Squatters or precaristas, as they are known in Costa Rica, can be a real problem.
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Costa Rica Squatters
In Costa Rica squatters have certain rights. The laws that protect them were originally passed to prevent wealthy people from acquiring too much land as in some Latin American countries. Land ownership here is an active process, stop taking care of it and it will go to someone who will.
It is the law!
Costa Rica established their law so that foreigners could not buy large chunks of land and leave it idle as a future investment. They established their law originally so that they didn’t have a large class of people denied land because a few very rich owned it.
Undeveloped land is a prime target for squatter invasions all over the country. Once they establish themselves on your land it is difficult to get rid of them. If they occupy the land for less than a year it is fairly simple to have them removed, especially during the first three months by simply calling the Fuerza Publica. The sooner you get them off the land the fewer problems you will have. After the squatters have been occupying the land for more than a year, the legal process to have them removed is often a long, exhaustive process.
Be careful! After a certain period of time they can claim the land as their own.
Costa Rica’s take on squatters is unique, compared to other countries of the region. For example, in Panama real estate squatters have no legal rights whatsoever. If you buy land in Panama, leave it alone for ten years, and upon your return people are living on it, you can have them removed immediately.
The best way to avoid squatters is preventing them from settling on your land. Visit the land periodically to help prevent people from settling on it. If you cannot live on your property year-round, then you will have to hire a guard, caretaker or a reliable house sitter to watch it for you. If you have a caretaker make sure to obtain a receipt each time you pay them. Have your lawyer or some other person keep an eye on your caretaker. There have been cases where caretakers have tried to squat on land.
Also, make sure boundary fences and limit signs are well maintained and visible. If you have to be an absentee owner, you can also have a friend or attorney stop by to check your property periodically.
There was is a big discussion on the squatters topic in a prominent English-language newspaper in Costa Rica, A.M. Costa Rica. To read the opinions and stories from expats living in Costa Rica, click here.
too bad your mom isn’t here. i would have no problem squatting on her for 3 months!
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You really love my Mom, don’t you?
Good information…be careful with squatters
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You dont know squat!
You would think they would fix this problem. I know what I would do if my house was getting squatted on.
You dont know squat!
You would think they would fix this problem. I know what I would do if my house was getting squatted on.
Wow Jim – I can understand why the law was set up that way. But it must be a real problem if you’re going to be leaving your house empty for a few weeks.
A real pain. You have to get someone trustworthy to house sit, but that’s better than the alternative..
In deed the squatting laws of Costa Rica are much deferent from the other countries.
Some rich people are too greedy that they want to own more than what they have while there are people who have none. The laws are sensible Favored the poor not he rich.
Well said, I wonder what the squatter laws are in Australia?
I my opinion the law stated is fair for both the squatters and the land owners. It is the responsibility of the land owner to guard their property. However If they just leave their land property unattended or unguarded for years it signifies that the land is abandon by the owner. So for me, the law implemented is reasonable enough that the squatters will have the right to own the land that was abandoned for many years.
With Costa Rica being so small, it seems they don’t want people owning land for the future (which I do agree with). There is so much undeveloped land here it’s crazy…
Hey….I should leave the U.S. and become a professional squatter…hehehe
You have to be a Tico ( from Costa Rica) to apply for the squatting laws, unfortunately..