Scott Cutter, 2 Costa Rica Real Estate Scott Cutter stole my deposit money from escrow. Manuel Antonio Provincia de Puntarenas

I trusted Scott Cutter, owner of 2 Costa Rica Real Estate, to purchase a pre-sale condo in the "Jade" project located in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.  I thought I wanted to buy an already built condo that I could use immediately, but Scott Cutter was adamant that this pre-sale project was superior to anything else on the market.  He related how he was buying two of the condos himself.  And, he repeatedly voiced assurances that I had nothing to worry about because my deposit would be held safely in ESCROW with an internationally recognized escrow company, otherwise I would never have invested in a pre-sale condo project to begin with.  Unfortunately, I trusted Scott Cutter and I believed what he said, and I did not read anything except the sales agreement we signed in his office.  Most important to me was that as long as he assured me that my money would be safe in escrow I felt I was protected.  Right?  Wrong…

So, I sent my deposit to the escrow company, thinking it was safe.  Scott confirmed that my deposit had been received by the escrow company and told me to just relax and look forward to my finished condo.  I thought everything was fine.

What I did not know was that Scott Cutter took his FULL commission for the sale of my condo out of the escrow account just as soon as the money arrived.  He took it without my permission, without my knowledge, and long before the condo project was even built.  I would never have agreed to anything like that and he knew it, which is why he hid that for months. He lied to my face. Months later, I was shocked to find out what really happened.

How did he steal my deposit money if there was a reputable escrow company involved?  Simple.  He had the escrow company’s contract set up in advance so that the escrow company receives the deposits, so the buyers feel safe sending it to them, but the private agreement he had with the escrow company allowed Scott to rape the account as fast as the money came in.

The “Jade” project failed.  When the work stopped, myself and the other buyers requested our deposits back from the escrow company, and that is when we first found out to our complete shock, that Scott Cutter had long since taken our money from the escrow account.  It was gone!    

I demanded that Scott return my money, but Scott Cutter and his accomplices at 2 Costa Rica Real Estate stalled and dodged my calls, and to this day will not return messages.  Scott Cutter kept dozens of people's money. Over a half million dollars in deposits I am told. 

How he stole from so many people and is still practicing as a realtor is appalling.  If he did that in NC his license would be revoked and he would be in jail for criminal fraud.  I imagine the laws in Costa Rica are not the same, because it appears he is living quiet well off all the money he stole.  There are no real estate licenses in Costa Rica either, so there is nowhere to complain to and he has no license to revoke.

How do I know Scott Cutter is living well off all the money he stole?  Because, he was a poor kid before he stole all that money from me and the rest of the Jade investors.  But, hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen cash sure will change a person.  When I returned to the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area recently, I find he now has a new $50,000 car, and a new fancy office in the Quepos Marina, ready to fool more foreigners with.  It is amazing what stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from your clients will do for your lifestyle and image.    

Trusting Scott Cutter of 2 Costa Rica Real Estate and not getting all of the details in writing was a poor decision on my part, which resulted in the loss of my money, my time, and also to some degree my faith in the otherwise wonderful country of Costa Rica.  Things are different down there and the same protections do not exist as in the USA.  It is a sad state of affairs when a transplant “gringo” is giving the country a bad name by lying and stealing money from foreign visitors, all of whom are left with a very bad taste in their mouths about Costa Rica. 

But wait, it actually gets worse.  To my complete dismay, instead of finding Scott in jail where he belongs, Scott Cutter is now in charge of another large project – the Quepos Marina, or Pez Vela Marina as it is also called.  It is a sad day for Costa Rica that they cannot find a single qualified Costa Rican to be the sales manager and face of the Quepos Marina, and instead have hired a notoriously dishonest “gringo” as their sales representative.  What has happened to Costa Ricans? 

The are over 50 qualified investors, including myself, who are not ever setting foot in that marina as long as the man who stole our money is working there.

Just remember when you see Scott Cutter in his new office and in his new car that he did not earn his apparent success - he STOLE it from honest people like me.   

A thief is always a thief, and will always be a thief.