New Rules at the Costa Rica Border

[Mark Heyer]

I am posting this at the request of Frank Stegmeier. Please respond to him at his email address [e-mail]

Last Saturday, August 15,  3 of us ex-pats went to the Costa Rican border to buy some decorative plants, as I have done many times in the past. We never crossed the border,  Bought 7 plants and had them in the back of my pick-up. Upon returning there is a Aduana check point where we were stopped and questioned about the plants. I told them we did not cross the border, but it was obvious that it did not matter what I said, they were intent on detaining us . I called Rodny, who talked to the agent, he was surprised and confirmed to me that it was their intention to confiscate the plants along with the truck.  An agent entered our vehicle and we were ordered to drive to Aduana in David. We were accompanied by armed agents that followed us from behind with emergency lights flashing.

So far, I have spent a whole day with my attorneys, who inform me that Customs intends to make a serious case of this. We have not recovered our truck or plants and we have have a hearing next week.

BE ADVISED AFTER 20 YEARS IN PANAMA- THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFERENT, CHALLENGING LIFE HERE FOR EX-PATS

Frank

[Hil]

Yes the title was misleading and with out facts. Frank should have ask Mark to do the updates with the facts.

[Good Morning Boquete]

Mark,  Any updates?

[Steve Gibson]

From last weeks expat exchange:

panamajames
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8/29/2015 19:01    

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The End of the Costa Rica Border Run Saga......................

You may remember that Frank Stegmeier went to the Costa Rica border to buy some plants for a friend, as he has done many times. Only this time, he was stopped at the inspection station and got his truck and plants confiscated, and a police escort down to the customs office in David.
Three weeks later, he paid a $100 fine and a huge lawyer's bill and has his truck and plants back.

The moral of the story - If you go to the border to buy stuff, get a receipt showing it was purchased in Panama. Better still, if it is big and/or valuable, take a picture of the receipt and your cedula being held by the merchant.

Most of the time there is no problem. But when there is a problem it is not at all fun.

Apparently the receipt that he received from the merchant, was quite "vanilla" in design, not listing the name of the store, nor much about where it was purchased, in what country, date etc.

stgibson
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8/31/2015 13:44    

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So my assumption was correct. I would suggest a commercial invoice with printed name of vendor, location, date, and detailed inventory along with a "paid" stamp with date and time. Especially for plants.

[Dr. Al Wais Sleepwell]

Thanks Steve,

The only change is to take a picture of the MERCHANT's Panama cedula with the receipt. My mistake. 

A sharp-eyed reader pointed this out and i am glad to correct the record. 

Mark, Oops, Dr. Al

[Good Morning Boquete]

Gracias senor.

[Kelvin Schartz]

This post has been thoroughly covered. I say we let Señor Walter have the last word, close it, and move on with our short lives. The facts of the story will eventually surface.

[wryawry]

One might observe that Mr. Steiner is a "cur nudgeon".

[BOB G]

Dang, how rude...but then...

In 2008, 22.71 million private vehicles entered California through the BPS. Of these, 1.7 million were determined to be high-risk and able to be inspected due to increased staffing. From these vehicles, inspectors rejected 43,667 lots of plant material which were either in violation of plant quarantine regulations or infested with pests. Inspection of the rejected materials yielded 5,098 pest samples which were submitted for identification; of these, 1,734 were determined to be pests of concern to California.

In 2008, 7.38 million commercial trucks entered California through the BPS. Of these, 553,439 were high-risk or carrying agricultural products and were physically inspected; 3,054 were rejected because of pest detections or quarantine violations; and 25,548 were forwarded to destination for more detailed inspection by county agricultural commissioners’ staff.

[Gordon James]

I wonder how many vehicles BPS confiscated and how many fines were dished out? Just saying.

Thanks for pointing out the key difference between first and third world.

[Joanne]

I don't deduct points for typo's Carol.  I read too many Kindle books to worry about those. LOL