Costa Rica Expertise LLC

Category: Maritime-Terrestrial Zone

01/14/08

07:33:46 am, Categories: Costa Rica's Legal System, Property and Real Estate, Taxes, Property Values, Maritime-Terrestrial Zone, Property Taxes, Living in Costa Rica, 821 words

From Dream Home to Kindling: Hint of Things to Come

Beach house before destruction order.

Beach house is on its way down!

By Garland M. Baker
Special to A.M. Costa Rica

If they have property in the maritime zone, expats can look forward to a hard time this year from municipalities up and down the coasts. If that is not enough stress for 2008, the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía will be in line to add more tension. Some expats may be losing their comfy beach houses if they are located in the wrong places.

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10/01/07

04:51:08 am, Categories: Property and Real Estate, Business Operations, Property Values, Property Protection, Maritime-Terrestrial Zone, 804 words

Curve Ball From Registro Makes This Man a Hostage

Officials there brush off complaints about delays

By Garland M. Baker
Special to A.M. Costa Rica

In more and more cases, buying property in Costa Rica can hold an innocent property buyer hostage for years, bankrupt them and even kill them with stress and strain.

Only a few years ago, it was rare to read about property fraud in the local press. Nowadays, it is probably one of the most important topics of the news. Sometimes even a legally perfect property can carry hidden problems. Costa Ricans and savvy expats can use these complications to sour even the best and honest real estate transaction.

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09/03/07

02:22:23 pm, Categories: Property and Real Estate, Property Values, Maritime-Terrestrial Zone, 725 words

Sala IV Likely to Ashcan Discriminatory Beach Rule

By Garland M. Baker
Special to A.M. Costa Rica

Legal circles are buzzing with the expectation that the Sala IV will soon open up the Zona Maritima Terrestre — the maritime zone — to foreigners. They may soon be able to hold and develop public land next to the beach without making under-the-table deals.

The first 200 meters, 656 feet, of coastal land inland from high tide is Costa Rica’s maritime zone. The first 50 meters of the 200 meters, 164 feet, is un-exploitable beach land. The rest, 150 meters, 492 feet, is public land. This area can be developed by private parties through a concession with the state.

Much of the nation's tourism infrastructure at the beaches can be found at least partly on concession land.

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09/18/06

12:03:36 pm, Categories: Property and Real Estate, Maritime-Terrestrial Zone, 834 words

Envionment Ministry About to Show Its Muscles

Beach concessions to face enforcement

By Garland M. Baker
Special to A.M. Costa Rica

The environmental ministry is about to specify where construction can go within the borders of beach concessions.

Even though an individual or a firm may already have an approved concession, the ministry is ready to rule out construction in forest land, land with steep slopes and wetlands.

And the ministry may initiate destruction of structures that already have been built on land that is now being declared off limits. In some concession areas 60 to 70 percent of the land is being safeguarded by the environmental ministry.

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07/03/06

03:18:27 pm, Categories: Property and Real Estate, Property Values, Maritime-Terrestrial Zone, 854 words

Big Changes Taking Place in Maritime Rules

Slope of land can kill projects

By Garland M. Baker
Special to A.M. Costa Rica

There are some surprises in motion in the maritime zone. Few people are aware of them today. Foreign ownership restrictions are being challenged. And the environmental ministry appears to be preventing development because it rules that some land is too steep.

So an investment into planning parcels for concession may be money wasted.

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