the video in the other thread when you need it? Does that only happen when someone is caught redhanded stealing from somebody and not when someone goes through elaborate measures to extort money which is in effect stealing as well??
I can't blame those dominicans who leave the DR and never come back. Try moving your family where they will have other seasoned DR1'ers as nieghbors. Then you guys can look after each other.
Yeah! You are caught in a sandwich are you an american citizen! if you are please contact the office and please ask to speak to the aid of Hans Hertel he is puerto rican and the ambassador explain the situation and in less than a few hours your problem with this guy and the authorities will be solve. In the D.R this scam is very common cops and crooks work together to extort money from outsiders. I have a freind that went on vacation to the d.r and rent it a waverunner jetsky right in the middle of its ride the thing turn off! he try to call the person in charge in the shore he did not notice he was there for more than an hour! even after the time of his rental!!!!!!!!!! he got tire of waiting he just jump and swammed torse the shore when he reached the shore the guy came to him and told him were was the waverunner he said is overther floating the guy ran did not care that my freind almost drown he went in another boat and in a couple of minutes came back the dominican was furious at him beacause the current took the wave runner against a reef and it got all scartch a some external damage!. My freind said to him if i rent form yoi for 30 minutes and i do not comeback for an hour or more that means there is something wrong. My freind got so mad at him that he said i could even see in the shore you were not even supervising you were drinking beer!!! what do you want me to due drown! My friend wento to pick up his things and said to him not to charge anything to his room or credit card right away with his Verizon phone that luckily work he called the credit card company to put a lock on the card the man went and try to charge 1,500 dolars because he said those are the damages of his waverunners. Well to make it short one thing led to another and he called a cop! this cop seemed to be a very good freind of his because he was unprofesional and he did not want to hear my freinds side. The cop simply said to him that he had to pay or give him his passport until the situation resolves! My freind was not going to give up his passport and told the cop to listen to his side of the sotry but there was no way. During the verbal discussion another american couple watch the hold situation and went inside the hotel and told the manager what was going on the manager a Spaniard guy imidiately talk to the cop and the person and said to them to give my freind until tomorrow to get the 1,500 us dolars he and the cop were claiming. Walking back to the hotel the manager said that he knows how it works and they are trying to intimidate him to give up the money. The cop threaten my freind to take him to the Cuartel were he was told there was no judge until tuesday am and that he probably had to spend the night until the situation clears itself. Imagine it was a Saturday 2 or 3 days in jail maybe they wont be any case but the though that he was going to go to jail scared him! When he got to the hotel the manager said to him i know the area captian maybe we could fix it on the top but probably you will have to give him 100-200 dolars which is better than 1,500 dolars. My freind told the manager to call the captain because he wanted to continue the vacation. What the manager did not know is that while he went up to his room to get the money he called the American Embassy hotline in Santo Domingo he explain a very nice lady aid his situation she told him to stay in his room put until they figure out how to solve it. She herd the story she called immidiately a lawyer paid for by U.S embassy which imidiately called him to ask for the information he said dont worry in 30 minutes this will be solve. All my freind knows that after an hour the lawyer called him back and said the problem was completely solved and that if the guy and the cop were to try to extort him once again to call i think it was a general or cornell well the main guy of the police in bavaro to id himself and tell him is a client of so so from the american embassy! He said that on sunday he wento to the beach and saw the guy and the guy did not have the strenght to look him in the eyes problem solve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i will try to go to DR next wk and look for house most likely in santiago area.
the guy, my brother-in-law, cops went again to fiscal and brother-in-law gave some money to the guy and made him signed paper and told him to stop
asking for money and to leave family alone. The guy wanted more money but then he took whatever was given to him. I hope he does not come back in the future asking for more money even though as some of you have said, he will come back asking for more.
the judge told the cops to not get involve in the case since they have no authority over the lawsuit/case.. that they know they can get fired. The fiscal told my wife that as long as he's in charge of fiscalia in the town, he will not tolerate corruption of any kind. And he said that he knows those cops are corrupt and most likely have interest in the case with the guy.
so, so far the guy took the money and have not returned. Hopefully the wknd goes away w/o problems and next wk me and wifey will look for place to relocate.
we will try to look for a safe neighborh and in the future think of moving out of DR completely and just visit DR to visit family and/or to vacation.
DR is getting out of control. Corruption is all over the island, at all levels of gov't. There's no way the country can progress.
Kemo,
yes, i'm us citizen. thnx for advise.. i will try to get in contact with ambassador's aide.
the guy, my brother-in-law, cops went again to fiscal and brother-in-law gave some money to the guy and made him signed paper and told him to stop
asking for money and to leave family alone. The guy wanted more money but then he took whatever was given to him. I hope he does not come back in the future asking for more money even though as some of you have said, he will come back asking for more.
the judge told the cops to not get involve in the case since they have no authority over the lawsuit/case.. that they know they can get fired. The fiscal told my wife that as long as he's in charge of fiscalia in the town, he will not tolerate corruption of any kind. And he said that he knows those cops are corrupt and most likely have interest in the case with the guy.
so, so far the guy took the money and have not returned. Hopefully the wknd goes away w/o problems and next wk me and wifey will look for place to relocate.
we will try to look for a safe neighborh and in the future think of moving out of DR completely and just visit DR to visit family and/or to vacation.
DR is getting out of control. Corruption is all over the island, at all levels of gov't. There's no way the country can progress.
Kemo,
yes, i'm us citizen. thnx for advise.. i will try to get in contact with ambassador's aide.
If you fall for this now you will be forever be a victim to it on that island. The fiscal already said more than once that you do not have to pay a dime. You did anyway and guess what, brother? You could of used that money to take care of mister cock-a doodle-do.
If your family is in such a vulnerable state, either move them to the US or buy them a house in a gated community with no dominicans in sight. That is your only recourse. And next time seriously think about life without pets.
If your family is in such a vulnerable state, either move them to the US or buy them a house in a gated community with no dominicans in sight. That is your only recourse. And next time seriously think about life without pets.
Thanks for posting your story in this Forum El Diego.
I am new to this site, but like most of you, I like the DR and I wish improvements fot the benefit of locals as well as turists.
I'm thinking about buying a property in that beautiful island, however, your story, like many others, is making me think twice, or at least be a lot more selective when choosing properties.
I live in New York and recently I was introduced to a very nice dominican gentleman who works in the DR's General Consulate in New York. Because he's in the intelligence dept., obviously I can't give his name.
We have had several conversations about the Dominican Republic and he's indicated to me that whatever he can do, to help foreigners interested in helping his country, he will. Believe me, he has the means and the contacts.
Please send me a private message with your story and I will make sure it gets to him. This may be a little too late to help your particular situation; however with the help of your experience, plus people like the lady "fiscal" and my friend, maybe we can improve "just a little" the situation in that beautiful country.
Rafael Rothschild
I am new to this site, but like most of you, I like the DR and I wish improvements fot the benefit of locals as well as turists.
I'm thinking about buying a property in that beautiful island, however, your story, like many others, is making me think twice, or at least be a lot more selective when choosing properties.
I live in New York and recently I was introduced to a very nice dominican gentleman who works in the DR's General Consulate in New York. Because he's in the intelligence dept., obviously I can't give his name.
We have had several conversations about the Dominican Republic and he's indicated to me that whatever he can do, to help foreigners interested in helping his country, he will. Believe me, he has the means and the contacts.
Please send me a private message with your story and I will make sure it gets to him. This may be a little too late to help your particular situation; however with the help of your experience, plus people like the lady "fiscal" and my friend, maybe we can improve "just a little" the situation in that beautiful country.
Rafael Rothschild
I'm going to tell you all something about reality, whether it be in a place like this or in a bad place in the USA. When bad people want to get you, they will be successful. Unless you move far enough away. Doesn't matter if you have guns, dogs, bazookas, whatever. The reality slips up on you so fast and bam, it is done. There is no way to reverse the damage. Revenge does not do it. It is already done. And in this country, they know everything and you know little. When they are watching you, you will not know it. And when you are watching them, they will know it. And, when you think you are safe you are not. Diego, you make damn sure that these people are satisfied to the point that they will not come after you or your family. Do not **** them off. And if you are renting the damn place then you should leave ASAP. Let me know how I can help you in Santiago. If bad people want to get you they can easily go through the door, past the dogs...as has been shown on here before.
This isn't the movies. It doesn't go down like in the movies. It is when you least expect it. It happens quickly. And it sure as hell isn't worth it. I don't know if the problem is all these convicts returning to the island or what but this place has changed so much in just about 3 years. The gov. has beefed up the police force but my personal experience makes me fear them also.
Everyone please be safe out there.
This isn't the movies. It doesn't go down like in the movies. It is when you least expect it. It happens quickly. And it sure as hell isn't worth it. I don't know if the problem is all these convicts returning to the island or what but this place has changed so much in just about 3 years. The gov. has beefed up the police force but my personal experience makes me fear them also.
Everyone please be safe out there.