| Distribution of Mortgages. | ||||
| Rural Properties. | Sum Secured. | Urban Properties. | Sum Secured. | |
| San José | 211 | 990,051.28 | 294 | 796,975.98 |
| Alajuela | 152 | 348,825.25 | 60 | 104,565.73 |
| Heredia | 63 | 190,864.31 | 77 | 187,202.05 |
| Cartago | 166 | 409,518.63 | 139 | 263,261.16 |
| Guanacaste | 14 | 86,281.03 | 3 | 20,000.00 |
| Puntarenas | 12 | 41,843.00 | 4 | 43,000.00 |
| Limon | 51 | 199,893.84 | 16 | 19,300.00 |
| 669 | 2,267,277.34 | 593 | 1,434,304.92 | |
| Cancellations. | ||||
| Rural Properties. | Paid Off. | Urban Properties. | Paid Off. | |
| San José | 116 | 283,513.97 | 211 | 539,572.67 |
| Alajuela | 70 | 304,672.37 | 33 | 188,675.39 |
| Heredia | 31 | 111,107.42 | 28 | 41,781.50 |
| Cartago | 111 | 346,415.03 | 71 | 78,297.61 |
| Guanacaste | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Puntarenas | 4 | 32,952.00 | 2 | 27,498.00 |
| Limon | 28 | 139,917.61 | 13 | 95,505.35 |
| 360 | 1,218,578.40 | 358 | 971,330.52 | |
| Partial Cancellations in Pesos. | ||||
| Rural Properties. | Amortized Debt. | Urban Properties. | Amortized Debt. | |
| San José | 33 | 169,835.81 | 37 | 87,560.81 |
| Alajuela | 13 | 42,414.00 | 2 | 4,400.00 |
| Heredia | 2 | 3,810.00 | 4 | 7,700.00 |
| Cartago | 22 | 238,746.76 | 15 | 18,368.42 |
| Guanacaste | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Puntarenas | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Limon | 35 | 66,000.00 | 1 | 17,367.00 |
| 105 | 520,806.57 | 59 | 135,396.23 | |
| Résumé. | Résumé. | ||||
| Number of Mortgages. | Sum Secured. | Total and Partial Cancellations. | |||
| Pesos. | Pesos. | ||||
| Rural | 669 | 2,267,277.34 | Rural | 465 | 1,739,384.97 |
| Urban | 593 | 1,434,304.92 | Urban | 417 | 1,106,726.75 |
| 1262 | 3,701,582.26 | 882 | 2,846,111.72 | ||
Since 1865 the mortgage law permits this mode of converting real estate; upon due official registration its value may be divided into shares, each represented by a cedula or bond, on which as collateral security money can be raised at any time with perfect safety.
This law is included in the Codizo Civil of 1887 and since that time cedulas to following amounts have been issued:
| Pesos. | Pesos. | ||
| 1888 | 12,000 | 1893 | 336,800 |
| 1889 | 60,500 | 1894 | 482,000 |
| 1890 | 70,200 | 1895 | 666,000 |
| 1891 | 170,100 | 1896 | 1,002,000 |
| 1892 | 380,000 | 1897 | 1,381,700 |
The municipal taxes are not high. The owners of real estate are required to pay only the taxes devoted to the maintenance of municipal police, street lighting and the domestic supply of water.
Other municipal taxes comprise license fees for commercial business, for slaughtering cattle and hogs; for wine houses; taxes for registering of dogs; taxes on tanneries, breweries, coffee-cleaning establishments, cemeteries, etc.
Other important factors of the economic life of Costa Rica are the existing banking establishments. The first bank of Central America was established in 1857, in Costa Rica, by Crisanto Medina. This institution ceased and, in 1863, was replaced by the Banco Anglo-Costaricense with an authorized capital of 2,000,000 pesos and a paid-up capital of 1,200,000. This bank still exists, together with the Banco de Costa Rica established in 1867 with a paid-up capital of 2,000,000 pesos. It incorporated with itself the former Banco de la Union established in 1877.