Gene Conti SCREWED as Palo Verde is CLOSED for Good

Palo Verde in La Fortuna CLOSED for GOOD.
Again, Eugene 'Gene' Conti, majority owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica gets BITCHED SLAPPED by Karma. Love it! See that sign 'BCR', that's a bank here in Costa Rica and it's on the side of one of the buildings in Palo Verde (which looks like shit by the way), so obviously my last post was accurate, the Bank does now own Palo Verde. I couldn't be happier. I'm sure Gene Conti got 'his' out of Palo Verde before the bank got a hold of it but at least he couldn't squeeze any more 'manipulative dollars' out of it by selling it to some other unlucky schlub. Let's CELEBRATE!



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Happy F'in NEW YEAR Gene Conti

To Eugene 'Gene' Conti, owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica, a man that will stab you in the BACK and the FRONT:

I want to wish a very HAPPY and hopefully ENLIGHTENING, upcoming NEW YEAR!

Maybe this will be the year you'll make EVERYTHING right and you can start by paying me the $6,000+ you owe me. Hey, a man can wish can't he?

If you've come to this BLOG for the first time and you're reading this, I would recommend you begin at the VERY first post and see why I say the things I do about Gene Conti, owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica. If not, just seems like I'm being sarcastic for NO reason. lol

*Okay, I don't think Gene Conti would literally stab someone...but figuratively I have the marks to prove that he would.

Anyway, my HAPPY NEW YEAR song to Eugene Conti (feel free to sing along):



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Palo Verde Resort - EXPLAIN Yourself - PLEASE

Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica owes me $6,394.00.
This is an open letter to Palo Verde Resorts principle owners, Eugene 'Gene' Conti and Larry Bernstein.

I used my own money $3,394.00, (I have the receipts) for repairs, maintenance, new curtains and what not for the betterment of the resort + the $3,000.00 Palo Verde Resort owes to D'Angelo Valentin for services rendered, which if you remember, was agreed on by ALL partners. I was (am) part owner and was happy to help out as I expected GREAT things from my investment. At the time, I cared about Palo Verde Resort. Now, I no longer do, but that's beside the point.

My question is, since Palo Verde Resort, aka Eugene Gene Conti and Larry Bernstein, reneged on its initial promise to pay me in FULL when Palo Verde sold some land it had (when was that, like 2 years ago), when will I see my money?

I would be interested to hear your rationalization of why you haven't or don't think you have to pay me. Feel free to respond in the comment section of this post I will gladly print your response unedited.

I know you read this blog. Don't forget, 'SILENCE is acceptance'.

And to the potential buyer of Palo Verde Resort, make your first check out to: Mike Skofield for $6,394.00 it would be SO appreciated.

Oh SH**, almost forgot, same question to Craig Nico Pisani, except add approximately $13,000.00

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Palo Verde Resort STILL on the Market

Thinking of buying Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica?
Apparently Eugene Gene Conti has not SOLD Palo Verde Resort aka Arenal Bungalows in La Fortuna Costa Rica. I had heard scuttlebutt an Italian guy had purchased it but that doesn't appear to be TRUE, or at least the SALE was never completed, not sure.

The good NEWS is, if Gene Conti hasn't SOLD Palo Verde Resort yet, your chances of getting a great DEAL are INCREASED big time for reasons I've mentioned in previous posts. Unfortunately for Gene Conti in regards to Palo Verde Resort, there are already really good deals on LAND and HOTELS in the La Fortuna, Arenal area and Palo Verde Resort is just ONE of many, so make sure you do your homework. You might want to start by reading this blog in the reVERSE as I think it paints an accurate picture of what happened to me although I do understand MOST of you don't know me from Adam and have no reason to believe me. Hell, don't believe it or not believe it, just take it for more INFO so you can make a more well informed decision.

Homework Tip #1: Get a lawyer who has NO connection to the 'seller' and let them RESEARCH the answers to the questions you may have about legalities and what not.
Better yet, email me at travelcostaricanow@gmail.com if you have any questions, I may not have all the answers, but I sure and hell can provide some perspective.

Old METAL song I just recently revisited:



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Gene Conti still keeping me in the DARK

Eugene 'Gene' Conti the primary owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica is still keeping me in the DARK as to what's going on with the resort.
***Sold? Not Sold? In the works? What? still NOTHING.***
The scuttlebutt is that Gene Conti SOLD Palo Verde Resort to an Italian guy. This may or may not be true, hard to say. As a 10% owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna, you would have thought I'd have to sign a few papers if the place switched hands, but again, hard to say. I'm not sure if I'm even 'on' the paperwork anymore. And I haven't seen the other principle owner of Palo Verde around La Fortuna either, Larry Bernstein. This is a small town, seems like I would have seen him or at least heard he was in town.... NOTHING. Still not sure of Larry's and Gene's relationship, also hard to say. Gene Conti usually doesn't have anything to do with others unless it's in his BEST interest... and once it's not, the relationship is severed. It's possible Larry feels the same way about Gene Conti as I do and wants nothing to do with him...... have I said, "hard to say" yet?

I've obviously not been successful in my bid to procure a lawyer or I would know the answers. And If I had some money, I'd have a lawyer..... blah, blah, blah.

I continue to do what I do, work on our websites, make our videos and LOOK forward. I try not to dwell on the negativity of Gene Conti, Larry Bernstein, Palo Verde Resort and even our old 'friend', Nico Pisani. But let's face it, I bought into 10% of Palo Verde and if it's been SOLD I should be collecting some money, not to mention the $6,000+ owed to me by Gene Conti and Palo Verde Resort. And not to doubly mention Nico Pisani who also owes me $20,000+ as well, which is an entirely different issue. *That story is quite interesting.... you're not going to want to miss it.... it's coming, don't worry. In that saga, I was a different kind of STUPID.

For the RECORD, although I don't dwell on Gene Conti and Palo Verde, it needs to be made right eventually, and when I'm able to, I'll be taking someone to COURT if Palo Verde Resort has indeed SOLD..... without me seeing my 10%

*To any OWNER or POTENTIAL owner of the now defuncted Palo Verde Resort: Before you get in bed with Gene Conti, you might want to ask him about me, Michael Alan Skofield.

There you have it- consider yourself UPDATED.

Palo Verde Resort CLOSED for Good?

It appears Eugene Gene Conti principle owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna has decided to CLOSE the doors on the resort for GOOD- I think anyway.
The question is, what is he going to do with Palo Verde now that the Arenal Bungalow deal with Robert Bobby Blair has apparently fell through? I haven't heard ANYTHING- zilch, NADA... the only thing I heard was a few weeks ago a friend of mine said Palo Verde Resort was on the local news in a story about some area businesses that were forced to shut down because of not paying taxes. Although I wouldn't doubt it, I don't know whether my friend is mistaken, misheard the story or what, so I don't know if it's true or not. But really, it doesn't matter. Palo Verde is CLOSED and it's hard to say what Gene Conti is going to do next. * I do know one thing- when he needs money, which is frequently, he is known to make some really SWEET deals for the buyer.... just sayin.

I also never heard anything from Bobby Blair either, I would have thought he would have said something to me like, "Could you please STOP writing about me, I have nothing to do with Gene Conti, Palo Verde, Arenal Bungalows or La Fortuna for that matter."

NOW, I'm so far out of the LOOP, I'm not even sure there is a LOOP, which is the reason I haven't posted anything in a month or so as I don't have the foggiest idea what is true or not true, what is going on with Gene, Larry, Bobby, Nico Pisani or what is NOT going on.

As for me, I just want my $6,394.00 as promised, you know, a little good-faith money.

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Owners Gene and Bobby FEELING the HEAT?

The folks at Robert 'Bobby' Blair Real Estate and Arenal Bungalows in La Fortuna must be feeling the HEAT about now.
Bobby Blair, Eugene 'Gene' Conti and Nico Pisani have a few decisions to make in regards on how to deal with me but if Eugene Conti's second email to me is any indication as to their plan of DEFENSE, well lets just say this isn't going to be resolved anytime soon.

I would imagine collectively, they're pissed at me, but I'll bet a million bucks there's been some 'in fighting' as to how to proceed against me.... well, I'd like to think so anyway. Before I get to Mr. Conti's second email, I would speculate that the following are pretty much their only options:

* Ignore me and HOPE for the BEST.

* Take me to court for 'whatever'

* Deal with me in business like fashion.

* Do something underhanded, sneaky, and/or illegal.... it's an option... just sayin.

* Proceed as they've BEEN, telling me 'just enough' in hopes of shutting me up.

If there's others, I can't think of any. Luckily, before I started, 'Arenal Bungalows- MY STORY' I carefully considered ALL possible angles and outcomes (well, most anyway) and I realized one thing- It's ALL good, I'm comfortable with whatever. I've actually become quite INVIGORATED over this entire ordeal and I can tell you, it's not about WINNING, because honesty, I don't think I will, it's merely the satisfaction of knowing I stood up for yourself ... finally, after years of them thinking I believed their SHIT... but I digress.

So Eugene Conti sends me another email after the very short, cryptic first email which said: "Tortious Interference with Contract or Business Expectancy" *that's a link to the actual post as well, if you're interested.

I won't cut and paste the second email,,but it wasn't much longer, here's the gist:

1. He told me, "foreclosure is imminent".

2. He said that Larry Bernstein (30% owner of Palo Verde Resort) won't HELP monetarily because of what I've written, actually it was more like this, "...which I attribute to your slanderous campaign against your own interests."

3. A contract has been signed to purchase 'the hotel' in 1 year, with a lease/option. The sale would depend on finding a potential buyer.

He then told me if I continued on this track, their would be 'no money' to SPLIT and then closed by asking me how anyone could ever, "do such things against their own interest?"

If this email was meant to either appease me, scare me or.... HELL, I don't know what it was meant to do. But I do know this:

Eugene Conti has ignored me for a long, LONG time and if this was suppose to bring me up to SNUFF... it's not only LAUGHABLE on so many levels... but OFFENSIVE to say the least.

Gene must have told the 'others' he'd take 'care of this', as he does consider himself somewhat of a problem solver of sorts (actually he's more like a politician trying to get re-elected), but if this is how they've decided to DEAL with me... all I can say is, "WOW!"

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Eugene Conti & Larry Bernstein Birds of a Feather?

Larry Bernstein of Florida is a 30% owner of Palo Verde Resort. I'm not sure how involved he is with the SALE of Palo Verde and the dealings with Robert 'Bobby' Blair and Arenal Bungalows or if he's letting Gene call all the shots, but I would assume Larry's protecting his interest, he's a business man and apparently a successful one.

Honestly, I can't really be upset with Larry since we DIDN'T and DON'T really care for each other either, so I'm sure he doesn't give a rats ass if I'm in the 'LOOP' or not (although you'd think he'd CARE a little about me NOW...just sayin).

I do however, know a few things about Larry Bernstein. First, he was what most people would consider 'rich'. If he is now, after the recession, couldn't tell you, but I know he was. I can also tell you I was hoping to ride Larry's coattails so to speak, if anyone had the 'money' to keep Gene Conti in 'CHECK' it was Larry, so in my mind, if Larry ever called Gene OUT on his Palo Verde shenanigans, I thought I could ride along in the lawsuit as a 10% owner. *My real estate NAIVETY knew no bounds.

*But now, I believe Gene has Larry right where he wants him- in his back pocket, but Larry's ALWAYS been there whether he knows it or not. Personally, I believe the back pocket skews the VIEW of things, but Larry seems as comfortable there as Gene feels having him there. *Purely speculative on my part.


I didn't like Larry from almost the first time I met him. He's loud and a bit obnoxious, but only because he has MONEY, so people put up with him because he's FUN at a party and ALWAYS picks up the tab. I'm fairly certain he's not 'self made', I think he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and I'll tell you why,

Larry is a closeted gay man with his family, don't know if he still is or not, nor do I care, but the 'gay' thing is one of the reasons I don't care for him, but I'll get to that in a second. In my experience, 'self made' men usually don't give a 'rip' how others may view them, but men who may inherit 'Daddy's money', well, let's just say that's ample motivation for some folks to keep their homosexual practices in the CLOSET. Here's what happened:

When I was finally OUT, I promised myself I would NEVER, EVER deny who I was again- for ANY reason, for ANYONE.... which includes my own family. In my mind, you're either with me or you're NOT. I was made to feel bad about myself for too long, so I swore, NEVER again. Anyway, Larry's family was coming to visit him at Palo Verde Resort and Larry actually had the audacity to 'TELL' me and D'Angelo we had to leave the resort for about a month while his family was there because we were gay (don't remember if he said, "too gay" or just "gay", I believe it was the former) and he didn't want his family making any connection between our gayness and him. I was about 46 at the time, can you imagine? But when you're RICH and usually get what you want, in his mind it was a plausible demand.

Pretty much went WAy downhill from there, although Larry did tell me after D'Angelo and myself left Palo Verde that we should get a lawyer as soon as possible to protect our interests.

In the beginning, Larry stayed and managed Palo Verde fairly regularly. Gone for a few months, then returning and managing the place for a month or so and then leaving again. And he was always GREAT with the staff, buying them lunch or dinner or BOTH, helping out monetarily when he saw fit and would often spend his own money to keep Palo Verde afloat and once even sponsored a Palo Verde employee's soccer team- WAY COOL! But even Larry knew Gene Conti was a TERRIBLE manager in general, but a bad manager of money in particular, but since he was RICH, he didn't really appear bothered by Gene's everyday pinching of the dimes and nickles. But he was also in a bit of denial about Gene and his ways- in Dec. 2005, Gene was going to have a 'shareholders' meeting and ban Larry from Palo Verde, or should I say, he could come to the place but couldn't sleep there (or manage the place)... but that's when Gene thought he had me to watch his 'monetary' back. Hey Larry, don't believe me? Ask him and watch him squirm.

I guess I've just been surprised at just how much Larry has put up with from Gene, I mean he invested in Palo Verde and appeared to want it to be successful, but yet seemed to have gotten more 'hands-off' over the last couple years, and really, pretty much has let Gene do whatever he's wanted. I asked Larry about 3 years ago how long he would put up with Palo Verde not making any money before he would ask Gene to cut the Palo Verde losses and SELL, he said, "One year."

Ummmm,,,,,interesting. Don't forget, I'VE NEVER, EVER seen my 10% of any monthly Palo Verde profits generated from the tourist dollar, so apparently it was NEVER profitable... to me anyway.

I've got TONS of questions for Larry Bernstein..... one of my questions: "HOW MUCH are YOU and GENE getting off the TOP from the SALE of Palo Verde... you know, cause you guys SUNK so much of your own money (with receipts of course) into this 'losing proposition",...so really, how much are you guys taking before we ALL split the proceeds?" Shouldn't we already know?

I'm sure Larry has his investment secure and maybe even making a little money, not sure. Hell, maybe he's washed his hands of Palo Verde and Costa Rica, you never know.

"Does this recipe really call for skimming off the top?"
I can't help but feel Larry has to be a little disappointed he EVER got in bed with Gene Conti, he really seemed to like the IDEA of having a little place of paradise.....

"Nah...... with folks like Larry Bernstein and Eugene Conti, it's all about the money.......... and the KILL."

"Damn, I can't remember how's it goes...'birds of a feather....' something like that."
*For those of you asking about Nico Pisani, don't worry, of all the people I mention in this blog, I've been the most intimate with HIM. He's almost an entirely different BLOG all together, and the fact Craig Nicholas 'Nico' Pisani owes me more than $20,000.00, well, that's not even the half of it.

**Truthfully, I don't know the relationship status of Eugene Gene Conti and Larry Bernstein. The above is mostly speculation based on MY: experiences w/ Larry and/or Gene, observances, lack of communication, prior conversations... I'm merely connecting the dots in logical fashion. If I'm wrong, it's because I am out of the LOOP, and that begs questions, which I have many.

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Palo Verde Resort- SOLD! WTF

Palo Verde Resort became Arenal Bungalows without me knowing..... which OBVIOUSLY begs the question,

"Mike, how in the HELL did you let that happen... DUMBASS?"

The short answer is I didn't and don't have the neverending funds to keep a lawyer on retainer. If did, this may be an entirely different matter, but Gene Conti, Larry Bernstein and maybe (not sure) Bobby Blair unfortunately know this. And really, even if I did, good, efficient lawyers are sometimes difficult to come by, especially when you're going AGAINST gringo's with a little money behind them.

Here's the longer answer.

* Bought land and 10% of Palo Verde Resort from Eugene Conti back in 2005.

* Packed it up and came to Costa Rica with visions of paradise dancing in my head Nov. '05.

* By about March of '06 realized I made a HUGE mistake.

I wish it were this EASY to ERASE my MISTAKES
* Wanted NOTHING to do with Gene Conti as I have no respect nor trust him on ANY level.

* Still owned 10% of Palo Verde and about 1/4 acre lot in back of Palo Verde. I still believed my investment was a SOUND and SECURE one. But it was just too difficult to watch Gene run down Palo Verde, so I just wanted to be a 'silent partner' with hopes that in the future I would maybe make a buck or two if Palo Verde somehow became a money maker, but really I was wishing he would just SELL the place and give me my 10%.

* I basically allowed Gene to do whatever he wanted with Palo Verde, but as we LOVED Costa Rica, we moved to downtown La Fortuna and pondered our options.

* Also at the time, I believed the other partner, Larry Bernstein (30%), would somehow keep Eugene Conti in CHECK since he's RICH (or at least was, don't know how the recession has treated him) and supposedly, a pretty savvy business man. This proved to be another BIG mistake, I'll explain that story in another post.

* Subsequently got in bed with Nico Pisani .... he had a GREAT idea about starting a YouTube type website pertaining ONLY to Costa Rica and although I realized he had a bad aura, bad karma and was/is an 'angry person', I actually believed at the time we could make it work.... that we would pull him to SUCCESS whether he wanted it or NOT, by sheer hard work if nothing else. *Nico Pisani will also be a major subject of mine in future posts but NOT *just because he owes me more than $20,000.00

* I took responsibility for making some bad decisions concerning doing business with the likes of Gene Conti, put things in perspective and refused to look back. Gene and I have had little interaction in the last few years.

* We had a dislike for one another but business is business and personal is personal. He couldn't stand the fact I told him I didn't respect him nor like him and it made no difference what he thought of me, I could still talk to him and treat him well on a strictly professional, business level. He on the other hand, couldn't.

* He has conducted Palo Verde business behind my back for the last 2 years, finally culminating in whatever is happening NOW with Palo Verde becoming Arenal Bungalows, which I'm not privy to. So there it is.

I will fill in the 'blanks' and the between stories with people such as Nico Pisani, Larry Bernstein in later posts. Just wanted to try to make semblance of how it all got out of my GRASP so I don't sound like a COMPLETE dumbass.

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Arenal Bungalows, Bobby, Gene and ME

Arenal Bungalows WAS Palo Verde Resort not more than a month or so ago. Check out Trip Advisor and the REVIEWS of Palo Verde may be part of the REASON they switched names, who knows? I am, as far as I know a 10% owner of Palo Verde Resort. Now, I'm not so sure what I own, or DON'T. Maybe nothing, maybe 10% of Arenal Bungalows, maybe I own 10% of 'paper'...... did I mention, Eugene Conti was a real estate lawyer in Florida?

Gene Conti and I don't care for each other. Personally, I have no respect for the man and it only took me 4 months to realize I was somewhat 'deceived' by this 'slick politician'. BUT, I should mention, I take FULL responsibility for not doing my homework before moving to Costa Rica. Gene Conti was my 1-STOP source of INFO about Costa Rica. I was EASY...too easy. I believed Gene was a friend. I was mistaken. At first, I was actually HURT when the dots weren't connecting and I realized I was merely 'money' to Gene, a short term solution to his Palo Verde money woes. But again, my fault. Can't help it, I'm a handshake kinda guy.......nice guys don't do well in purchasing real estate from friends.

Here's the breakdown: Palo Verde Resort was (is) owned by Eugene 'Gene' Conti (60%), Larry Bernstein (30%) and myself, Michael Skofield (10%),

Now, ENTER a new guy to the mix, Bobby Blair. It appears that Robert 'Bobby' Blair a 'get Rich with REal Estate kinda guy' is either an owner, OR at least in BED with Eugene Conti, thus establishing Arenal Bungalows. I've met Bobby Blair, but don't really know him, ONLY 'of him'.

But here's Bobby Blair doing his thing. I gotta say, kinda CHEEZEEE. The guy INTERVIEWING him is actually his business partner, Steve Tacher but they don't REALLY tell you that. But I'm sure they can tell you HOW to make BIG money.... flipping Real Estate for a little fee of course. Here, he's promoting a SEMINAR he's going to have.....guess WHERE? That's right, Arenal Bungalows...... in La Fortuna, Costa Rica formally Palo Verde Resort... I wonder if I'll get my 10%?

OMG! I just listened CAREFULLY to this VIDEO, he said, "We bought a resort over in Costa Rica". He fuckin bought something I owned without me knowing.....HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Now, here's my FIRST VIDEO of how I came to meet Eugene Conti, owner of Palo Verde Resort in La Fortuna Costa Rica, and packed it ALL up and made the move from Las Vegas to Paradise.....



Don't MISS part 2 where I BREAK DOWN the cast of characters I went to bed with when I became part owner of Palo Verde Resort: Nico Pisani (who's actually putting this little seminar together w/ Bobby Blair and owes me $20,000 as well as owing a few other people money who LIVE in the La Fortuna area), Larry Bernstein, a CLOSETED (or was, not sure NOW) gay man from Florida and 30% shareholder of Palo Verde and of course the GOD FATHER of Palo Verde and possibly Arenal Bungalows (not sure), Eugene, 'Gene' Conti.

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