Fideicomiso (Dominican trust)
A fideicomiso is a Dominican trust under Law 189-11: assets or money are transferred to a licensed trust company (fiduciaria) that administers them for a defined purpose. In Punta Cana it appears most often as a construction trust, where buyer instalments and the land sit inside the trust and are released against verified construction milestones rather than paid straight to the developer.
Why a Punta Cana buyer should care
In off-plan the main risk is not price, it is a developer spending your deposits on another project. A properly constituted trust with a licensed fiduciaria puts a regulated third party between your money and the developer's cashflow, and it defines what happens if the project stalls. It does not guarantee delivery, and it is only as good as the trust deed your lawyer actually reads.
Common mix-up
"We work with a fideicomiso" is used as a trust badge in sales decks. Ask which fiduciaria, ask for the trust deed and its registration, and ask whether your specific payments enter the trust or the developer's own account. A trust that only holds the land does nothing for your instalments.
Fideicomiso FAQs
- Is a fideicomiso required for off-plan?
- No. It is common on institutional-grade projects and absent on many small ones. Its absence is not automatically a red flag, but it does move risk onto you.
- Does the trust own my unit?
- During construction the trust typically holds the asset; on completion title is transferred to you and registered in your name.
Go deeper
2026 orientation, not guarantees and not legal advice. No guaranteed ROI, no invented occupancy.