I was discouraged about investing in the DR because of what I had heard. The clear and honest manner in which he handled a potential transaction convinced me that I should invest.
Legal protection for buyers investing in Punta Cana, Cap Cana, and Bávaro, with full due diligence, contract review, and title verification.
Response within 24 hours · No obligation · English, Spanish & French
The Punta Cana market moves fast and is driven by developers. Contracts are rarely written for your benefit. I ensure you know exactly what you're signing and what risks exist. According to Caribbean Counsel's analysis of more than 3,000 Dominican court decisions, the outcome of a foreign buyer's claim usually turns on contract terms that were already visible before anyone signed.
A complete review of title records, tax status, physical boundaries, permits, and the condominium regime before you commit a single dollar. Due diligence is not optional: it is the difference between a safe purchase and an expensive dispute.
What due diligence covers →You have a promesa de compraventa in front of you. Possibly in Spanish. I read it for what it actually says: missing protections, one-sided clauses, and what happens if the developer does not perform. The red flags are not always obvious.
What to check →Not every developer operating in Punta Cana has a clean track record. I verify legal standing, existing litigation, prior projects, and financial exposure before you sign, not after.
Why this matters →A search at the Registro de Títulos confirms the certificate of title, registered liens, ownership chain, and any pending legal actions. A notarized deed does not transfer ownership in the Dominican Republic: registration does.
How title works here →I coordinate the closing process: deed preparation, payment sequencing, registration at the Registry, and DGII tax filings. Buyers have paid in full and flown home with a deed that was never registered. I make sure that does not happen.
Closing checklist →When delivery dates are missed, construction stalls, or a developer goes dark, you need a formal legal demand on the record. I handle the full dispute path, from puesta en mora to judicial rescission and recovery of everything you paid.
Recovery options →Contracts in the Punta Cana market are almost always drafted by the developer's attorney. These are the risks that appear most often. Caribbean Counsel reviews these agreements on the buyer's side only, which generally means the review looks for what the developer's drafting left out rather than for what it promises.
Most of these risks are detectable before signing. None of them are recoverable without cost after.
WhatsApp or email. Tell me about the property, the developer, and where you are in the process. A free case review gives you a clear picture of what legal work is needed and what it costs.
I review the purchase contract, title certificate, developer permits, and any supporting documents. I flag every clause that creates risk and every protection that is missing.
I run the full registry search, DGII tax check, developer background verification, and boundary confirmation. You get a written summary of findings before any decision is made.
I give you a plain-language assessment of the risks identified, what they mean for your investment, and what your options are, including whether to proceed, negotiate, or walk away.
If you proceed, I coordinate the closing: deed preparation, payment sequencing, registration at the Registro de Títulos, and DGII filings. The transaction is not complete until title is in your name. Under Dominican law, ownership of registered real estate generally transfers at the moment the deed is recorded at the Registro de Títulos, which is why Caribbean Counsel treats registration, and not signature, as the point where a purchase is finished.
"Our developer in Bávaro went completely dark after 26 months of delays. Esteban analyzed the contract, calculated the penalties, and filed for rescission. We recovered our full investment plus $28,000 in contractual penalties."
"I almost signed a contract on a Cap Cana villa with a title issue buried in the registry. Esteban found it in the due diligence phase. Six months later, that property was in court with four other buyers who didn't do their homework."
"My mother passed away leaving a house in Bávaro and an apartment in Punta Cana Resort. Esteban handled the entire process in English. It took seven months. Every step was explained."
When a contractual delivery date passes without delivery, the developer is in breach. The first step is a formal demand (puesta en mora) served by counsel, which puts the breach on the official legal record. If the developer does not cure after that, you can file for judicial rescission: all amounts paid, legal interest from each payment, any penalty clause amounts in the contract, and compensatory damages for documented losses.
The most expensive thing buyers do here: reply to the developer's email asking for more time, without checking with a lawyer first. Depending on how that reply is worded, you may be waiving your right to rescind on the original terms.
Yes. Article 55 of the Dominican Constitution and Article 10 of Law 108-05 on Real Property Registration both recognize foreign ownership explicitly. You do not need residency, a Dominican corporation, or a local partner. You can hold title in your own name and sell without restriction.
The risks for foreign buyers are transactional, not ownership-based: paying before due diligence is complete, closing without registration, or structuring through the wrong entity for your tax situation.
You need a search at the Registro de Títulos for the certificate of title, registered liens, ownership history, and pending legal actions. A clean registry entry is not enough on its own. You also need a DGII tax-status check, an independent surveyor report confirming physical boundaries match what is on file, and confirmation that permits and the condominium regime are formally registered.
A notarized deed does not transfer ownership in the Dominican Republic. Transfer happens when the deed is filed and recorded at the Registry. Buyers have signed, paid in full, and flown home with a deed that was never registered, then found out a year later the property was still in the seller's name.
In most condotel purchase agreements, the hotel brand affiliation was a material term. It was a significant reason you bought, often tied directly to rental income projections and the credibility of the management model. When the brand formally terminates, that may be grounds for rescission based on material misrepresentation or a fundamental change in what you contracted to buy.
The brand's termination document is particularly useful in litigation because it is third-party evidence that did not come from you. A major hotel brand walked away from a business relationship. That speaks for itself.
A formal demand and negotiated settlement can resolve in 6 to 12 weeks. Judicial rescission through JPI La Altagracia typically takes 12 to 24 months from filing to judgment. Cases with clean documentation and a formal demand filed early move faster. Cases where the buyer waited years, signed amended agreements, or lost payment records take longer.
How quickly you acted after the breach became clear is usually the biggest factor in how long recovery takes.
Every engagement is quoted as a flat fee, in writing, before work begins. No hourly billing. That is deliberate: you know the cost from day one, and what you recover is yours in full, with no percentage taken. Where a client prefers it and the nature of the matter suits it, a contingency structure can be discussed. The first case review is free.
No. Caribbean Counsel represents buyers and owners only, and does not take instructions from developers, sellers, or agents in Punta Cana, Bávaro, or Cap Cana. A firm that also serves developers has an incentive to soften the contract review. Buyers who retain independent counsel get a reading of the contract written for their side alone.
In most cases, yes. A foreign buyer can sign a Dominican power of attorney abroad, have it apostilled, and authorize Caribbean Counsel to handle the registry search, the DGII filings, and the closing formalities in Punta Cana. Contract review and due diligence findings are delivered in writing and discussed by WhatsApp, video, or email.
Caribbean Counsel replies to new inquiries within 24 hours, and the reply comes from the attorney rather than an intake desk. Messages arrive by WhatsApp or email and are answered in English or Spanish. Buyers facing a signing deadline or a developer demanding a decision should say so in the first message, so the file is read first.
Tell me about the property and where you are in the process. I will review your situation and respond within 24 hours in plain English. No obligation.
+1 (809) 484-8889 · info@caribbeancounseldr.com · Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
I was discouraged about investing in the DR because of what I had heard. The clear and honest manner in which he handled a potential transaction convinced me that I should invest.
A great help to my case regarding a lease issue in Vista Cana. Great communication and a great work ethic. I would definitely recommend him as your lawyer in Punta Cana.
Communicative and attentive. He had our best interest at heart and we were pleased with the overall experience.
We've used them multiple times for various real estate related issues and we could not have asked for better outcomes. If we ever need an attorney in the DR again, it will be with Esteban.
I needed some documents in a rush for the sale of a property back home and they got everything done perfectly and expeditiously. I highly recommend Esteban and the staff.
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