FAQ
Resident Concierge in Costa Rica Sims
Greetings fellow Costa Rica Sims Residents!
We the executives of the Costa Rica Sims, are in-world to help you get more acquainted with all that Costa Rica Sims has to offer. We receive a lot of questions from current and new residents. This section has been designed to answer any common questions in regards to Costa Rica Sims. We are able to assist you with any issues/questions you may have from such as understanding prims, objects, land ownership/group information, building, and any questions in regards to the land and Our Covenant.
In addition, we would be happy to schedule a time to give you a full personal tour of all of the exciting things that your new home has to offer. Do not forget to add all members of the Executive Team to your list of friends. If you cannot find the answers here, contact us in-world via IM.
For the sake of brevity, the group Costa Rica Sims has been abbreviated to CRS
On behalf of all of us in the Executive team, Welcome home!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a covenant? I want a change made to the covenant. What's the procedure? I'm not from a metric country. How do I convert? How do I tell what is for sale without clicking every block?
- What is a covenant?
- I want a change made to the covenant. What's the procedure?
- I'm not from a metric country. How do I convert?
- How do I tell what is for sale without clicking every block?
- Why do I have to pay tier fees?
- Tier fees are cheaper in other estates. Why are ours higher?
- What happens if I dont pay my Tier?
- Can I rent my home out without asking permission?
- I want to have high density rentals. How do I do this?
- Can I set up a commune for my friends?
- Can I change the name of my property?
- I want my friend/partner to be able to set my land to home?
- Can I subdivide or sell my property in the future?
- I bought two properties and want to join them.
- Can I buy an entire sim and link it to Costa Rica Sims Estate?
- Do you sell bonus prim land?
- My land says that there are objects belonging to Giancarlo Takacs. Why?
- I accidentally lost an object underground. How do I fix this?
- I want to allow/prevent people creating objects on my land.
- I joined the CRS Group. How do I change my tag from VIP to Resident?
- I am an CRS Resident but I can't rezz on CRS land.
- Can I add friends and partners to CRS group?
- I want my friend/partner to be able to set home to my land. How can I do this?
- Can I park my vehicle on community land?
- I tried to rez an object on community land but it wouldn't let me?
- How can I tell if it is CRS land?
- I want to run a business. Can I do this?
- All the water disappeared. How do I fix this?
- Weird things happen when I cross a sim edge.
- How can I reduce lag?
What is a covenant?
A very common question as it's mainly an American term. In other countries, its often called a Land Owner's Agreement, or Estate Agreement.
It's basically a list of rules for the estate or region that Land Owners must abide to. In SL, a region is one sim (65,536sqm), an estate is a collection of regions. In our case, Costa Rica Sims is the estate, hence the Costa Rica Sims Covenant appears in 'About Land' or here in our website.
I want a change made to the covenant. What's the procedure?
Our covenant is designed to be a firm but living document, to allow for changes as the needs of residents and visitors continue to change, however the basic principles of what the estate is about, will remain the same. Relevant major changes are usually the result of land owner contributions, and we encourage Land Owners to discuss concerns with us.
BUYING LAND + TIER FEES
I'm not from a metric country and the land is measured in metres. How do I convert?
Give or take a few decimal places, One metre = 100 centimetres = 3.3 feet. 12 inches = 30 centimetres = 0.3 metres.
How do I tell what is for sale without clicking on every parcel?
Open the map and check the "land for sale" box. The parcels that are for sale will show in yellow. You can also visit our land store to see which parcels are for sale in the estate.
I've run out of Linden dollars. Can I buy land in other currencies?
No, as for December 2009 we only take L$.
Why do I have to pay tier fees if I already paid for the land?
Tier fees are essentially server fees that are charged to all land owners in Second Life® by Linden Lab, including estate owners. The price you pay for the purchase of the land recovers the initial cost of purchasing the region by the estate owner. Tier fees are for the continual maintenance of the land and therefore need to be paid throughout the time the the land is owned. Think of tier fees as the monthly electricity bill. You still have to pay the bill even though you may own your house. This is the same concept.
Tier fees are cheaper in other estates. Why are ours higher?
The Costa Rica Sims Estate is a viable and profitable business with land and tier prices that are competitive with other estates offering a similar product. In addition, we offer amenities and environments that are unique to Second Life®, further reinforcing the added value of our estate in comparison to others.
What happens if I don't pay my Tier?
We have a 3 day grace period, during which you should receive several messages informing you that you are carrying a negative balance. If at the end of the 3 days, we do not hear from you, the land will be reclaimed and no refund will be issued, your parcel will be cleared and we take no responsibility of any loss of objects or time rebuilding. If you have a problem paying your tiers on time, please contact us immediately.
RENTING
Can I rent out a house that I own without asking permission?
Sub-renting and subletting is allow by special approval. If it is approved you cannot put up a "for rent" sign. You can however, advertise it through the usual SL classifieds.
Remember, your renters are your responsibility. Make sure they read the covenant. If they break the rules, they'll be banned from the estate and you will be held responsible.
I want to have high density rentals. How do I do this?
Commercial Rentals are restricted and closely policed in Costa Rica Sims to protect the view and layout of the estate. If you're looking to build a commercial rental complex, talk to the Giancarlo Takacs.
Can I set up a commune for my friends?
No. There is a limit on how many avatars a sim can support at any given time. If Land Owners can't get to their own properties because someone's throwing a massive party, that person will be very unpopular.
It's not something we police, but ideally, try to max your visitors to one for every 1,000 sqm you own. If you go over that, you're drawing resources from your neighbor.
All that said though, you're welcome to have friends over for a gathering or parties at any of our community venues.
LAND OWNERSHIP
Can I change the name of my property?
Yes. Open "About Land" and put create an appropriate name for your propery, but note that Linden Lab forbids the use of anything offensive in land names and we are obligated to remove them.
Many people opt for something simple like "Nicky's Place" while others like to add the location too, i.e: Nicky's Place @ Puntarenas. There is no need to include the island name as this appears automatically.
I want my partner/friend/mother-in-law to be able to set my parcel of land to home?
Refer to "Groups" section below.
Can I subdivide/resell my land in the future?
Any plot can be put up for sale only as it was purchased, without splitting into sub-plots or joining with other plots.
In case tier payment is overdue on a plot, that plot cannot be put up for sale under any circumstances. Any plot found to be up for sale, while violating this rule, will be reclaimed immediately without any notice or compensation whatsoever.
I bought two properties and want to join them. How do I do this?
Contact Giancarlo Takacs.
Can I buy an entire sim and link it to Costa Rica Sims Estate?
Yes, but you must buy the island through us, not Linden Lab, and the island will remain in our name. It must also fit in with the terms of the CRS Covenant, and it must not detract from the estate's appearance. Purchase price for a full sim with 15,000 prims is $1,000 USD, monthly tier per island is $365 USD. IM Giancarlo Takacs for more details.
PRIMS + OBJECTS
Do you sell double-prim land?
Yes, some of our regions have a double-prim bonus factor.
The Objects tab in "About Land" says that there are 30 items on my property belonging to Giancarlo Takacs . Why didn't they transfer to me and can I delete them?
When a land sale goes through, not all objects transfer, even if the property is marked "objects included in sale."
It is not our design, but that of our suppliers. The suppliers provides the items "no transfer" option to give buyers a better value. For example, waves, most trees, and seagulls, will not transfer. However if they are on your land, you are welcome to enjoy them.
Equally if you want more, we will put them in free of charge. Please don't use Auto-Return. If you do, you will lose all landscaping on your land.
I accidentally lost an object underground?
Objects may be lost underground as the result of an editing mistake or by changes in the terrain. The following steps provide instructions to help locate objects that may be stuck underground:
1. Hide the ground in Second Life: Activate the Advance menu by pressing Ctrl+Alt+D. Then, choose Rendering > Type > Surface Patch.
2. Rotate your camera and locate any of your objects that may be buried underground.
I want to allow/prevent people creating objects on my land.
Go to "About Land" and then select the "Options" tab, uncheck the "create objects all residents" box. This will allow only the owner of the land or a members of the group to which the land is deeded to rezz objects. If you want to allow anyone to rezz on the land, you simply check the "create objects all residents" box. Note, if your land is open for anyone to rezz you are exposing the entire estate to risk. Strangers will be able to rezz any kind of prims on your parcel. If prim allotment is at its maximum, you may risk losing some of your own prims in the process.
GROUPS
I joined the CRS Group. How do I change my tag from VIP to Resident?
In order to become a resident, you must be a land owner in the estate. Once you are a land owner, you can go to the Edit menu and select Groups. Click on CRS group, then the Info button. In the General tab, you will see a drop box, "My Active Title." Choose your preferred title here.
Also be aware that our Costa Rica Sims group is our official method of advising residents of changes in the estate, i.e. amendments to the covenant. If you choose to leave the group and subsequently miss out on important notices, we will accept no responsibility for your decision.
I am an CRS Resident but I can't rezz on CRS land.
Make sure that your active group is CRS and you should have no problems.
Can I add friends and partners to CRS group?
Yes! Just contact one of the executive team members.
I want my friend/partner to be able to set home to my land. How can I do this?
This is a common request and confuses many people. The following is the best way to solve the problem. It's a big subject so please read it and understand it.
The Prenuptial Agreement Method: Ryker buys a parcel of land in Alajuela. He wants his partner to be able to set it as home, but SL only recognizes one owner and won't let his partner do it. The solution is for Ryker to form a group - It must be Ryker who creates and owns this group - We will explain why later.
So Ryker creates the group "Ryker and Partner's Place." In "About Land" he sets the land to group, then checks the Allow Deed To Group box, then presses the deed button. Ryker then receives a very scary warning from SL saying that his partner can now sell his land etc... and keep half the money. This is true if Ryker doesn't follow the instructions below.
As the owner of the group, Ryker has to invite his partner to join it. Before Ryker does this, he needs to establish what level of control he wants his partner to have over the group, and accordingly, his parcel of land. I wholeheartedly recommend that you DO NOT invite a partner or friend to the group as an Owner. Instead, make them an Officer, then uncheck all the boxes under the heading "Parcel Management." This removes their ability to sell your land while granting them all other privileges necessary to treat the land as their own.
The above method basically serves the same purpose as a prenuptial agreement. Not very romantic but practical, and in most cases your partner won't even notice the difference. The estate has used this method with most of the public land in CRS by deeding it to CRS Group. In essence, Land Owners are Officers with "Parcel Management" powers removed. It means we love you dearly and hope our blissful union lasts forever, but we understand that it may not.
The other choice is to give your partner equal ownership. It's not the wisest choice and can lead to problems if you break up with your partner.
The Equal Owner Method: In short, it's all of the above except you would invite your partner to join as an Owner instead of an Officer. With this method, it doesn't really matter who creates the group. The only real advantage with this technique is a romantic one. The risks though are many.
Your partner can sell/surrender your land, and all members of that group will receive an equal cut of the sale price, if any. A less ethical partner could even sell the land to themselves for $1 Linden and you won't have a leg to stand on.
Now for the warnings. Understand the following if you use this method
1. Once the land is deeded to a group where there are multiple owners, we have no way of knowing what agreements have been reached between the members of that group. For example, Ryker´s partner may have paid for half the land. Even a receipt serves no function because we don't know whether other arrangements have been made or countering receipts exist. Furthermore, it is not our role to police your group's activity or to spend hours sorting out a mess you shouldn't have created. So this is our policy on settling disputes over group owned land.
In the case of groups disbanding or partners splitting up, the person who is registered with the payment board is considered the resident on record and will retain the rights to the property.
Understand fully that even if you are the original owner of that land and even if you're the one paying the monthly tiers, it means nothing if you have deeded the land to equal owners. Equally, if you are NOT the original Land Owner, and you invest in someone else's group owned land, ensure that they make you an Owner of the group and not an Officer.
2. It is unlikely we will have to mediate at all, because if it is a vicious break-up within the group, usually one of the parties will sell the parcel to his/herself, thus removing all evidence. Once that happens, you're buggered.
COMMUNITY LAND
Can I park my vehicle on community land?
No, vehicles are not allowed on community land unless specific permission is granted by a member of the Executive Team.
Non moving vehicles such as large yachts are considered to be houses and are not allowed on public land.
I tried to rez an object on community land but it wouldn't let me?
On land set to CRS group, all residents can rez. CRS group must be your active group at the time.
How can I tell if it is CRS land?
There are several ways of doing this until you learn your way around. The best way is to go click on the land and select "About Land." Under the "General" tab you will see who the owner(s) are for the property. If it is CRS, you can rez. Please always take your items back to your inventory when done!
BUSINESSES
I want to run a business from home. Can I do this?
Costa Rica Sims is largely residential, but we also have a commercial district. We are open to the idea of businesses in our commerical district if they don't conflict too greatly with products or services provided by the estate.
We support entrepreneurialism, so if you desire to have your own mainstore or other organization please contact us to discuss the options we can develop together.
WEIRD STUFF
All the water disappeared. What can I do?
This is an SL glitch, thankfully an easy one to fix. Click on World, then Region/Estate. Close the pop up box, and voila, the water is back. If that fails, clear your cache and reboot.
Whenever I cross a region/sim edge, weird things happen?
Yes, they can. It's because you are jumping from one server to another in a fraction of a second. During that time, the new server has to identify your avatar, check your permissions, reset any scripts you're running, check to see if you're allowed or banned in the new region, and also process information on any attachments you are wearing. Any HUDs on your display will also be affected.
REDUCING LAG
As the Costa Rica Sims grows, there are more prims, textures, visitors, and cool things to see - making lag more of an issue than ever before. This is a technical document about "lag" and how to make your Second Life® experience better. Not a must read, but you will probably be glad you did. For most of you, this document will improve your experience dramatically.
(This is rather long so please CLICK HERE to read this helpful information!)
