Gringo-fication of Belize

To put it mildly, the Management of Consejo.Bz strongly opposes the ongoing tend toward the "Gringo-fication" of Belize. This process is particularly ominous where it affects residential building projects. Thanks to the influence of several Gringo Do Gooders, five building sites in the Consejo area were recently shutdown for several weeks because they didn't have building permits. Nearly 100 Belizean workers were directly unemployed and countless others in the support businesses were in danger of losing their jobs. Never mind that it was impossible, at that point to get a permit. It is still impossible, the procedures are not yet finalized. All those angry construction workers descending on Belmopan got someone's attention, so those projects are now being built "Pending Issuance of a Permit". This was completely unnecessary!

All these new requirements for comprehensive contracts and drawings are adding nothing to the viability of any residential building project in Belize, but they are adding a great deal of unnecessary time and expense to the building process. The two house we built in Consejo Shores, in 2006 and 2007 were built without detailed drawings, comprehensive contracts, or building permits and without government or "Professional" oversight. Both projects came in on time and on budget at less then $US40 per square foot. These were not exceptions, this has been the result in the vast majority of residential building projects in Belize . . . up to now.  One local "Professional" has recently drawn up plans for a couple wanting to build in Consejo. The estimated cost is US$89 per square foot!  All the projects we've seen in the Consejo area that involved comprehensive contracts and drawings and "professional" oversight have gone WAY over budget and have taken as much as twice as long to complete than the "professional's" estimated building time.

Given the new rules, we will not be building again in Belize. 

Be advised, "Professionally" drawn building plans guarantee you nothing. Read the fine print. Those drawings all have legal clauses attached to protect, not the customer, but the "Professional". There is one project in Corozal District where the "Professional's" plans called for a stairwell designed to fit a custom stair case the owner wanted. The plan was wrong and the staircase didn't fit. The "Professional's" response? - in effect "You approved the plans, not my problem." If they had been building "The Belizean Way", the builder would have measured the custom stair case and built the stairwell to fit. In this case, the builder built to the blueprint. The owner had to pay to have the stairwell resized. This is but one example of many, but the point is made: "Professional" drawings guarantee nothing. In fact, these "Professionals" require the owner to "Approve" the plans to relieve them of all responsibility. If you are going to take all the responsibility for the plans, why not just draw them yourself! Drawing the plans yourself, of course, will no longer be allowed under the new Gringo-fied requirements.

A verbal contract is just as enforceable in Belize (also in the USA and the UK) as a written one. In Belize that means, not very. The only people we know who had a detailed contract with their builder and tried to force specific performance through the courts, received only additional legal expenses. Remember, most of the residential contractors in Belize are not large corporations with deep pockets, they are simply guys who know how to build a house "The Belizean Way". Even if you prevail in a law suit, there is usually nothing there to attach, so what's the point? Did you know that there are several litigants in Belize who have gone to trial and are awaiting a decision by the courts, 3, 5 and even 10 years later? Caveat Emptor works much better, in our opinion. Know who you are dealing with, then deal with them. You have problems, solve them. Take responsibility for your own decisions, don't expect the government to save you. That is not, and should not be, their job.

The Government of Belize can barely keep the roads passable. The Police often have no fuel for their vehicles. Tax revenues for 2009 are down 10% compared to last year as imports fell by 20%. Overnight visitors were down by 5%, with tourism spending went down over $12 million. As a result, the government is struggling to provide even basic services. How are they going to afford to establish an effective building permit and inspections department? If there was a compelling reason, like houses were falling down due to poor construction, we might have a different attitude. The system as it has existed for generations in Belize works fine, it doesn't need fixing. Why go to great expense, and cause great expense and frustration to all who wish to build in Belize, to satisfy the desires of a few foreigners wanting to be "protected"?

All that said, we have no problem with requiring a residential building permit as a revenue source for the Government.  Simply take your title to the local land office, tell them you want to build a house, and pay a flat fee, say $500 and get a Permit to Build. No plan approvals, no inspections and little setup cost to the Government. A simple proposal that could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Treasury of Belize without undue hardship to the home builders.

If you need your hand held throughout the building process, if you need experts and bureaucrats to tell what to build and how to build it, if you are willing to give up a little money and a little liberty for the illusion of a little security, perhaps you should be building (and living) in the USA, Canada or the UK rather than Belize.

The ideas and opinions expressed above are are those of the Management of Consejo.Bz.

If you would like to tell us how you feel about the subject, email us at editorial@consejo.bz

Readers Respond

Hi John,

The real reason behind the Gringo-fication is in fact the OAS:

The "Professionals" are just taking full advantage of this situation. I have yet to find a copy of the 2003 Building Act anywhere on the internet [including the Belize Government sites] but I am presuming that a person could still draw up his own plans, apply for a permit and build his own small house without having to pay the "Professionals"

Alan

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your editorial, well done.

Sincerely,

R Keating

Unbridled self-interest at others expense!

I and my wife are a recent addition to Consejo Shores. We purchased our seaside property in November 2 years ago. We started building in February and had a preplanned stop in April. ('Till we sold our house in Canada)

We drove down in October to discover a "Stop build" order on or house. We arrived on 9th October. We were given permission to continue building on Tuesday 13th October provided we comply with certain regulations that had never been enforced before in Northern Belize.

We started building again.

Whilst there is much rumor and innuendo about, it seems that this was all started by my neighbor and i hope to be good friend. He has written a self-serving and wildly inaccurate article in your web site entitled "Selecting a Building Contractor in Belize". One could read the same article and substitute the word "Architect" for the word "Contractor" and the writer would be outraged but the article would be equally accurate (or inaccurate).

I would point out that contractors in Belize are not licensed. Architects are. And consequently have a license to steal. The writer of the article has caused me to spend thousands of dollars on unnecessary work, put contractors employees out of work and delayed cabinet work, tile work and the ordering of appliances so that he might enrich himself.

If you want to know the truth about architects Google <Frank Lloyd Wrong> and read "Memo to Frank Gehry."  Mr. Gehry is an eminent architect with a problem. He appears to be a serial under estimator or over-spender - like he quotes $100 million and comes in at $300 million. And the roof leaks! and he won't fix it.

The concept of a "Comprehensive Construction Contract" is so absurd as to be laughable. You would just wind up in the clutches of another gang of so called professionals. How would you collect 10 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later?

From a website for an Architectural firm i have copied verbatim the following problems associated with architects:

• Architect did not listen to client
• Architect ignored the construction budget
• Architect ignored the design budget
• Architect took forever to get anything done
• Architect did drawings that were not “buildable”
• Architect is not cooperative with the builder
• Architect does not communicate
• Architect has “attitude”

This is verbatim. I didn't make this up. It's in a Architectural Companies website.

One of the reasons i love Belize is its Jeffersonian style of government. "Libertarian". I don't have to get a prescription from a Doctor in Belize, but i can if i want to.

I didn't use a lawyer as an intermediary when i purchased property neither did the seller. I used a lady who worked at the office. Total Cost BZ$400.00 No problems, no lawyers.

My experience with contractors is as follows:

• We interviewed 3 contractors.
• We chose one and gave him a BZ$1000.00 deposit
• 4 weeks later he sent us an email saying he would be unable to do the project and had returned our deposit to our bank account.
• We chose another contractor who drew up a schedule of work and payments.
• He did not require advance payments. It was "Pay for performance" something an architect knows nothing about.
• Despite the worst intentions of an architect our building is proceeding.

One more thing, a GOB website says that architectural plans are only needed on buildings over 3,000 sq. ft. Its either true or the website has not been updated. Why does the architects website not mention this?

Self interest!

Yours truly,

Name withheld by request

John,

I would appreciate it if you would send the following message directly to “Name withheld by request“. If you feel it appropriate, I would also appreciate your posting this note at the bottom of your “Gringo-fication” article.

Thanks, Vance

Mr. or Ms. “Name withheld by request”,

I did not cause you to break the law. I did not cause you to get caught breaking the law. If you have evidence to the contrary present it for all to see.

As a foreign national you are a guest in this country. In your writing you malign the practice of architecture in Belize and you denigrate the practice of law in Belize. I understand why you were not willing to sign your letter or take responsibility for your words.

Vance C. Titus, P.Arch./APAB, P.Eng./APEB

John,

Would post a note at the end of your editorial stating that I have a copy of R.FGreenwood's "Hurricane Resistant Construction" which was published by the Reporter Press in the Early 1980's. It has been out of print for about 25 years.

When he wrote the book R.F.Greenwood. C.Eng., M.R.T.P.I., M.I.C.E., M.A.Mun.E., M.A.P.E.A.B., was a Chartered Town Planner, Chartered Civil Engineer, Chartered Municipal Engineer, Consultant, Town Planner and Civil Engineering and Building Consultant.

I bought a copy when it was first published and have followed the techniques and advice in all the building projects I have carried out ever since, 2 houses in Belize City and 1 in Consejo Shores. He details the conventional Belizean way of building, with all its faults, and then shows how easy it is to make that Hurricane Resistant, often saving on materials and making the project cheaper.

I would be willing to lend it to anyone building in the Shores for them to photocopy it.

Alan & Ondina Colton,
Jasmine Cottage,
Cor Consejo Beach Trail/Hacienda Grove,
Consejo Shores,
Corozal District,
Belize,
Central America.