Latin Bureaucracy in Puerto Rico

Some say that a big reason that the Spanish colonies didn't do as well as the English colonies is the bureaucracy inherent in Latin culture.  Here's a great example.  In Puerto Rico, the children have rights in their parents property after the age of majority.  So after the age of 18, you have rights to your parents property.  If a parent wants to sell their home or car, they have to get permission from all their children.  That is the most backwards thing I've ever heard.

Right now, mi Abuela (grandmother) is trying to close a deal on her house.  She has all my aunts and uncles in Puerto Rico right now to sign over their rights in the property.  My mother, who lives in Michigan, is not there.  She filled out a pastille document to sign over her rights and power of attorney in Puerto Rico three years ago, in front of an officer of the court, for the express purpose of not having to go back to Puerto Rico over any property.

Well guess what.  Apparently she has to be there in person to close the deal.  Except nowhere in the law does it say she has to be there.  The law only requires that the attorney knows that she signed the document.  He has a copy of the document, with her signature and the signature of the attorney who witnessed it, but its not good enough for him?  They want mom to fork over $2000 to fly to Puerto Rico to sign some papers.  The law requires that the parents have power of attorney to sell their property, and mom signed it a long time ago.  This guy is a joke.

Here's the best part.  He didn't know who mom was.  She has the paper signed under her legal name, and she is on birth certificates under her maiden name.  (Duh)  He didn't figure that the two people with the same first name, from the same family, couldnt' be the same person.

These people are idiots, and it's amazing any homes are sold in Puerto Rico.  There are a whole lot of Puertoriquenos  who live off the island, how do they deal with this garbage if they can't afford to come back?  They sign over the power of attorney just like mom did.  Stupid as hell.   This guy just wants to be un gran puta.

The law is stupid for requiring kids to allow their parents to sell their homes, so that they can preserve their inheritance.  The lawyer is stupid for requiring people to jump through hoops.  One more reason why my mom left,  and why I could never live in a Latin country.

Now mom has to either go or hire a lawyer to represent her because the family didn't take care of the original document that they don't even need legally.  I feel bad for mom.  Ignorant morons.

Now the lawyer says mom needs a photo id with her maiden name!   She's been married for 24 years.  She doesn't have one.  WHAT THE HELL!!!

Oh and she can use the power of attorney form to verify that she is who she is for the signing, but not for the closing of the house sale.   AGAIN, WHAT THE HELL!!!!!