[davidknaus]

Hi Scott,
This is the best article I have read in your news letter to date. The real issues of how to live in Costa Rica.

I am 52 yrs, a Aussie/American, and find myself almost in the same situation as the man ‘Terry’ in your article. I am a retired director of Photography from the film biz.
I own approx $500,000 of real estate in Punta Leona and Purta Viejo. An investment I moved from Australia to Costa Rica when I sold my Australian house. I owned that Aussie house outright 12 years before I married a Tica woman. I was only married for 18 months when I realized that she had married me only for my money. She would not move to Los Angeles where I live, as she had promised and consequently we never even lived together in the same house.
When I seperated from her she filed a domestic violence and pension order against me in C.R. Furthermore, she has put legal ‘liens’ on all my real estate in Costa Rica, claiming she owns 75% of it all, and demanded a $1,000 per month pension. Her family I think have even made false statements against me in support of her claims, and I am begining to realize that this is not the first time they have done this scam. With all this legal action she commenced, she would not file for Divorce, wanting to remain married to me. So I did the divorce process in California, where I live.

Luckily I have not entered Costa Rica for fear of the same Pension prision, but I have not been able to travel to C.R. for the past 4 years. I have a friend who works in immigration, and I know for a fact my name has been on the pension immigration list for 4 years running.

My ex’s lawyers continue to file pension claims against me at different court houses around San Jose when the tempory order expire after 6 months. Yes, this has not even been to court after 4 years, and I am stuck in total legal limbo. I have three lawyers working on the case, but it never goes anywhere, not even to court.

My 21 yr old son from a previous marriage now needs to attend University and I have medical issues but have no health insurance or work, and need to access the investments of my Costa Rican houses, but can not sell them or even visit them.

This is the reality of Costa Rican law that very few gringos are made aware of, and I would like to see more articles on these issues.

Also Scott, is it possible for you to send me any contacts at the TV station that did the interview with Terry? I would very much like to also be interview by them if possible. My ex Tica wife, is actually a make-up artist in the film industry in San Jose making commercials, She does not work in the TV business as such, but is very well known in those circles. Her sister-in-law is one of the better known reporters on Channel 7, and very well respected by the viewing audience. So this type of legal manipulation goes on at all levels believe me.

Thanks …… David Knaus.

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