In Costa Rica, obligations attach to the property, not the person selling it. That single fact is behind most of the trouble foreign buyers run into. Here are the five we check on every purchase.
| # | The trap | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liens & mortgages that follow the land | The full Registro Nacional record |
| 2 | The seller isn’t the registered owner | Who legally holds title and the right to sell |
| 3 | Property held inside a corporation | The company’s debts, history & obligations |
| 4 | Boundaries that don’t match the survey | The plano catastrado against the ground |
| 5 | Unregistered access or easements | A legally registered right-of-way |
1. Liens and mortgages that follow the land
An unpaid mortgage or municipal tax stays with the property after it changes hands. We pull the full record from the Registro Nacional so nothing transfers to you by surprise.
2. The seller is not the registered owner
Powers of attorney, an inheritance still in process, or a company that technically owns the lot — we confirm the person selling actually has the right to sell.
3. Property held inside a corporation
Buying the company instead of the land can mean inheriting its debts and history. We advise which structure protects you.
4. Boundaries that do not match the survey
The registered plano catastrado and the fence line do not always agree. We check before it becomes a neighbour dispute.
5. Unregistered access and easements
A lot with no legally registered right-of-way can be landlocked on paper. We verify that legal access exists.
Clean title is not a formality here — it is the whole game. We surface every one of these before you commit.