Nicaragua 🇳🇮 Property Seizure Concerns

[@knowshedoesnotknow]

Hey Scott! You truly provide an invaluable service. Just visited Nicaragua for the first time a couple of weeks ago and found it to be absolutely incredible! Looking forward to transitioning over the next year. Although I am sure you have covered this topic in the past, could you describe what might be a prudent strategy for managing one's money between the U.S. and Nicaragua, i.e., how much to keep where, best way to transfer money, credit/debit cards, safeguards, etc. In another video, you might wish to talk about whether seniors should keep their US Medicare coverage in tact or just go with the Nicaraguan health care system [public or private]. Thanks, and keep up the great work!

[@maryw.3440]

Your knowledge is priceless!! Thank you!!!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I appreciate that! Thank you!

[@screamlab]

True story, I've been thru the process in the Nicaraguan civil court system. Purchased an abandoned property, claim made against the sale. We won. The process was quite transparent. Took a long time tho! 5y to resolve.

[@marilucorracini550]

GREAT VIDEO SCOTT!! You have done your homework! It's a pleasure to listen to you as usual. Enjoy your weekend!!!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thank you very much.

[@Rkamp1]

You are wealth of information. Thank you for excellent content.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I appreciate that!

[@enough1494]

Poor Murica, lol. In Puerto Rico only up in the hills is old family land and the south and south west coast…other wise US government land or turism investments. Thw very top of El Yunque is now closed, we can not hike up to the top as of about 20 yrs ago. Crazy!!! No more flat rock! I sold mother’s rice farm in central Louisiana a few yrs back, just in time!!! Yup, they come in to lay lines, post, pipe lines what ever they want, any time! It was mother’s great grandfathers land, we sold it out of the family. But, up in the PR hills it is written, not to be sold out…it must remain as a family farm thru the generations…the Barrio has our last name…..those days we were all poor, and lived together wether land owner or not, the workers and helpers and theirs kids lived in the farms. Abuelo educated four of the kids I played with. No, not the slave thing! Great, great video!!! Sending to my eldest son! Jijiji 🙌😉😂😂

[@enough1494]

Excellent video! Been gone a bit got to catch up! Hugs to the girls and dogos! 🙌💕

[@RobertWilliams-mb9jb]

Very interesting. While both Nicaragua and Costa Rica use the Napoleonic concept of law, I personally know of property seizures in Costa Rica, on commercial property. But in the cases I know of, the property was seized due to the owner being engaged in illegal activity, such as dealing in drugs. Costa Rica has the power of eminent domain, as in the US. And then there is something called "squatters rights" in Costa Rica. I have known of people, gringos, who have lost their property do to "squatters" possessing the property while the owner was in absentia. To protect property rights in Costa Rica, property owners should pay property taxes on time, maintain their property, and have proper fences and boundaries. Regular property maintenance shows that the property is actively used and cared for. Having fences and boundaries can deter squatters from occupying the property. It is also important to address any issues promptly, such as encroachments or boundary disputes, to prevent legal conflicts.

[@tykellerman6384]

Another good one Scott thanks🤠👍

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks 👍

[@williamdee8483]

Bravo Scott, well said...

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks!

[@amyb8417]

I just answered this question exactly the same way. You have more chances of having your US land seized by the US government than I do in Nicaragua. Not to mention the other dangers that exist just for living in the USA. Thank you awesome video 🙏

[@schoolnyc]

I heard from two people that they had property taken, did not give any details. Also read recently they seized a motel in SJDS, but the unclear article did mention that it was seized due to the owner not following written agreements.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Oh you'll get endless "it happened to me" without any details. No shortage of "it can happen to you too!" stories... but never will they answer as to "why" it was taken. And what motel in SJDS? I hear that stuff constantly and when I check, the motel either never existed, or is not seized. It's easy to say it happens because Americans imagine these big places where unnamed properties can be alluded to, but the reality is that there are like five hotels and if they don't name it, it's made up. Everyone knows every hotel. Bottom line, if they don't give details, it's made up. Because everyone who is actually from here knows that it sounds made up if they don't verify without prompting that they truly owned the place and didn't do something that makes it sensible to have been taken. So no honest story would be told without the necessary details to not make it sound fake.

[@JustMeAndThePoodles]

About to go down a Vanderbilts in Nicaragua rabbit hole over here 😁.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

It's really interesting stuff.

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

What's your take on commercial mining property in Nicaragua, is it generally safe from government seizure? I've heard this is a big issue in Panama.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Everything is safe from government seizure. But be aware that Americans are forbidden from being involved in gold mining in Nicaragua. It's a federal law in the US.

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

@ScottAlanMillerVlog No problem, I'm not interested in, nor have the money to start a gold mine anyways. But now I know not to buy stocks in an American one if it were to start in Nicaragua!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Jaja, yeah, don't do that! Any American working in gold mines, or investing, or anything, is subject to seizure of their property IN THE US. @@NeonAnimeDreams

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog That's so crazy! 🤪

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@NeonAnimeDreams and because of it lots of little places privately approach US investors because big ones can't. but it's crazy illegal (in the US). In Nicaragua it's completely legal.

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

I was never that concerned about this in most of latin America. However I was very concerned that squatters rights were higher in these places. Could you touch on whether or not my property in Nicaragua or other central American countries will be safe if I leave the country for so many months and then come back? What happens if a squatter moves in? How long does it take to evict them? Can you even evict them?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I covered squatters rights just a few days ago. Squatters exist in most of the world, but it's VERY hard to squat in Nicaragua. Squatting requires many, many years AND requires physical improvements to the property. The idea that squatters just break into your house and kick you out is purely a European thing. I don't know of anyone outside of Europe, and mostly just the UK and its former colonies, where squatter rights are a big deal. No one worries about that here, it's not a problem, at all.

[@NeonAnimeDreams]

@ScottAlanMillerVlog Thanks just watched it. Nicaragua seems pretty good then. It's odd so many people from the US claim these central American countries have such squater problems but then they don't look in thier own backyard. Because you're right, a squater could theoretically take over your vacation home in the US, it seems to happen more in the NE than else where but it does happen and its not always so easy to get your property back especially if they've been living there for a year or more.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yes ,I'm from NY originally and squatters are a real concern. But nothing like they are in, say, London. But here in Nicaragua... I've never heard anyone talk about a squatter ever. Even the term doesn't really exist because in order to effectively "squat" you have to seriously invest. Neighbors have to know you, you have to really move in and make it a home and invest in the property. You have to behave like an owner for an insane amount of time to have any claim.

[@jillianfreyman6325]

So well informed and well put😊

[@RobertWilliams-mb9jb]

It is very true that property can be taken in the US via imminent domain, for the public good. However, gas, oil, mineral, water and air rights are separate from ownership of the land. One may own 100% of such rights, or they may own the land without any of these rights. For instance if a property owner does not any of the oil rights, and there is oil underground, an oil company does not pay the property owner any royalty. The royalty (one barrel in eight) goes to whomever owns the oil rights. To give an example, in the state of Florida the drilling of an oil well is limited to one every quarter section (160 acres). I own 20 acres in SW Florida with 1/2 of the gas, oil and mineral rights. If an oil exploration company came and negotiated leases all the oil rights on the entire quarter section, they may drill an exploratory well. If oil was struck, one barrel in eight would go collectively to those who owned the oil rights for the one quarter section (160 acres), irrespective of who owned the land. In my case, I own 1/2 of the oil rights on 1/8 of the quarter section, so my royalty would be 1/16 of every eighth barrel produced. The purchase of air rights is very common in urban areas, particularly over commercial property. One could sell a parcel of land, say reserving the air rights over 15 feet of natural ground level. The purchaser of the property might build a single story commercial building. And then maybe five years later the property owner decided to add a second floor, which would exceed the 15 feet limit Before the second floor second floor was added, the property owner would have to go back to the owner of the air rights, and negotiate a price. I personally knew the man, who after World War II, purchased the air rights over the streets and railroads in the City of Atlanta. Many thought this was bazaar at the time. However, the man died a millionaire, many times over.

[@miguelguzman5666]

OMG...get on with it! I thought this was about land sensores in Nicaragua!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

It is, and there aren't any. So what are you looking for?

[@giantsmanagement]

Scott you are so dead on- we in North America fear foreign governments so much when there has never been any recorded incidents of a Latin American government adversely treating it’s foreign residents. Our own governments have a long track record of taking our land

[@toddmaek5436]

THANK YOU for saying the American CONTINENT!!!!

[@MikeyMike305.]

Hey Scott, thanks for this video. I did not see it before I posted this question to you earlier today lol :(

[@christopherhouse7937]

Scott, What are property taxes in Nicaragua compared to neighboring countries? Do you pay more or less taxes. How often do you pay property taxes in Nicaragua, and what is the process or way to pay taxes on your property in Nicaragua. 🇳🇮

[@marilucorracini550]

Thanks!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thank you! Very much appreciated.

[@michaelwinter2684]

How long can you go without paying property tax on vacant land in Nica? With covid travel restrictions people could not get there for several years..??

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Probably forever, which is a major problem. But you can always pay remotely. Nothing requires you to be in country. COVID isn't an issue for anyone as far as paying bills here. Not like you pay in person.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Nicaragua also never closed for COVID. I was coming and going at the high of COVID issues and actually moved here during the Delta peak.

[@evresort]

Property being frozen/seized is very real. Ask anyone who owns in hacienda iguana and have not been able to sell in over 2 years because of pgr "immobilization" be careful people

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I think we need some details. Iguana is a private area so you get all kinds of problems from that. In what way are things frozen? What's the claim? In many cases expats buy from other expats and no one got a good title and then they find out that they never owned the property. But that's not seizure.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I see and hear constant advertisements for sale from there. That's all fake? All kinda fake, obviously. But you're saying that the entire development can't be bought or sold? What's "pgr immobilization"? We always warn that buying in private communities, especially if owned by expats, is super risky. Is this related to that?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

In most places, people haven't been able to sell in two years because there are no buyers. Playa Pacifica has that issue, they've dropped the prices like crazy and still, no one is interested. Just no buyers on the market (and no internet out there because it's blocked by the crazy expat owners.)

[@evresort]

Hacienda is long established, longer than most developments. Established developments were always a safer way to purchase with proven title chain. However political situations in developments and towns trumps a good title chain. Pgr has more control now and obtaining a CNO is required even when not near the ocean or the typical 200m tide line. If property can be frozen in a well, long established community, it can happen to anyone

[@evresort]

I've long believed in nica, owning property myself, but as with any gamble in life, don't gamble more than you can afford to loose people, and you will be ok, just my 2 cents. I'm sure time will correct it all

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

Wait so are you saying Nicaragua can take your property if you don't pay your taxes? Because it's absolutely not like that in Mexico, in Mexico it doesn't matter how many years you don't pay your property taxes they can not take your house or land, it's just not permitted.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Wow, that's a big negative for Mexico. I can't believe anyone has "no way" to protect the public good like that. It's horrible to have a way to just steal from the public like that.

[@hoppeanofasgard1365]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Actually I like it that way, because why pay if you're not there. That being said there are consequences for not paying, for instance they prevent you from selling your home until all taxes are paid. But what's nice about it is you can negotiate the payments down and usually end up with something less. All that being said I just pay because I don't want to deal with the hassle latter on, but I know some that prefer it the other way. But more to the point, I find it disgusting when I hear governments can take your property. If Nicaragua can do that I wont be investing there, and it's not at all to pick on Nicaragua, I don't own property in the US anymore once property taxes got so high I just said I'm out of here and didn't look back because if I ever was in a pinch, which I was a few times, I knew I could lose my home, so don't say I'm singling out Nicaragua because I'm not. By the way if I'm not mistaken I think Switzerland has better property rights than the US too in this regard, probably better than Nicaragua too.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Are you honestly telling me that if you start a business in Mexico, you don't pay people, you are stealing from the people and the government... that they won't eventually start seizing your property? I bet they will. And if the government doesn't do it officially, I bet your property without taxes paid is easy pickings for the cartels. If you are honestly doing an investment decision, there's no way Nicaraguan's insanely strong property ownership is going to even blip on your radar. The problem in Nicaragua, and it is a BIG problem, is the LACK of seizing of property. There is empty and abandoned property all over the country because people are so confident that it'll never be seized.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You can't lose your homestead in Texas from non-payment of taxes. But non-payment of income tax of your employees or employment fraud, they can take anything.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

"Why pay if you're not there." < Because what does you being there have to do with the taxes? If you buy a car, but don't drive it one day, and you decide to stop making your car payments, do you get upset when they reclaim your car? "I wasn't driving it" has nothing to do with ownership. "Why pay if you're not there" is for renters, not owners. If that's your thought process, why not just rent? As an investment, you being there isn't a factor at all.

[@MM-hq3li]

Guys why buy when rent is so cheap?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

People also say the opposite, why rent when buying is so cheap. But you are right, people should enjoy renting far more than they do.

[@Peace4179]

Disappointing... I clicked on this to do some research on what's going on with land seizures in Nicaragua right now and why several Americans i know were forced to sell their property in Nicaragua recently to locals to avoid it being seized. Found no accurate information, only weird twisted logic. It's dangerous to live in a state of denial of reality and make up your own truth that you prefer to believe. I personally don't see the point or benefit to that. I thought maybe I'd find someone that could tell me factually what's going on and whether it's happening to private individuals, but it seems like there's no answer to any questions, just skirting the issue and redirecting to other unrelated topics and theories. Can anyone point me to a reliable source?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

"disappointed" to find out that your "friends" made it up? give us the addresses seized and we'll pull the ownership records for you

[@Peace4179]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog I didn't say their land was seized, I said they sold it because they were advised to before it gets seized. I would be happy to find out it's not a danger, as I would love to buy property there as well. I lived there for 4 years and love the country and people. But I know also from my experience there that the dictator does what he wants and there's no actual law because he can break it whenever he wants to. So I was just hoping to find facts on whether it has happened to private American individuals that don't involve themselves with the government, but didn't see any facts on that. I guess I probably mostly answered my own question - if a dictator is in power and there are no checks and balances, it's always just going to be risky because anything could happen.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@Peace4179 then how is my info wrong? they were tricked

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@Peace4179 you did find out it wasn't a danger. you found out it was fake news and you clearly stated you were "disappointed". but line - if your story is true then your friends were conned plain and simple. and you posted as if the risk were true when anyone with passing familiarity with nicaragua knows it is not. so you are actively sowing false information and trying to pretend you actually want to learn something but were unhappy when you found out the situation was actually a good one. you'd have to be a serious idiot to fall for a scam like that in nicaragua. if you own land here you have the resources to know this isn't a risk and the experience to know it and the experience that con artist are everywhere trying to trick gringos out of their land with fake stories like this.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@Peace4179 get me the i go in the so called advisors. they should be turned over to the police if they are sowing false fear to fleece gullible foreigners of their lands.

[@DjThoR..]

Hello.. do you know why the government doesn’t allow the Miss universe back in the country.. I don’t understand why they are not using this to promote the country. She can help the Nica tourism sector big time. I was hoping to see big celebration all around the country and get drunk on toña 😂😂😂

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I really have no idea. I was in Bolivia when she won. beauty pageants aren't something I really follow. Honestly, Miss Universe does little to promote anything normally. If there wasn't controversy about this one, no one would remember it at all. Maybe that's the whole point, make it something to remember, lol. Who was Miss Universe last year, did it do anything for her country? No one knows.

[@maribelcalens6514]

It is false statement. The government has not denied the entrance to Miss Universe. She will go to Nicaragua when the time is right dictated by the Miss Universe Organization.

[@attentioncestpaslegal7847]

I think a source of the fear comes from the removal of citizenship and property seizures of (more than 222?) people, since 2018.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Regardless of whether or not such a claim is true, I know of no example of it being true, it's just something the US has said a lot (the citizenship thing is a standard punishment under the law long standing in the country - that part is unlikely in question) .... This is like saying "People fear moving to the US because it has long jail terms for murderers." Oh... so you PLAN on murdering people? Or you think you might likely do so? Or likely enough that it worries you what the punishment for it is? The situation you are talking about is in reference to a foreign backed armed uprising. In that situation, it's reasonable to say that ownership of anything, as well as citizenship when voluntarily acting as the armed agent of a foreign power, would lead to those results. Those things are SO MUCH LESS than the lifetime in prison or execution you'd expect in places like the US. So basically your theory is that people planning to "maybe" commit a crime of such magnitude that really, they should probably be executed as it is beyond treason, would experience fear that the punishment is far less than they would expect in North America or Europe for a crime of that magnitude. In fact, not much of a punishment at all compared to what you'd get for many smaller crimes like armed assault.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

But your point could be correct, the number of people that the US and Canada might plan to "encourage" to move to other countries and commit major crimes is likely very high. The US has endless "extra people" and boundless wealth to encourage them with. If they want to disrupt other country's free wills, they can do so with little effort and it could be, that with minor effort, they have pushed so many people to move south with the intent to encourage a breakdown of society, an armed uprising, an overthrow of democracy or whatever (as they have done over and over all across Latin America and around the world) that it might actually show up as a noticeable concern in a visible segment of people hoping to move down, play both sides, and get away with it. Your theory that treason or insurrection may be significant driving factors for people to relocate out of the US is definitely... worth consideration. That would support local theories for sure.

[@attentioncestpaslegal7847]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlogNo not exactly. I think what people hear outside of Nicaragua is : political opponents get their citizenship removed and their property seized. Regardless of the actual facts. Now if this is what people hear, it could cause fear.

[@sveinkikals7876]

As a Norwegian, now a Canadian citizen, who has lived in the US and around the world my Socialist ... views only became stronger. Even Canada is changing now and becoming more subservient to the USA. I have decided to move to Nicaragua, a country with political/social views closer to my own.

[@Bugiblanc]

Can I trade US stocks for a living if I move to Nicaragua? I have money saved and I need to move to Nicaragua. I want to start a family with my girlfriend and future wife in Nicaragua

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I have a video just for you coming in a few days :)

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Like an entire episode.

[@Bugiblanc]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog your the best!!!! We cant wait to move.