Food / Looking for Recipe/Info on Cake with Preserves/Jam [3]

sounds like a variation on Sacher Torte (or Sachertorte). You could also try googling 'tort warstwy przekładany konfiturą' (cake layers layered with jam) or combinations of that and see if any of the images that come up look like the right thing. I don't have time right now but I'll do a bit more research for you later on today. I'd hate to see a man not get his favourite cake on his birthday!

Genealogy / Writing to the council (tracing for father's step sister) [14]

Yes, that looks like the right form. My Polish isn't up to translating the covering letter I'm afraid.

You probably already know this but you need to attach proof of your relationship to this person (e.g. original birth certificates, translated by a sworn translator if they're not Polish). The full description of the process is here:

bip.krakow.pl/?dok_id=3276&sub=procedura&proc=SA-18

Real Estate / Buying a property in Poland to rent out from the UK [82]

Surely this only holds if it's officially designated as a lokal użytkowy, not a lokal mieszkalny and if the renter is a company not an individual. AFAIK there's still no possibility of 'eksmisja na bruk' for individuals so it makes no difference.

Real Estate / Landlords and flat owners in Poland - how do you choose your tenants? [5]


This is standard practice in the UK. When I rent one of my properties there, the agent does the research and supplies me with 3 months of bank statements for each tenant, an employer's confirmation of employment contract, salary + bonuses and they also check the references that the tenants supply.

Here in Poland I play safe by renting either to friends or friends of friends, or to corporates through an agency. I've yet to be given the same level of detail as in the UK, but I don't see why you can't ask for these details :) Basically I meet the people and decide whether they seem reasonable and then take a month's deposit and hope for the best. So far so good...

Life / $3,000-$4,000 a month - would we have enough money to live in Poland? [273]

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles and I hope that the next year is a better one for you. I don't know if this will help but I saw a really interesting talk about phantom pain a while ago - maybe it could help you too...

ted.com/talks/vilayanur_ramachandran_on_your_mind.html
blog.ted.com/2008/03/21/phantom_limb_pa

Real Estate / Any Rent Guarantee Insurance in Poland? Tenants& Landlords In Poland [5]

There's no formal scheme, but you can always take a tenant to court for non-payment.

Real Estate / Tenancy tribunal or similar Poland office, to resolve dispute with landlord? [7]


I'm afraid not - the only route is to go through the courts.

Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]


They don't grow butternut squash, or parsnips here and Jerusalem artichokes, the favourite veg of fancy chefs in the UK, is considered cattlefeed. There are piles of black turnips and horseradish root everywhere (I mean - how much of that stuff can you possibly need!!!). It's a weird place, Poland...

Food / Grilled Oszczypek/bacon/cranberry sauce - where to find in Krakow? [6]


Try Aperitif on Maly Rynek or the Stary Kleparz market - ask to see the certificate as there are a lot of fakes around. But be quick, the oscypek production season ends at the end of October and they're only around for a month longer. Anything sold after that is made from cow's milk (not sheep or sheep + cow, as is required) and isn't oscypek.

Real Estate / Question about Czynsz (Building maintenance fees/utilies) in Poland [129]


You're right - it does sounds very steep. I don't know whether this is standard practice but in our set up, the rubbish and water/scieki are calculated on the basis of how many people actually live in the place (I'll dig out our charges for place in central Krakow when I have some time). Does it include heating (central or district) too? And you're paying quite a bit for the fundusz remontowy as well...

Real Estate / Question about Czynsz (Building maintenance fees/utilies) in Poland [129]


Standard rate for an administrator to administer is about 1-1.5zl/m2 which should include building insurance, lighting of common parts (stairs etc), cleaning, minor repairs.

Then there's the Fundusz Remontowy on top, which depends on what the co-owners decide. For example, we've settled for 2zl/m2, but I'd prefer it to be 3-4zl/m2 so that we can gather the funds to do the work quicker. It is entirely feasible that once work is done, you will have a vote and this part can be reduced.

Travel / Getting from Krakow to Warsaw [99]

You can find out the fare for a given train on the PKP website - pkp.pl It takes between 2.5-3.5hrs.

Real Estate / I was adopted - what are my rights? Property inheritance in Poland [11]


It's pretty straightforward, but not easy. There are cases of old owners of properties recovering them fairly frequently in Poland so it's definitely not impossible. You need a lawyer to check the deeds of the properties and on what basis they were managed and sold. They can then advise you what to do next. It won't be quick or particularly cheap and you definitely, definitely need a good lawyer. The fact that you were adopted makes no difference under Polish law.

If your properties are somewhere in the south of Poland (Silesia, Malopolska, Podkarpacie), I too can give you the name of a good (and trustworthy) German-speaking Polish lawyer who operates here.

Real Estate / Question about Czynsz (Building maintenance fees/utilies) in Poland [129]


Of course there is - Art. 208 of the Kodeks Cywilny. If you don't get anywhere, Art. 203 allows you to appeal to the court to appoint an administrator.

Life / Back from Poland! I belong there! [16]


Yes, but are you ready for the way that life is going here?

Real Estate / Question about Czynsz (Building maintenance fees/utilies) in Poland [129]


Usually, they don't. I get a break down of what everyone is due to pay and at the end of the year, a statement about how much they've actually paid, a full set of accounts and photocopies of all the invoices and bills. Other people I know get the same and regularly have management company meetings to plan how they're going to spend their Fundusz Remontowy.

What does your administrator tell you when you ask for this information?

Real Estate / Question about Czynsz (Building maintenance fees/utilies) in Poland [129]

The short answer is that yes, there are rules, but it depends on your particular situation. If your administrator doesn't respond to your requests for information, you should talk to a lawyer about sending an official letter and trying to extract the information that way. The administrator can carry out minor repairs without approval of the owners, but all major building works need to be approved by a majority. He/she should also give you a statement of the balance in the renovation fund if you have one.

It's easy, but time consuming, to check who the other owners in the building are by checking the Księgi Wieczyste or getting an extract from the land register at the local Geodezja office, which I believe will also give you addresses as well as names.

Law / Setting up small business in Poland? [191]


OK, OK, maybe I exaggerated :)


He should check whether he would also need to buy and register a cash till. There are subsidies available to cover part of the cost of buying an appropriate till, but the rules on registering them are pretty strict.

Law / Setting up small business in Poland? [191]



I think you'd be wrong - the vast majority of Poles earn on the side and pay in cash for everything. Spend what you've saved - a novel concept, eh?

Law / Got Polish citizenship, now I need a Pesel and passport [26]


In my case it was much, much simpler to do it the other way round - once I had the Decision Certificate, I filled in the application form for a PESEL that the Polish consulate gave me and after some time, I went to pick up my new passport which already had my PESEL in it. Once I had that I went to my Urzad and got my Dowód Osobisty. There was minimal hassle! I only wanted a Dowód because I was moving to Poland - otherwise, there was no need to have it... Why are you doing it this way round? The Urzedy in Poland aren't very good at dealing with exceptions, while the Consulates are.

Work / Price per day... private painting and decorating in Poland [23]


Here in Krakow I just paid 10zl/m2 to wash down, prime and paint with 2 coats of emulsion.

Also, have a look here for more ideas:

malowanie-warszawa.pl/cennik-malowanie/cennik-malowanie-wnetrz.html

Travel / Driving to Krakow - which route to take from the Tri-Cities? [10]

It's 6hrs from central Berlin to Krakow. The first 80km of the A18 on the Polish side in this direction are hideous but after that it's easy.

News / What Poland can't do right [113]


They're only available in season - from May to October. And yes, sheep milk + up to 40% of cows milk.

Real Estate / Returning Polish expat wishing to purchase property in Poland [4]

It's the notary who will do the paperwork anyway. I've found that our remote gmina was actually far easier to deal with and more helpful than the overworked and harassed uzrędniczki in Kraków.

Law / Is it possible to open a home based bakery in Poland? [14]


I suspect that things were much easier to 'arrange' with the pre-PRL Sanepid, but this one is much more careful. Many of these rules come out of over-zealous interpretation of the EU Food Hygiene regulations.

All it takes is one nosey neighbour to report you and you could have serious problems.

Law / Is it possible to open a home based bakery in Poland? [14]


Yes, all businesses dealing with food have to be registered and operate out of approved premises. These differ depending on whether you're using pre-prepared products or preparing food from scratch, but the Sanepid website says that domestic kitchens do not satisfy the requirements, even though the EU regulations specifically allow for this option. For some friends of mine who run a small wine bar where they also prepare food the requirements included 2 entrances (one for food/wine deliveries and another for the clients), tiling of the walls, washable floors, separate sinks for washing hands, utensils and preparing fruit/vegetables, an industrial standard dishwasher (with a certificate) and a separate sink for rinsing dirty dishes located in a separate area, a HACCP assessment showing the production route and packaging and storage that is certified for food use. If you plan on using fresh eggs you need a steriliser set up in a separate room for sterilising them (otherwise you can buy pasteurised eggs in cartons). If you plan to transport food you need to have an approved vehicle (refrigerated, if the food is perishable) and facilities and procedures for cleaning it, as well as a separate area for washing out the containers used for transport if they're reusable. You may also have to keep samples of your food for a certain amount of time. Every year you also need to get your water supply tested (600zl) and have a Karta Zdrowia for anyone handling food.

Forget about getting any useful information out of Sanepid - they are there to inspect you, not to help set you up so that they have less work. You will need to get a specialist architect to do the design which is then submitted for approval. You can't start doing business until your premises have been approved.

One way around this might be to set yourself up as a cake decorating consultant and travel to people's houses to do the work there, but you'd have to check!