Making a Move in Santo Domingo

Good luck and keep us posted.

Bob K

The next step:  depending on where you live this step can be fairly simple or ridiculously complicated!!!! Also depends a great deal on whether there is a commissioned lawyer working on it!!!!  they make stuff sooo  much worse.

First location - in MOST of this country you will negotiate your price and terms.  Normal is 2 months deposit, a commission or lawyer fee for preparing the contract, and you pay your first months rent at the end of your first month.  Now many tourist style accommodations will be  pay up front, beginning of month!

Commission will range from  nothing to a month's rent!  So be prepared and understand it IS negotiable.  The "fee" to prepare the contract is often way too high as it is actually a "commission".  If you are paying to have a simple lease contract done - it should be about 2,000 RD or less.   

In Santo Domingo you will also need what they call a "fiador".  that is someone who  will guarantee your lease should you not pay.  Amazing to me that we need a fiador when you have 2 months deposit!!!! It may be different for those with shaky credit, no credit or no legal right to live and or work here. BUT they apply it to everyone.  A friend has a lease - she pays about  US 500 per month and it is "guaranteed" by a guy who makes US 200 a month.  Go figure...........

Contracts

They can put all kinds of stuff in these contracts, so be careful.  If you don't understand spanish make sure you find someone to explain it that does speak spanish. DO NOT rely on the lawyer or agent to have your interests at heart. Won't happen, they have their OWN interests at hear.

Also one thing that is different - check every little damn detail in that apartment or house before signing the lease.  Add a list of things that are not "right" or cannot be checked! For example you cannot check lights and plugs with out turning on the electricity which you cannot do without a contract.  I know one person who signed - because she believed when they said everything worked - only to find half the lights and plugs didn't work and there was no water to one half the house including ensuite bathroom.  Whooops.

Once you sign and move in YOU  are responsible for breakage etc. Now in some circumstance you can get good landlords but do not count on it.  Check the plumbing, taps, etc etc ahead of time. After moving in if the taps break you replace em.

More later................

Next update:  one thing you always need to do is be aware that everything can change - in a heartbeat!!!! AND IT DID.

For whatever reason my fiador was not available when the lawyer who represented the house I LOVED, wanted them to be available.  The whole deal fell apart and I was back to SQUARE ONE!!!!!!!! Yikes.

Again with the searching,driving, enlisting help of friends. And I found a new place.  I don't LOVE it but I do LIKE it and I will make it home.

In this go around, everything went sooooo smoothly I was amazed!  truly amazed!!!!

We went to see it, filled out the application, approved on the spot!  That was Saturday.  Monday we agreed on all terms,  Tuesday morning we met, signed the contracts, handed over the money (I just hate that part LOL)  and withing an hour this lawyer delivered my notarized copy of the contract! WOW.  NOW I highly recommend this lawyer in the capital for anyone doing real estate.

Next step, we go to the house, lawyer shows up, sister of the owner,  we measure closets and windows........ and 1 door. We had agreed to put closet doors on, change one window and one door that was in bad shape.  They were moving quickly and I am soooo impressed.

The rental is a townhouse,  3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,  front yard, back patio, nice kitchen, office, reasonable living room dining room area and the coolest thing a 2nd floor outdoor covered patio!!! Way cool.   It is in a nice quiet middle class neighborhood, has 24 hour electricity,  2 blocks from the ocean and walking distance to any services I need!!!!  Cost US 475 a month! 

Next - organize the moving day,  getting trucks etc.

Electricity - I went to EdeSur, my electricity provider, filled out information, they will send technician to the house to make sure all is good - imagine there is a meter location outside the house, where there was a meter before,  they need to send a technician out?? What you don't have this in your computer system????  Anyway, once the technician checks it,  I go back to the office of EdeSur to sign the contract, up to 24 hours later - voila - electricity..........LOL

Internet - cable - house line - I use the services of Tricom in the capital. I  found them responsive, service oriented and well priced. I get the "triple Play" as that 3rd service gets me a 20% discount off my whole package.  Yeah.  So that 3rd service is actually more then free!  Got to love it. The downside is that the system is such that I cannot advance plan the transfer to the new house. OH NO. You go the day before,  you order your "translado" and they cut off your service and install you within  3 to 5 working days.  Well hell, you  can't preplan that????  Ummmmmmm no. So I will go on Monday and hope it gets installed for Wednesday or Thursday.

Other then this, it is online changing of address, etc.  I have a friend organizing the truck and men with muscles...........

I will do the next update in a few days when I have some more news.

You make it sound so easy....not.  It certainly can be a challenge

Bob K

Agreed Bob, it is ANYTHING but easy.  My  almost 10 years in this country has given me the experience and patience (big word here) to see this through. I've learned to push when I need to push, accept when I need to accept and to put on a short skirt and heels when that is the best way to move things forward!!!

short skirt and heels when that is the best way to move things forward!!! smile.  I tried that once and ended didn't work for me

Bob K

gee Bob you have to shave your legs for that one!!!!!

Quick update-  we have a problem.  The previous tenant did not pay off his electrical bill and close the account before moving.  Not my problem, right??  Wrong - I cannot get a new account until the old account is paid and closed OR there is a lengthy internal process.

Now I have the owner and lawyer frantically fixing this problem!  I cannot move in without electricity, simple. IF I don't move then they start losing money, so they are motivated..........

I am told MAYBE tomorrow I can get my contract, which means another 24 to 48 hours.......... damn I hate waiting.........

Note - ask to see the old cancelled electrical contract!  I do have a copy of the water bill and garbage bill but didn't get the electrical.  Damn.....  Oh well, live and learn.

We get a call from Ede Norte every couple of months wanting us to pay the 2 year old electric bill from a client who we had sold a house to, and since has sold the house to someone else and has moved back to the UK.
It seems we helped him get the original contract so  now they want us to pay his overdue bill.  The person on the phone did not understand the words "when pigs fly" so they keep calling.

Bob K

Another Update:

For anyone who knows me I am little miss planned and organized. This move I was way ahead of the game. I had this soooo planned.  Then the first house fell through, no problem, lots of time.  Second house found - YEAH.. All is good.

I must admit I hit the jackpot with both the owner and lawyer on this house. They have been awesome, truly responsive and getting things done.

We have one issue EDESUR.  This is the electrical distribution company!  Here is the story.

With contract in hand i go to the office, take a number and wait my turn to request a contract.  After a 2 hour wait, my turn.  Very pleasant lady takes my data, reviews my lease and says they will send a technician to the house to view the connection.  I am to return in 2 days.

2 days later I return with my Order # to be told that yes we can hook me up (like they can't see that in their system???)  BUT the old tenant didn't pay his bill, so somehow this is MY problem  They give me a NEW order #. So the clock starts over again.

Call the lawyer who says the old tenant did in fact pay his bill and he will handle it.

Saturday the old tenant goes into the office, to show them the paid off bill!!!!  they send technician back out to the house to look at it again!

Monday - I go to the office to find out the technician has not put the "info" into the system.

Tuesday morning - more bull crap.  No info in system. BUT landlady calls to say a technician came to the house and the electricity is turned "on".  Really - without a contract I ask??? Of course on arriving at the house i find there is NO damn electricity.

Back to the EdeSur office for now the 5th time!!!! Another 1 hour wait to be told the contract is not ready. REALLY??? so what is that  24 to 72 hour thing you talk about? Oh that is from the time of work order. Well mine is from LAST WEDNESDAY! oh no she says, we changed that on Friday - no that is you - MY work order started last Wednesday!  What about this moron who went to the house and says the electricity is on??? No on knows.

I call my lawyer -  ok - his advice - hook up illegally!!! Yup tired of trying.  Hook me up then we will call the newspapers and  tv news shows!  I have all the evidence as does the lawyer.  the hell with em, if you cannot beat em join em!!!!!

So maybe I move tomorrow,  but probably I move thursday!!!! If you don't hear from me, send out a search party! Little Miss Organized is having fits trying to get it all done.

But kitchen is painted - in 90 F heat with no fan!  Next we paint the bedroom, install air conditioners and ceiling fans, then clean then move..............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Good luck. They are probably only half way through all the excuses. Remember the more times you come back for a problem the more time they get to spend with you and the more job security they have as they are always busy. I sometimes think of I am ona roundabout with no exit when I deal with Ede Norte, Claro, Orange....

Bob K

Well Bob I am ready to throttle someone now.  Still 8 days in the process and I still have no contract. Now it is 4 in the morning and instead of sleeping I am obsessing about how to get them off their asses and working on this contract. I move tomorrow - without electricity - I don't think so!!!!! 

And if one more person dares to tell me - welcome to a 3rd world country I may resort to murder.  I have been here 10 years and I know exactly how things often DO NOT work.  Saying crap like that is SO not helpful.   Sometimes we just need to vent.  So I did.

Of course I will post how this does or does not get resolved.

Love reading this blog, never fails to enlighten me.  Tuned in to fead what happens next.

KDuverge welcome to the forum.

Yes the stories can get interesting. For those of us living it then it can be REAL interesting.

Bob K

I can only imagine I remember living there very young and now understand why my grandparents were so cautious, networking and who you knew was so important. I am in the process now Bob K of researching moving there with my young family. Looking for a more down to earth way of life while submerging my children in our culture and language and making those family connections again. For my sense of purpose I will be volunteering to a cause helping young women. I have also found out that I have many siblings that actually reside in your area of Cabarete I think close to El Batey so we will be visiting the Puerto Plata area as well. I'm mainly focused on areas to reside in that are safe for me and my girls as I will be traveling alone. I am interested in local spanish schools for them to attend, we can continue to speak English at home. By the way can i bring my gun with me? I am licensed in Florida. It's interesting how I am so excited about getting in touch with my Dominican nationality. I'm so over the U.S. Do you have any suggestions?

You are heading in the right direction do lots of research, read, ask questions. There are some excellent private schools here for your kids. When the kids graduate from the international school here in sosua  (kids from all over the world) the are fluent in English, Spanish, French and can learn Russian and Japanese as well.

As to your gun...NO you cannot bring one with you even if you have a lic. for one elsewhere.  To own a gun here you have to have your residency and have lived her I believe it is for 5 years and then you can apply for a permit, take the tests, and Psych evaluation and then can only buy one from the government at about 500% higher then the cost elsewhere.

You can get one illegally, but don't get caught with it or using it.

Bob K

Update time!!!! So my lawyer went to EdeSur last Wednesday and threatened them!  yup,  it worked. I went in shortly after,  signed my contract, paid my deposit and was promised a connection by Thursday.

Thursday morning I moved.  Well it started out so well. My friend and taxi driver had arranged a truck and negotiated the price! Great job. So he arrives to find the truck is not around, he got a better offer!  Damn. but he finds another bigger but open truck and off they go. They arrive at my place (temporary place with a friend)  we load 1 dresser and several boxes, plus 2 more helpers and we are off.

We arrive at the new house, drop off the stuff plus myself and my helper.  We do more cleaning and unpack what we can while waiting for the truck to come back.  Note - no electricity.

The truck and guys go to where my belongings have been stored for 2 months.  They pack up the truck with my things and some things of a friend who will store his items at my new house (he is moving to the USA).  Truck arrives and we unload it..........   Now the living room is full of stuff, the boys move upstairs what needs to go up.

The truck leaves and we start unpacking - my good friend Cleo is in charge of the kitchen - a room I know so little about!!! LOL 

We move boxes and stuff all over............ wow.  I have a lot of stuff.  And then we wait for the truck.

Meanwhile - no electricity.  we are still waiting and it is damn HOT.

Truck comes back and wow!!!!!!!!! My friend is in the oil recycling business and is storing his machines at my house - I had NO idea they weighed like 300 pounds each!!!! HOLY CRAP.  So it is now stored out back and in my  car port.  Again HOLY CRAP.  These poor guys worked their butts off.

STILL NO ELECTRICITY.

Move - truck cost under US 200  Helpers all got 1,000RD each and they worked HARD for it!!!! They earned every peso.

We worked unpacking and organizing.  Edesure finally showed up and connected me. I said hey you are connecting me to a working meter!!! That isn't right. no no its okay says technician who spent about 40 minutes getting me connected and making it work inside the house. Hooray - after this long I have electricity.

Then I call Antonio to come and install 2 ceiling fans.  He shows up 40 minutes later and inside an hour and a half, 2 ceiling fans installed Wooo hoooooo.

Next  find food,  shower and collapse into bed.

The next morning my neighbour comes home to find she has NO electricity. These morons disconnected her and connected me to her meter!!! So we both file complaints with the company.  We run an extension to her house.

Fast forward to Saturday morning when Edesur technician comes out to disconnect me and connect my neighbor. Now we are both  furious!!!! I ask the technician to call his supervisor - NO he says.  I say you are disconnecting me - he says I DON"T CARE.

Now I am fuming,  I change and go the office DEMANDING a manager. Done talking I am now SCREAMING at these morons!!!!!!!!!  And I mean Screaming.

Here is the bottom line, watching this guy on his computer I clearly see - on our street in the system is house 25, 26, 27,28, 30, 31 etc etc.  THERE IS NO HOUSE 29!!!! So the stupid lazy idiot rather then take 5 minutes to add my house #29, she just puts it all on house 28 EVEN though she has my house contract in her hands.

5 other people touched that same contract and saw HOUSE 29!!!   ALL of this was over  5 minutes of LAZY. So you can imagine I BLEW my stack.  So now,  they sent someone out to hook me up illegally while THEY SORT THEIR OWN MESS!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable. 

It is the hottest weekend I have ever experienced in this country and we were going to be without electricity!!!!! Yup,  i took pictures of THEIR technician hooking me up illegally, just in case.

The other bad news, I managed to break my Blackberry in all this - now that is being fixed too!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh life is grand...........  so missing ALL my phone numbers.

More soon!!!

Oh my, what a mess. Que Dios me de paciencia I can imagine this must serve as therapy of sorts Planner, lol. Bob as I mentioned before I am not interested in International Schools where all the so called highclass Dominicans or wanna wealthy take there children. I am more interested in my children learning about Dominican History and speaking spanish/french than learning U.S. History and continue to speak English, we do that here already. Planner I would like to see if I can connect with your Real Estate Lawyer. For the past 3-4 years I have been seeking an apartment back from a tenant. I will be visiting again this October know that I couldn't just evict him to try and re-rent but I am now wanting to take residence of said apartment and this is quite a nuissance. From what I hear the current attorney and the tenant have my apartment as a personal motel of sorts. I have visited the last 5 years 2x a year and have not been able to see inside of my place. I have no idea what condition it is in or anything. Does anyone else perhaps have a good real estate lawyer?

Wow,  what part of the country is the apt in?

It's in Santo Domingo, Ralma Villa Farro area.

Ok  thanks,  I will get you some contact info.

Your choice is either a private school that will be attended by middle and upper class Dominican and expat children or the public system where your children will learn NOTHING of value.

The international school I was talking about does not teach US history and classes are multilingual

Bob K

Thanks Planner, I look forward to the info! Infact I can't wait...
Bob K, thanks for the info I was hoping that I may find good quality, affordable education to start my two girls are 3 and 2 homeschooled right now or should I say I'm a stay at home mom who dedicates every waking moment to them and own an online shipping business that I run from home while we do the hokie pokie. I thought about moving to DR wanting to continue to grow my business and reduce my expenses and enjoy so many other wonderful things about moving back to what feels like home.

Another update:  well here we are  almost 12 days after I move in and today they show up to install a meter for my electricity.  I've not signed a contract but we are getting a meter. Ok.  So they look at the pole then their watches and decide this will be done after lunch, which means after 2pm.

This electrical is all Edesur - the worst example of customer service I have experienced here.

On the other hand, Tricom has been awesome.  They installed me quickly and mostly painlessly. I have had a couple of issues and they have responded quickly as well!!! 

I am getting settled in the  new place, bit by bit.  Still lots to do but for the most part I am in.  Housewarming in about 2 weeks!!!!!

Glad to see there is light at the end of the tunnel and it does not appear to be a train....

Bob K

No train Bob, maybe a gua gua.........LOL

Another Update:

The battle and saga with Edesur continues.  You may be aware that our electrical consumption rates are "banded".  the less you use the lower the price per KWH.

As a new user with Edesur I have been watching my meter and quickly realized it is ridiculous!!!! I am using on average 20 KWH per DAY.  At this rate my monthly bill will be well over    US $150,  considering I have no air conditioner installed yet this is unacceptable.

So, one day I was headed out shopping for supplies and I shut off all my breakers,  made sure every single thing was off and I left the house, noting of course my meter reading!!!

When I came home 2 1/2 hours later my meter had increased 2 full KWH!!!! YES someone is STEALING my electricity and I know who it is.  (When they installed my meter, I told the technician the system was not right. now I am not an electrician but it just didn't look right!!!! His answer, I don't care.)

I go to the office of Edesure to file my complaint.  IN my mind that means I have reported someone for fraud and they should take this seriously.

Oh hell no!!!!  No big deal to them as I am the one who will have to pay the bill anyway.  Of course you can bet I will fight this all the way. 

I reported this Thursday morning at 8:30 am, was promised a technician and supervisor that day. SO I wait. No show.

Friday I call and am promised a visit same day.  And I wait, i call 3 more times and always told the same damn lies.

Saturday morning - today - I call and carry on with a supervisor on the phone - promised a visit TODAY.  Yeah right, I will believe it when it happens!!!!!

As I don't have 220 power, I have no air conditioner and I am getting more and more frustrated with these morons.

The rest of the place is beginning to take shape. I have changed a few plugs,  added some washers and stuff on the plumbing, the landlady replaced the "checkvalve" in the water system...... and I will continue to do some painting and updating.

Next the yard.  but not till I have finished with Edesur!!!!

What a nightmare! I wonder if this is done purposely and the electrician is getting some kind of kickback. Am I wrong for thinking this way, or should I not be so skeptical about my own people? Bueno only time will tell as your saga continues. I'm so sorry you're going through this, one of the things that will continue to hold my country back. I will certainly keep this in mind in my transition there. Continued luck my dear!

Thanks, I am sure there are going on somewhere. One of the areas  I consult in is,  Customer Service.  I would give this company a -10 on service.  Unbelievable. And there is an pervasive atmosphere of apathy that makes me shake my head!

now it is 11:15 am and they have not shown up yet!

At this point why not hire your own electrician and have him rewire the meter to just your use?

We have a friend here who had to do just that. Pissed off his neighbor who was stealing his electricity.

Bob K

They finally showed up at 11:45 and did a GREAT job. They ripped out the entire old installation put new lines to the main pole,  new lines for me,  new meter new everything. AND they ran a 220 line to my house as a favor!!!! It took over 2 hours to finish and they worked steady.I was impressed by THEM but not the company at all.

Now I will need to negotiate my bill when I get it!  I am not paying for a good chunk of the last 12 days. 

The saga continues.................

I'm glad you got it settled. I'm going to be in Pedro Brand (km 25) tomorrow and I was going to offer fixing it for you. I would of just removed the thief's wire though. It's great you now have 220, when the power is on of course. Lol. I hope you have equal success with your bill.

Glad it got fixed now the hard part of the bill. Good luck

Bob K

The good news for the bill is that i got on this from almost day one.

NOTE to everyone,  read your meter often. Keep track of it in a little book or notepad.  That way when something changes you will notice SOON.

I tracked from day 1.  I immediately realized I was using on average 20 KWH per DAY.  Now that is huge considering -1 fridge  1 ceiling fan, 1 tv, 1 computer and internet.....occasional use of microwave and a light or two.  Yup that is it folks, not anywhere near 20KWH per day.  By reporting it early and getting it fixed I will not have a huge bill.

My first call to report this I was told I had to wait for a full month bill before I could file a report. Hell no! I went in and reported it and stayed on them till it was fixed.

AND thanks for the offer, I would have accepted your help!!!

My first night with Air Conditioning!!  Woooo hoooooo. It is very hot in the capital right now.  My room is not extremely hot as it faces east (one reason I like the house)  So I turned on the a/c when I crashed about 11 last night.  I turned it off at 7 this morning.  My a/c is set for 24C which is not all that cold but is comfortable to sleep.I also have a ceiling fan.

Before my usage averaged 21 KWH per day (I did the calculation)  that was with almost nothing running.

Yesterday after the change over, I ran my bomba to fill up the tinaco, did a bunch of work type things, drilling, installing etc. AND ran my a/c overnight and I didn't even use 1/2 of my previous consumption.  I will continue to monitor over the next week to make sure what I am using is realistic.

On another note today we are doing some more painting. Friends are coming over and we will paint, and I will make hamburgers and teach my friend Cleo how to bake a cake......... don't get too excited it is out of a box!!!!

Nothing better than a comfy home. Box cakes are great and I use them all the time. A Canadian friend of mine bakes all his cakes from scratch. I think mine taste better because I use the pre made icing.
Just curious, how many gallons is your tinaco? I'm using a 600 gallon blue plastic one that is in the sun all day but the water stays cool. I need to replace it and I haven't been able to find the blue ones anywhere. I'm worried a black one would make the water hot.

I am the queen of boxed cakes....LOL  I am not a cook nor a baker.  I am a single woman looking for a man who cooks!!! LOL

No idea how big my tinaco is, sorry.  It is black and it does heat up,  right now we don't need the hot water heater at all!

I figured black tinacos would make hot water, that's why I bought the blue one and white ones grow algae real fast. Maybe I'll need to build a roof for the tinaco or paint a black one white to reflect the sun since the blck won't let the sun penetrate to make the algae.
In my previous life I owned a restaurant & bar in Cruz Bay, St. John. I don't know many Dominican men who cook but I've always loved cooking.
By the way, I made a typo on Taller Alexis address I meant to type 27de Febrero. So if you put it in another string please change that.

I would think you are correct, black absorbs sun and heats the water.  Hardly ever use my hot water heater for this reason.

I have another problem with my tinaco and bomba system. I should be able to leave my bomba plugged in as there is supposed to be an auto shut off when the tinaco is full. Hmmmmmm not working. I need to have that looked at too.