Home Inspection - Fail

Inspection Results

House

• Guest bedroom lights inoperative
• Hot water heater doesn't work, probably just needs a new battery
• Outdoor grill doesn't work
• Water pressure is extremely low, pressure tank needs topping off
• Four locks don't have keys.

Boat

• Engine trim doesn't work, seems to be pivot shaft
• Covers on outboard lower unit missing screws.
• Lower unit has significant corrosion.
• Unable to locate sacrificial zinc.
• At least the engine oil level was correct and the oil pristine.
• Zirk fitting missing on tilt mechanism
• Tachometer powers on but doesn't register RPM
• Great deal of water in the bilge that the bilge pump doesn't remove.
• Stereo doesn't work
• Boat lights don't work
• GPS is missing
• Two radio microphone jack is hosed.
• The hull needs to be scrubbed and repainted, the bottom is covered with barnacles.
• The stern cleats need to be replaced, they are missing.
• Latch handles are missing on two hatches.
• One of the compartments has no drain hole and is filled with water.
• The bow compartment has a layer of water and scum and needs to be washed out.
• Mandated safety equipment including a fire extinguisher and a signalling device are absent.
• There is no anchor.
• Non approved gas tank.
• Fuel supply line missing tank connector.
• Throttle control is sticky.
• Heavy growth of algae and barnacles on hull.

We took the boat for a spin, the hydraulic steering worked well but the engine labored while pushing the boat slowly. The boat was riding deep and hardly slippery on the hull. Tomorrow I shall hopefully have it professionally, (to banana's country specifications) surveyed.

Property Boundaries

• Unable to gain access to property markers as they are deep in jungle growth.
• Property marker 6/7 is not affixed.

Legal Documents

Documents Required

• Purchase Contract
• House Plans
• Certificate of Occupancy
• Articles of Incorporation
• Stock Shares
• Survey signed off by corregedor and neighboring properties
1. Original Share Certificate N°1 & 2 of the Corporations duly endorsed and
   Notarized.
   
   
2. Original Deeds containing Articles of Incorporation of the Corporations and any
   amendments thereto.
   
   
3. Original payment receipts of all annual Corporate Franchise Taxes of the
   Corporations.
   
   
4. Good Standing Certificate of the Corporations issued by the Ministry of Economy
   and Finance, stating that there are no outstanding taxes by the Corporation.
   
   
5. Original of the Public Deeds in which Corporations acquired rights of possession of properties.
   
   
6. Certification or Affidavit issued by the SHAREHOLDERS of the Corporations,
   stating that the Corporation has no debts, obligations or commitments with third
   parties or with the government of Panama, its entities or dependencies, duly
   notarized.
   
   
7. Passport copies from the SHAREHOLDERS of THE CORPORATION
   
   
8. Updated certificate from the local Police authorities regarding the Right of
   Possession property in the name of both Corporations.
   
   
9. Original Contract in which sellers buy the shares of the corporations holding these properties.
   
   
10. Original Surveys issued in the name of the corporations.
    
    
11. Original documentation and Resolution by
    which The Reforma Agraria Offices in Bocas del Toro transfers officially he right of
    possession property
    
    
12. Original of the Public Deed rights of possession property to seller
    
    
13. Original documentation and Resolution by which The
    Reforma Agraria Offices in Bocas del Toro registered the transfer right of possession
    property to corporation to be acquired to buyer.
    
    
14. Power of attorney issued to attorney to represent the
    promissory sellers in this transaction.
    
    
15. Sworn declarations Notarize from 3 witnesses from the community as evidence
    of possession for each corporation (total of 6 declarations)
    
    
16. Building permits issued from the Municipality of Bocas del Toro, Occupancy
    Permit, approved house plans, approved electric, sanitary and plumbing plans
    
    
17. Other documents that are relevant and in possession of the Seller.
    
Boat Title
• Survey documents have not been signed off by neighbors.
• All documents are not available for review.
Now that the former tenant is out of the equation blame falls solely on the shoulders of my real estate agent.

Composting System

The composting system plumbing was rerouted by Morgan and his assistant. This was the assistants first day on the job performing the worst task in the business emptying an ill maintained composting system over flowing with waste. Nearby, beneath the house Morgan's two kids and his wife sat as he worked, the stench was over powering. I invited them up on the deck, but apparently they felt that was not their place. Morgan showed me the routine maintenance. Every three days I need to add three scoops of wood shavings and turn a crank seven times. How is it that lizard pecker couldn't put the handle back in the correct position and only used wet sawdust? This seems amazingly easy.

Internet Connection

The internet connection is pretty poor, a ping to San Jose, Costa Rica was 716 ms. Download speed was .048 mb/s while upload speed was but a fraction of that. The directional antenna is pointed to Bastimentos town, but a large tree is in the way. Hopefully there will be a tower right across the way at Red Frog Marina soon.

Guard

Mark, my real estate agent was staying at the house with his girlfriend until such time as the deal was closed. He is afraid that lizard pecker might come back to avail himself of some of the house possessions. Tomorrow is the deadline for the seller to produce all of the requisite documentation after which I can get my deposit back and pursue another deal.

Closing Activities

• Merge two corporations into one
• Sign off on contracts (do they have to be in Spanish?
• Pay Seller
• 
  

Post Closing Activities

• Homeowner's insurance
• Internet service bill changeover
• Get Sky TV contract

Another lock repair.

I walked by Carlos' Steak House and Carlos mentioned that the lock on his refrigerator was broken. I had a set of screwdrivers I've been carrying around for a few days. Three minutes later it was fixed. I charged him a cold bottle of water.

Casa Verde

I dropped by Casa Verde, and was chastised for walking past the reception desk without some idle chatter with the staff. Once the duty was fulfilled I went out on the dock to compose an email but a DJ was playing music obscenely loudly while talking over the music, I had to get the hell out of here. A simple conversation was impossible.

Dinner

I grabbed a mate and we headed down to the Ripe Tide, a large old boat, for dinner of fish and chips. I tied up Hayu to a cleat on the dock. After dinner as I was heading out my mate said, "aren't you going to take the dog?" Ayaaaaaaaaah!