There is no government regulations to put WARNING signs on Electric Fences.
When I was a kid, I went dove hunting with my dad and his friends, who also brought along their sons. As we were walking the fields, we came upon a fence with a sign, WARNING ELECTRIC FENCE.
One of the older sons, pointed to me, “Yeah, kid, go touch that fence” with the warning sign, ” it’s just a fake sign … see the bird sitting on the wire.” Being naive at the time, I touched it and literary got the shock of my life. I was told later (after a round of laughs) the reason birds don’t get shock, is because they are not grounded.
In Costa Rica, electrified fences are becoming the cheap source of security in many residential communities and private homes, however, unlike the U.S., there is no government regulations as to their use or requirements to post any signs or warnings.
In other words, no permits are required by any government agency to erect an electrified fence, anyone can put unregulated amount of high voltage and amperage passing through the metal wires. María Luisa Ávila, the Ministra de Salud (Health ministry), explains that she could not find any regulation governing electrified fences. Nor can officials of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) find any such regulation.
With that said, there has been several deaths in the last couple of months, where the fence has been accidentally touched, causing death. And with the increase of people trying to protect themselves, no doubt, this death rate will continue to increase if the government does not step in and make some sort of laws and bylines on the installation of electrified fences.
More and more farmers are using the electric fence - but are installed with no Warning signs as you seen above
The main problem is that many of these electrified fences are installed by persons without the faintest bit of electrical knowledge. It does not matter if it is in the high populate area of San Jose to protect against crime, or the rural areas, to protect ones pastures. Fences of this nature are fairly easy to install, all it takes is some wire, insulators, and of course a power supply.
U.S laws require any electrical fence to have voltage/power regulators. The shock may range from uncomfortable (like mine was) to painful or even lethal, like ones that surround prison yards. Most electric fencing used is for agricultural fencing and other forms of animal control purposes and illegal to use in many residential areas. Also with a regulator, it can allow the current to be delivered in impulses, thus reducing the chance of a person of being electrocuted accidentally.
The second problem, according to Andrés Madrigal, medical director of the Bomberos (fire department), told La Nación in an interview that many of the electrified fences are installed to kill, with up to a whooping 10,000 volts passing through the wires.
When talking to a few accounts last week, they have seen a huge rise in the construction of electric fences in the upscale residential areas of Santa Ana, Escaza and San Rafael.
One person, who lives in a planned community, said a few months ago, the HOAs voted to install these fences after a series of robberies, and construction will be starting on it sometime in April.
Wellness has become very popular in Costa Rica
During the last several years, a new generation of vacationers has been demanding more from hotels than ever before, and a new type of travel is rising in popularity.
This new group of travelers desires more than before from their vacation, and so the tourism sector is providing many options, such as hotels and resorts with Yoga and focus on health at their core.
Yoga, Wellness Centers and Medical Tourism are becoming a great alternative throughout tropical climates like Costa Rica and Hawaii.
Costa Rica’s popular tourist towns, such as Santa Teresa or Montezuma usually have many places to practice yoga, with more added yearly, and these yoga retreat centers compete for which can have the most calming and relaxing place to practice.
Boutique Hotels such as Anamaya in Montezuma, Latitude-10 in Santa Teresa, or La Cusinga Eco Lodge in Dominical, now usually have a yoga deck with an ocean view. This type of tropical space for practicing yoga is very photogenic, which helps a hotel attract new customers, since so many travelers primarily use photos from internet sites to pick their accommodations.
Since so many teachers of yoga have come to Costa Rica for yoga retreats, some have fallen in love with the country and some have stayed permanently. Now some work at various hotels in Costa Rica, or offer private classes.
Thanks to this, many beach towns in Costa Rica that are popular with travelers have a variety of yoga options. The surf towns especially, such as Santa Teresa, often have many choices of Yoga. And frequently, while the guys surf, the women do yoga.
A healthy vacation at to a Wellness Center also most often includes yoga as well. These centers give their customers the ability to relax, eat healthier food, do internal cleansing, meditation, and nutritional counseling.
The guests attending a Wellness retreat discover that when they return to their home, they are not only rested, but they are happier because of their increased energy, and the changes in their lifestyle can last far beyond their vacation.
Many new wellness retreats focus specifically on cleansing, and usually begin with fasting. This is followed by a restricted diet of healthy organic foods such as fruits and vegetables, sometimes raw.
Colonic cleansing, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, sauna, and other important treatments that focus on encouraging the body to detoxify are an integral part of the program. There are also some yoga positions that squeeze the internal organs and thus help in purifying the entire body.
Clients at these wellness programs report changes such as having more energy, improved sleep, clearer skin and clearer eyes.
When fantasizing about your next vacation to Costa Rica, you can research a few of the wellness and detox centers instead of the standard hotel chain. As with so many other travelers who have visited these places, you will most likely return happier and healthier.
Article by Geoff McCabe who is a recognized authority on green travel and Costa Rica. Visit him at Yoga and Wellness Retreats
Santa Teresa beach was voted one of the top ten beaches in the world by Forbes Magazine.
Welcome to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: Malpais and Santa Teresa, known for their rugged jungle beauty, unforgettable sunsets, and especially the epic surf in Santa Teresa. The area has also become known as a hot spot for amazing cuisine in Costa Rica, since many amazing chefs have moved here from different parts of the world.
The instant you arrive in Santa Teresa and Malpais, you’ll find a very special place, quite unlike most other beach towns in Costa Rica. This town has been compared with Hawaii 40 years go, or the beach towns of California, but with monkeys, warm water, and friendly locals.
Despite the fact that word has discovered Santa Teresa and Malpais in recent years, the area still has gorgeous beaches that are uncrowded, as well as secret waterfalls with warm water pools surrounded by jungle canopy, and surf spots with no one there.
Santa Teresa and Malpais are two small beach towns that are run together and create one incredible spot for surfing. Malpais is more rocky, but Santa Teresa is primarily sandy surfing beaches with warm, clean water and year round epic waves. The area has many surf schools, camps, and instructors who make their living here.
There are many tourists from Europe and South America … not just the U.S. and Canada, and many have stayed in the area, opening up a variety of hotels and restaurants. The food in Santa Teresa is beyond belief for such a small place. Many five-star chefs have set up their own restaurants in Santa Teresa, and they consistently produce incredible food.
Santa Teresa has also become very popular as a surf destination from within Costa Rica itself, and many Costa Ricans visit the area on weekends and holidays. The name Malpais translates directly as “bad country” but in fact is better translated as “badlands” because the area’s rivers dry up during the rainy season, making it inhospitable to cattle and farmers. But now, there are many wells drilled in the area, providing water to the citizens of Santa Teresa.
Santa Teresa, Costa Rica offers a variety of luxurious villas and vacation rental homes. The most consistently popular are the beachfront homes, which always fulfill the tropical beach fantasies of their rental clients. These range from $350 to $2000 per night, although there are a few cheaper options. Even the highest price vacation rental houses are frequently booked, and many celebrities and movie stars have been seen here escaping the cameras of the paparazzi. This may be because Forbes Magazine voted the beaches of Santa Teresa to be among the top ten most beautiful in the world.
Renting a villa for vacation, as opposed to staying in a hotel, has become very popular, and is growing. Many travelers have discovered that they can have more space and privacy for less money, and they enjoy the unique nature of each home. There are a variety of architectural styles among the rental houses in the Santa Teresa and Malpais villages, something to suit the taste of everyone.
The hotels of the area are unique and mostly mom-and-pop type of places. The beachfront hotels are the most popular, ranging from $100-$1000 per night for a room, and the rooms of all price categories are frequently booked. The gorgeous setting of Santa Teresa makes it very popular with honeymooners, and for people having weddings, and many of the rental houses and hotels cater to such clientelle.
Article submitted by Geoffrey McCabe from Santa Teresa Vacation Home and Rental, please visit his website for your vacation home and rental needs.
Ocean View Property
Costa Rica is nowhere different than any other country when it comes to real estate. In the early 2000s the hype of the countries cheap property, relaxing and eco-friendly environments sparked a real estate boom. And like the U.S, when the market busted several year ago, it threw many investors and home buyers into a world of financial ruin. Investments vanished when buyers gave huge sum’s to real estate developers for their dream home, and when the project failed, many realized they had no claim to the property, because they were never any titles or deeds of trust recorded listing them as owners.
Costa Rican civil law being what it is, has little recourse to the unsuspecting. In other words, it has always be a “Buyer Beware,” type of system. The judicial systems of Costa Rica is very costly, time consuming and still based on Napoleonic Law. “No Blood Drawn, No Cause for Action.” However, they do have a consumer law that has helped many.
Recently AM Costa Rica (a very respected newspaper) listed many failed developments, where in some cases purchasers and buyers were forced to take personal action where some has to reinvest into the project to get it built and hire attorneys for deeds of trusts. In once case, the developer told the buyers to move into their condos and claim squatters rights.
In the case of the Playas del Coco project, around $3 million was given to the developer by buyers who made deals to purchase condos. Some buyers paid up to 90 percent of the purchase price. The contract called for an escrow agent to release the money to the developer as specific stages in construction were reached, like when the foundation was installed, the developer got X percent of the escrowed amount. In other words the developer was constructing the project with the buyers’ money although they did not have an ownership interest in the condos yet.
So as the buyers tell it, when the developer defaulted on a loan with a state bank, the bank foreclosed, leaving buyers out in the cold. Some said they were unaware of the bank action for months.
Unfortunately, when bad press goes out, it hurts the honest and hard working developer. There are many good real estate agents and developers in Costa Rica. Many of these failed projects are caused by flawed business plans, scam artists, and lack of basic research, like hiring an attorney to do the due-diligent. A 400-$500 investment can save you a lifetime of headaches.
Recently, Leo Plumley who is the Owner/Developer of the Tres Regalos Beach Club and Condominiums in Jacó Beach wrote to AM Costa Rica, and listed some buyer and investment tips when it comes to real estate.
- Is the property that you are building on paid for in full and do you own it?
- Do you have at least 50 percent of the capital needed to build the project? And please provide me with proof that it is in the country and set aside for the project.
- If you have a bank construction loan, is the property held in trust with a reputable trustee? Can I please have a copy of the trust agreement? Does the trust agreement provide for the release of title for each condominium with the pay down of a portion of the construction loan? This will protect the title of the buyers who have closed on their condominiums if the developer defaults on the balance of the construction loan. This is one of the most important questions buyers can ask a developer. If they don’t get the answers to these questions, I suggest they run out of the office with their hands firmly on their wallets.
- Is the developer/real estate person making promises regarding future rental occupancy? Is he showing you pro form a cash flow projections that predict that all of your mortgage payments, HOA fees, electric cost, cable cost, insurance cost and property taxes are going to be funded by your rental stream? Sound too good to be true? Well it is.
I mention this because there are slick developers where they made just such promises to trick innocent folks into purchasing their condominiums. What do you think are the chances of these promises coming true? How about 10,000 to 1 against it.
Yes, there are unscrupulous business people all over the world, and there seems to be no shortage of trusting investors willing to part with their hard-earned money without doing their homework. This problem is not isolated to Costa Rica.
Your article makes it sound like there are no honest developers here on the beach. There are developers who are delivering on their promises and completing their contractual obligations. Developers who consider the monies advanced to them as a scared trust. Developers who long ago abandoned the idea of lofty profits and are now concentrating on repaying their loans, finishing their projects as promised, and delivering the best product possible.
These developers will be easy to find, they are on the property, willing to answer any and all questions, and they are more than happy to provide the legal documents and proof to back up their statements and promises.
We are looking for long-term buyers, discouraging the speculators, open to the folks who have worked hard all of their lives, and as they approach retirement are looking for the same thing that brought us here to Costa Rica in the first place: A chance to enjoy this fabulous country and special people, the clear skies, the warm deep blue ocean waters, the scarlet macaws, parrots, toucans, monkeys, the emerald green rain forest, and the fabulous climate.
Yes there are many honest and respected developers here, and we are easy to find.
Leo Plumley
Owner/Developer
Tres Regalos Beach Club and Condominiums, Jacó Beach
Retire in Costa Rica
Santa Ana, San Jose and Heredia on Investment
Costa Rica Real Estate Fraud
Buying Property In Costa Rica – Taxes, Capital Gains, Corporation
Residency cards are required for application to show proof of insurance
Starting Monday, a new requirement for foreign residents (expats or permanent residents), must show proof of insurance from the government Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social. Often cited as a reason for the country’s stability over recent decades, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social is the safety net for health care and pensions. Permanent residents are foreigners who can legally work.
There are two categories of insurance coverage available to individuals not on a formal payroll, Independent Worker and Voluntary Insurance.
Independent workers or self-employment coverage is for individuals with economic activity of any sort. Legally any foreigner with such activity should be enrolled with the Caja, regardless of immigration status. There is an additional workman’s comp insurance that is also required, but is not administered by the Caja.
Voluntary insurance is meant for those not engaged in active work, living from income property, pensions, retirement plans like 401Ks, investments, etc. The voluntary will effect many retirees that are living in Costa Rica and who have been granted residency based on their income.
What this does is, once registered, the only way to stop paying is to be put on a payroll at a formal business. A foreign who works as an employee does not have to pay, his or her company does.
Once resisted and in reality or theory, the Caja then can file a claim against the debtor’s property and income if they have not paid. Both types cover immediate family members, including spouse, minor children living under the same roof, and adult children up to age 25 who are full-time students. However, if you have a pre-existing condition, it is not covered for the first six months.
HOW MUCH WILL THE CAJA COST?
- Independent workers with monthly income of 200,000 colones about 21,000 colones. Independent workers with monthly income of 500,000, about 60,000 colones.
- Voluntary Insurance program with monthly income of 600,000 colones ($1000US) or about $36.00US. Voluntary Insurance program with monthly income of 1,500,000 ($2500US), colones, about 71000 ($130.00US) colones.
The new law also says insurance must be maintained “from the moment residency is granted, in an uninterrupted manner until the moment the card is renewed.” As the Costa Rican Constitution prohibits the retroactive application of law, the requirement presumably takes effect on March 1, 2010.
Well what is this going to do?
Well first, it is no secret that many have abused the medical system. With that said, it will save the government lot and lots of colones. As for the resident, still a lot cheaper than that of the U.S.
Editors Note: To apply for voluntary insurance, the first step is to identify and/or go the clinic that is closest to your location. There, you will get a piece of paper called a Carné de Seguro Sociala. This is where you fill out the application, which is very simple, like name, address, proof of residency, and of course source of income and how much. Afterwords, the clinic personal will submit it – then, sometime soon, you get to start paying your monthly insurance bill.
