A reader of mine recently emailed me with a question. Here’s what she wrote: “[I]’m from Dominican Republic but I actually live in New Jersey, US. I recently went through a very difficult process of divorce here in NJ after being married for 7 years with my now ex husband. Someone told me that in order to have the divorce sentence recognized by the authorities of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) I have to follow a proceed to obtain what is called an exequatur of the judgment. The truth is that I don’t want to handle with this problem again. Is there any other solution? Mary Vargas.”

And here is my answer:

Mary, thanks for the question. First of all, for those who don’t know, an exequatur is a proceeding where a local court (in this case the Civil and Commercial Chamber of the competent First Instance Court) validates a foreign judgment, allowing its execution in our country.

On the other hand, I’m pleased to tell you that you don’t need to follow this procceding to validate your divorce judgment in the DR, because as it has been decided by our Supreme Court of Justice (October 9th 2002 and April 11th 2007 for example), the declaratory judgments, – that declares the rights or legal status of a person without ordering anything be done-, (like the ones of divorce, paternity recognition, declaratory of legal incapacity), do not need to obtain an exequatur to be executed in the DR.

This means that the only judgments that require this judicial authorization are those that establish, modify or abolish a legal right, compelling a party to fulfill an obligation (for example those who sentence the employers to pay the complete salaries to their employees, or sentence the doctors to compensate their patients because of the damages that they suffer after a malpractice).

Finally, it is important to say that in this proceeding, the Dominican Court cannot resolve the case by itself, instead, the judge can only verify that it is a definitive and regular judgment, according to the legal system of the foreign country and verify that its execution is in accordance with the Dominican law and our Constitutional Principles.

The new Property Registry Law No. 108-05, has several requirements for all real estate transactions in the Dominican Republic. One of those, necessary after April 4^th 2009, – 2 years from the execution of the law, – is the accomplishment of a “deslinde”, to enable the Register of Titles to record any real estate transaction and consequently issue the Certificate of Title in the name of the new ownership of the property.

The deslinde procedure has to be made by a surveyor who is going to measure and segregate the property from all the other portions within the same parcel. The segregated portion will become its own parcel with its individual cadastral designation and a definite title.

W can divide the procedure into three phases: a) Technical Phase: A surveyor measures and locates the property using a G. P. S. after having given notice to all the owners of the neighboring properties and any other person who can be interested. Later, his work is submitted to the Regional Survey Office for its approval and to provide the new parcel with its new cadastral designation; b) Judicial Phase: The deslinde is presented to the Land Court, where the neighbors or any interested third party may expose their objections or conformity to the procedure. If the deslinde is approved, after the lawyer of the owner’s petition, the Judge authorizes the Registrar of Title to cancel the old provisional title and to issue the new definite title with the new cadastral designation given by the Regional Survey Office; c) Registration phase: The Judge’s ruling is executed by the Registrar of Titles.

It is important to mention that if the authorization in the presence of a Notary Public of the neighboring properties’ owners is obtained; the judicial phase may be omitted. This would significantly accelerate the process, considering the huge amount of work in the Courts of our country.

Any real estate transaction can be requested at the same time that the procedure of deslinde. In another publication, I will write about the others steps necessaries to transfer a property, according the new legislation.