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This is a Public Service Announcement.
Attention Canadian real estate buyers of the Gardens of Dreams project in Jaco as featured at http://www.gardensofdreamscostarica.com being developed by Trevor Chilton a citizen of Canada.
If you are being offered an investment opportunity in this scheme, Canadian buyers should always contact their local investment advisor or the Securities Commission in your own province.
Nearly every province in Canada has a Securities Commission with a searchable data base which shows companies and individuals who have been dealt with in the past by the Commission.
Also due diligence and research should be conducted into the company, its directors and employees. A simple search on the internet can often reveal a lot of information which can then be ** verified by contacting the source directly.**
For example the May 1, 2003 Extending Order which you can see at http://ftp.sfsc.gov.sk.ca/ssc/enforcementorders.shtml
Would you please clarify if this is ‘new’ news or just a repeat of the old news?
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comWhat is the deal with this project, trevor talks a real big game, everyone is an idiot except him. But there is not a real lot happening as far as construction, it is way behind schedule based on info on there website etc..is this for real and since Chilton has bad mouthed so many others, is he or is he not the guy on these web sites?
You obviously know him…
Trevor is a very intelligent human being and I am perplexed that he can be quite so toxic at times. He does not realize this but last year I actually persuaded one of our developer clients not to seek legal counsel about suing him for defamation based on very insulting and defamatory comments that he made in his publicly available newsletter about one of our developer/friend’s project in Jaco.
He also does not realize that some of the prospective clients he has insulted in writing (believe it or not) have forwarded those emails to me… This is a very small country.
He would do well to focus on building his project and not being quite so venomous against his competition because if one his competitors does decide to sue him, he won’t have any time left on his hands to build anything and as we all know the wheels of ‘justice’ in Costa Rica often move very, very, very, very , very slowly.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comLotus, I would suugest you contact Trevor yourself if you want the answers to your questions . Newsletters are sent out and updates are given if you are registered on the website or have met with him in person, which I would suggest anyone do that is interested. I personally have made a decision to invest in his project.
There are so many stories flying around about this guy that I do not know what to think anymore. Here’s what I have heard in the last 3 months from three different sources.
1. Trevor convinced a number of people to invest substantial sums in a ‘high yield’ Greek bond. He is reported to have gone to Europe, met a Greek who was actually from the Sudan, gave the person the money ($2 million) and the Sudanese person has not been seen nor heard of from since?
2. The land for Phase II has not yet been secured other than a hand shake, that the price, terms and conditions have not been agreed to. That Phase 1 land was in the same state and when they went to close, the terms and conditions had changed substantially?
3. The deposits are being placed in a trust controlled by the owner of the land? Is this security for full compliance on the contract for Phase 1. Is the land owned outright?
4. That substantially fewer units have actually been sold vs. committed to professionals (eg. architect) for work done or to investors who have paid full price up front? How many have actually been sold (arms length transactions) vs. committed in lieu of services or interest?
5. That Trevor Chilton fled in the middle of the night from his rental accommodations in Santa Ana which he had been using as a model to show his prospective clients what his own project would look like, and after not having given notice as per the lease and Costa Rican law, not having paid his last month’s rent, not having paid his electrical bills, and leaving with things which were not his to take, and all this after having broken into the locked premises?
6. He then engaged in a poison pen campaign commenting on things about which he knew little, commenting on property management – owner issues from the position of tenant, imparting either wrong information or substantially incomplete information which could lead the reader to an incorrect conclusion, and whose vitriolic prose and personal attacks were so offensive that several of the recipients told him to cease and desist and to eliminate them from his distribution list, while he, at the same time had breached the lease agreement which he had signed and had been a tenant under for numerous months.
7. That a side arrangement with a person who had helped design certain elements of the Jaco project ended with very different understandings of the original agreement and certainly bad feelings?
8. Trevor does not have any nor has anyone ever known him to have, nor has he ever been clear about his source of income in Costa Rica.
9. What monies paid for the lease at Los Jardines?
10. What money paid for his Mercedes SUV which is a $75,000 car in Costa Rica?
11. I have been told by more than one person that they have verified that the Enforcement Branch, Securities Division of the Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission in Canada is VERY interested in speaking with Trevor Chilton about some serious irregularities.
12. Is history, or the accusation of history repeating itself here? Is this Saskatchewan all over again?
13. I believe I heard that Michael and Trevor had between themselves, $60K in this project. So how are they continuing to live? I believe they said that their living expenses were factored into the pro forma. Who’s monitoring this?
Can you verify any of this Scott?
I do not know what car Trevor Chilton drives, where he got the money to buy it from or where he bought it and have never visited his project so can’t speak from experience about what he’s doing there.
However, since 4/5 of our VIP Members bought homes in the same project where he once rented in Santa Ana – I can verify that 5 & 6 are correct.
The Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission is clearly interested in speaking with Trevor about something serious but although I have spent time on that site, it is not clear what that problem is so I have no idea if “history is repeating itself.’
If anyone on this thread knows Trevor personally perhaps they could ask him to please address this issue here in this forum because it does not seem to want to go away and the more this question is left ‘up in the air’ the more people will wonder.
Our goal with this site is help educate and protect real estate investors however, we also do not wish to make any false accusations against anybody.
I have also been the target of slanderous and defamatory allegations in the past which we have proven in writing to be completely false and instead of us all guessing what the problem ‘might’ be, we would like to offer Trevor Chilton the same opportunity to explain what this problem with the Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission is all about.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comThe latest word on the project is still waiting for the permits. Does any one know how long the permit process takes for a development of that size takes in Costa Rica?
TomMy Cousin knew nothing about construction. He was a accountant that knew nursing homes and how to operate them to show a profit. He partnered with some one who knew construction and built two nursing homes which were sold for a 8 million dollar profit here in New York. My point is this, If the business plan is sound, It can be built with the right people and regardless of prior experience.
Your cousin needs to come down here bulishbear, nursing homes or ‘elder care’ – whatever you wnat to call it, is an ENORMOUS market that nobody is even thinking about…
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comIt is my understanding that there was a delay because he was waiting for approval for the first bio filter sewage treatment system in Costa Rica, which he now has. Trevor is developing a very unique eco-friendly project . I expect it will take longer than usual to complete, but it will be worth the wait.
I agree, I bought in such a project. But the “right people” is the key phrase here.If you are a competent builder/developer you will have secured all permits before you start building, and if you are really a first class, fully funded operation you will have all those permits in hand before taking anyones money. Or at least give full disclosure regarding the permitting process, assuming you understand it(which you should if you are representing yourself as a competent builder) so there are no big surprises down the road. The most difficult permit to obtain is the enviromental study that must be approved by SETENA before any building can begin, so this should be had well in advance of any planned construction. I am told it takes no more than 6 months if everything is in order, you’re not in a wetland area etc..but this is Costa Rica so if there are any snags or you build with out the permit and get cought they will shut you down and then it can get ugly and mean big delays. So before buying anywhere the first question to ask if you are expecting to build a house on your lot or want to move into that condo sooner than later is “Have you received the final permit from SETENA”, not just a all the preliminary reports are positive…very critical. The municipal permits are relatively easy compared to this big one as there are only a few inspectors for the entire country with I think 3 cars for SETENA.
I have also committed to a unit in the Phase 1 part of the project with Trevor Chilton and Michael Pawluk.
The latest news is that they have only permisos for the first building and expect to get the last one…..a foundation permit next week. Phase 11 is definitely not going forward. I think it is important for us investors to keep in communication. I have contacted the Saskatchewan Securities commission for further clarification. I will keep this site posted with any information I receive.
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