Costa Rica Expertise LLC

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

Powers of attorney are one of the leading causes of property and other kinds of fraud in Costa Rica. The cases surrounding stealing by means of a power of attorney also are the hardest ones to fight and win. Judges rulings abound where they tell plaintiffs they are out of luck because they gave someone else permission to steal from them. Expats can lose everything to a power of attorney.

Everyone living or doing business in Costa Rica should know the five basic powers of attorney and know when to use them and, most importantly, when not to use them. Many expats give the right to steal to others without even knowing they have done so.

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

In Costa Rica, the law is explicit: tourists should not carry guns or other weapons even though many would like to do so.

According to Costa Rica’s Article 63 of the Ley de Armas y Explosivos, the controlling weapons law, the only exception is made for foreigners who are temporarily entering the country with their weapon(s) for the specific purpose of competition or hunting. Article 50 states a tourist can buy a gun here, but only for use outside of Costa Rica, and the tourist must declare the weapon at customs upon departure. These facts may be particularly disconcerting to those foreigners accustomed to the right to bear arms, or to anyone who has experienced a theft or robbery in Costa Rica.

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