Are there not laws against FRAUD in Belize? Couldn't/Shouldn't the owners and employees be prosecuted?
Well nigh impossible for a foreigner to get a conviction against a Belizean, either civil or criminal. Not just my view (I've tried three times) but I've been told by several other people who've had similar experiences. In another case involving an American I was told to my face by the Commissioner of Police (the head honcho) that "he would not use his resources to prosecute one foreigner on behalf of another one".
IMO it's one of the biggest problems we have here. I've just received a letter from someone who says he put down US$125k as a hefty deposit on a condo yet to be built that he has now been told by the owner of the site that he has no claim or rights for either a condo (still not built, two years later) or to get his money back. In short, he's been tricked out of his money.
People who know me might be able to guess where the condo is meant to be, and who said "owner" is.
I should add that not all developers here are as dishonest. Many are totally up-front and straightforward to deal with. But if you pick one of the few bad ones you're on your own. Another reason for researching VERY carefully before putting any money down. Before you choose your property, choose your seller and agent.