Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 14. Disputes › Collecting debts in the Dominican Republic: titles, seizures, mortgage foreclosure and movable collateral

Collecting debts in the Dominican Republic: titles, seizures, mortgage foreclosure and movable collateral

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Only a court decision or a notarial first copy for a money debt is an enforceable title for seizure, so many creditors sign a notarial act at the start. Mortgage creditors can use the fast Ley 189-11 path: an unpaid payment order turns into a seizure in 15 days. Registered movable collateral under Ley 45-20 can even be sold out of court if the contract says so.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.8594 per US dollar for 28 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Payment window before land seizure, Ley 189-11	15 daysLey 189-11 art. 153, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Wait before ordinary land seizure	30 daysCódigo de Procedimiento Civil art. 674, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Debtor window in extrajudicial movable sale	3 clear daysLey 45-20 art. 96, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Rate used for USD conversions	60.8594 DOP per USDBanco Central reference selling rate, 28 October 2026, as of 2026-10-28 · in force

The rule

1. Enforceable titles include first copies of judgments and of notarial acts containing an obligation to pay money. Public officials must lend support to enforcement.Código de Procedimiento Civil, art. 545, 1934-05-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. No seizure can proceed without an enforceable title and for a liquid, certain debt.Código de Procedimiento Civil, art. 551, Poder Judicial compilation official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. A judgment can only be enforced against a party after notice to that party, unless performance is voluntary.Ley 834 de 1978, as printed in the Código de Procedimiento Civil, art. 116, 1978-07-15 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Seizure of movables needs a payment order served at least one day earlier.Código de Procedimiento Civil, art. 583, Poder Judicial compilation official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Ordinary land seizure needs a payment order and cannot proceed until 30 days later. After 90 days the order must be repeated.Código de Procedimiento Civil, art. 673 and art. 674, 1944-12-20 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Any creditor with a contractual mortgage may opt for the special procedure, including foreign lenders and security agents, whatever the secured debt.Ley 189-11, as amended by Ley 249-17, art. 149 and art. 150, 2011-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. The creditor serves a payment order. If the debtor does not pay in full within 15 days, the order becomes a seizure by law, and partial payment does not stop it.Ley 189-11, as amended by Ley 249-17, art. 152 and art. 153, 2011-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. The award judgment cannot be attacked by a main nullity action, only by cassation within 15 days, without suspensive effect. A request to suspend must be decided within 30 calendar days.Ley 189-11, as amended by Ley 249-17, art. 167, 2011-07-16 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. For registered movable collateral, the creditor files an enforcement form in the electronic system. The certificate and the security contract together form an enforceable title, with no prior suit.Ley 45-20 de Garantías Mobiliarias, art. 84, 2020-02-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. The parties may agree on extrajudicial enforcement. The debtor gets three clear days to prove only payment or limitation, then the auction, direct sale or award in payment proceeds.Ley 45-20 de Garantías Mobiliarias, art. 92 to art. 97, 2020-02-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. The parties may agree a special seizure of the collateral so that the creditor takes possession before sale.Ley 45-20 de Garantías Mobiliarias, art. 88, 2020-02-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Claim	Route	First deadline
Notarial debt act	Payment order and seizure	1 day for movables
Mortgage	Ley 189-11 special seizure	15 days
Mortgage, ordinary path	Código de Procedimiento Civil	30 days
Registered movable collateral	Ley 45-20	3 clear days
Invoice only	Suit, or garnishment with judge permission	Octave to sue for validity

Collection routes

Worked example

A lender holds a RD$20,000,000 mortgage (about US$328,626.31) in default. It serves the Ley 189-11 order. If unpaid after 15 days, the seizure is in place, and a part payment of RD$5,000,000 only reduces what the sale must cover.

Step by step

Take a notarial title or registered security when lending.
Register the security properly.
Have a bailiff serve the payment order.
File the order at the Registro de Títulos for land.
Check for any restructuring filing before enforcing.

Common traps

A private invoice is no enforceable title: seizure needs a judgment or a notarial act, though garnishment has its own rule in art. 557.
Ley 189-11 covers only contractual mortgages, not judicial or legal ones.
A restructuring request stays enforcement under Ley 141-15 art. 54.
Banks also use Ley 6186 of 1963, whose text and later rulings should be checked for the specific lender.

Sources

← Appeals and cassation in the Dominican Republic: one month to appeal, 20 working days to the Supreme CourtCommercial arbitration in the Dominican Republic: Ley 489-08, chamber courts and the State →

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