How do I do “X”?

• Utilities

Electricity Connection: Go to the ICE office in Nosara and submit an application. You will need a copy of your escritura, your cédula residencial or personería jurídica and your plano. If you are transferring the billing name, you need a letter of authorization to transfer from the current bill along with the above.

Water Connection: Applications for new service can be made at the ASADA (Water Company) office. You will need a copy of your plano, your escritura and your passport or cédula, certified copies of your building plans and your municipal building permit.

The basic charge for new water connection is $350 - $500 impact fee (depending on lot size), plus cost of extension of a line, if needed. If you are a new owner for an existing service connection, you must change the billing name. Applications and instructions are available at the ASADA office.

The monthly charge for water is ¢19,418 for 0 to 15 cubic meters and ¢239 for each cubic meter over the 15th. Payable at Super Nosara by the 10th of each month.

All water users are required to become members of the ASADA so that you may have a say in your water service. Please conserve water!

Garbage Collection: We are fortunate to have twice-weekly trash collections, Mondays and Thursdays. It is recommended that you install an animal proof trash bin (the cement tubes with a metal lid seem to work better than the mess baskets) at the end of your driveway (or share one with a neighbor).

It helps the collectors greatly if you separate your trash into stong bags:

Please collapse cardboard boxes.

There is recycling. Coca Cola comes monthly to pick-up plastics and the beer company also has collection. Preferably use returnable bottles for beer and soda and use your food products as compost or to feed the wildlife.

Plastic grocery bags fit nicely into many trash cans.

Monthly charge for a single family home is $10 (a small price to pay for 8 pickups a month) and it is payable at Super Nosara. It is easier to pay a year in advance so you don\u2019t have to keep remembering or trying to find the bill. If you are a new homeowner, please register for this service.

Telephone Service: Phones, both land line and cellular, are hard to get and now ICE has made it even harder. No individual can make application for a phone line without a Costa Rican residency cédula or corporate cédula. You must go to the ICE office in Nicoya with a copy of your electric bill, and

It may take months to receive a line. Cellular phones don't work in all areas within the “project”. Billing names for telephones purchased with an existing name can never be changed.

RACSA (Internet Connection): There is a RACSA office in Nicoya where you can set up your Internet account. You need a copy of your phone bill, your passport, and your credit card if you are going to charge the monthly fee.

You can also apply at the ICE office.

Alternately, you can use the per-minute number 900-365-4632, which is relatively inexpensive for short periods of use, but can be very expensive for long connection times.

High-speed access with RDSI is also available and does not require an existing connection and gives you another phone line.

DirecTV: Call 205-5151. Someone will walk you through it.

Banking: Banco Popular is located in Nosara at the mall next to Café de Paris and is open Monday through Saturday. The hours are 8:30-3:00 weekly and 9:00-11:00 on Saturdays. You can get a cash advance or use the ATM with a VISA card. Check bank policies before opening an account as some of the national banks require that you have a Costa Rican corporation (or a residency cédula) in order to open an account. Copies of all documentations and a copy of an electric bill are needed.

Property Taxes: Taxes bills come out in January of each year and are payable at the Municipal office in Nicoya. Just take your name or the corporate name to the Municipal office and pay. Annual bills are not sent nor do your NCA dues do not cover your property taxes. It is wise to have your property checked with the national registry every year.

Paying Bills: ALL BILLS ARE DUE MONTHLY, on various days, but generally the first of the month. Many bills (electricity, telephone, RACSA, DirecTV, Social Security) can be paid at most banks or online through Banco Nacional and Banco de Costa Rica.

Some banks can only accept payments for some bills, check with your bank first.

NCA Membership Benefit: Members of the NCA receive a discounted group rate for medical insurance. Applications are available at the NCA office or the office in Nicoya. It is worth the membership fee.

Agents:

Post Office Box: Mailboxes are available in Nosara near the airport "terminal." You need a copy of your passport and the cost is about $8.00 per year. (If he can find your address, Vidal will drop off your mail personally.) Mail takes about 10 to 14 days to get here from the states.

Courier service: If you need a U.S. address, you can use Aerocasillas. Mail is sent from San José on the Alfaro Bus once a week, or more if desired. UPS is now delivering to Nosara Office Center.

Residency and Importation: Association of Residents of Costa Rica, Ryan Piercy 257-6646 can help you with your questions about residency, importing cars or containers and advise you of current laws affecting these.

Veterinary Services:

Dr. Patiño or another vet comes every other week, 682-0735/0376.

Other vets come to Nosara on a regular basis to neuter strays at a discounted charge. There is a 'Doggy Fund' for these strays which welcomes contributions. Call 682-0023 for more information.

To bring animals into the country from the U.S. you should contact your local (stateside) USDA office for instructions. To take animals out of the country you need a certificate from a vet, which is not difficult to secure. There is no quarantine period for animals to enter or leave either the U.S. or Costa Rica.

Building permits: These are usually gotten by the contractor (make sure they have all permits), but if you do it yourself, go to the Municipality of Nicoya. You must conform to all required building regulations, sanitary requirements, MINAE permits for tree cutting, well digging, etc. Please respect your neighbors, the wildlife (don't cut off monkeys' passages through the trees), the roads for runoff if you fill your lot (for which you need another permit), and the community in general.

Tree Cutting Permits: A permit to cut any tree over 15cm in diameter at a height of 130cm is needed. The MINAE office in Nicoya issues all permits for tree cutting. Again, please do not butcher your lot, work around the trees and the animal right-of-ways.

Well Permits: Wells can be dug within the project, but are subject to the approval of, and require permits from MINAE. Information is available at the ASADA office.

Social Benefits for employees amount to about 50% of the hourly monthly wage. Monthly reports must be submitted and payments can be made at the Nicoya Caja office or over the Internet.

Social Security: This office is also in Nicoya (the Caja office). Copies of the employee's cédula and a copy of your passport (when employing as an individual) or cédula jurídica (when employing as a corporation) are needed to submit the initial paperwork. Afterwards, Caja personnel will deliver the monthly payment invoice and your employee's medical and disability insurance coverage slips (for the following month) during the first half of the month. The payment is commonly due on the 20th of the month and can be paid at the Caja office or via the Internet.

Social Security payment are 21% of the employee's regular (monthly) wage. The employee pays 9% (deducted from their wages), the remainder is payed by the employer.

Social benefits paid to employees amounts to 65% over hourly wage and include their medical insurance, pension, bonuses, etc.

Workers' Compensation Insurance: All employees must have workers compensation insurance. You need a copy of the cédulas of your employees and a copy of your passport or company cédula. A monthly report needs to be either submitted via Internet or sent to Nicoya.

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