Posts by Braveheart16

Braveheart16

8 Aug 2015

Life / Best area to live in Lower Silesia, Poland? Property in a countryside. [33]

I am planning to buy a house in the Lower Selisia region in the near future and would welcome comments on some of the better areas to live (in terms of lifestyle, facilities, forests, communities, etc), for example in the area of, Lwowek Slaski, Wlen, Boleslawiec, Gryfow Slaski, Jelenia Gora etc. I am looking to relocate to a property outside towns in the countryside but not far from smaller villages/towns. Thanks for any help on this.....I just want to make sure I buy in the right place.

Braveheart16

8 Aug 2015

Life / Best area to live in Lower Silesia, Poland? Property in a countryside. [33]

Webkot

Thank you very much for the detailed information you have posted it is much appreciated. Lwówek Sląski is a town we are considering and glad it has plenty of facilities including vets as we have a dog and cat. Because of our love for the countryside we are attracted to this area because of the mountains, forests, rivers lakes etc and of course proximity to the German and Czech borders. Thanks for your offer of an estate agent it would be very helpful. We have looked at quite a few estate agent sites so far and another will help. My wife is Polish so this will of course be a great help when settling in but of course I need to really improve on my Polish. Neither of us are familiar with this region and it can be difficult to find the sort of information you have kindly provided, so thank you for this.

Karpaczboy

Thank you very much for your insight on life in your area and how things are changing in Jelenia Gora. It is also good to know that you have found people friendly and generous. It can be difficult to get this sort of information on an area so it is much appreciated. It provides my wife and I with a better understanding of the region. I am sure I will be posting more questions again.

Braveheart16

9 Aug 2015

Life / Best area to live in Lower Silesia, Poland? Property in a countryside. [33]

Webkot

Thank you again for your helpful information and estate agent details. The area, facilities and house opportunities all sound good. One of our major worries for this area is flooding. I have looked at past floods in Lower Silesia and elsewhere and there have been some quite destructive floods. I do of course wish to find a house in an area that is flood free. Would you know from your experience if there are flooding problems in this area around Lwowek Slaski and nearby and the risk of floods. As far as I can make out South of Jelenia Gora, Wroclaw seems to be prone to flooding and there has also been flooding problems in Gryfor Slaski so we are concerned. Any advice would be most welcome.

Tadoz

Thank you for your response and like other reponses it is much appreciated and valued. We will need to rent a house when we arrive and use that as a base to view potential houses. As mentioned in my last posting we are concerned with flooding problems in this area and will feel more reassured knowing the 'safe' areas to live. It is difficult to be absolutely sure of flood free areas but would appreciate any advice.

Braveheart16

9 Aug 2015

Life / Best area to live in Lower Silesia, Poland? Property in a countryside. [33]

Webkot

Thank you again for your detailed information it really has helped to understand what the situation is like 'on the ground'. Before I forget my wife and myself have had experience of driving in Poland and yes I can say it was memorable. (no need to apologise) We will tread carefully with our selection of houses against possible flooding and your information has been really helpful. Thanks for the website link, we will see what we can find. Good to know that Boleslawiec has a Carrefour and Tesco in addition to a pottery centre. Thanks again for the information and hope to keep in touch.

Tadoz

Thanks for your information which again has been very helpful and we appreciate the estate agents link. We have also carefully noted your comments on flooding and will tread carefully. We also now appreciate not to disregard areas which have a stream/river which do not pose a threat and will ask lots of questions and research as much as possible. It is tricky and it helps to have the opinions of other people such as yourself.

Braveheart16

11 Nov 2015

Travel / Zielona Gora - What's there? [19]

Merged: Recommendations for bars/pubs and restaurants in Zielona Gora

I am looking for recommendations for restaurants and bars/pubs in Zielona Góra I will be living hear for a few months and it would really be helpful to know of one or two good places to visit socially. I believe there is a good Chinese restaurant which is worth a visit, so any feedback would be useful.

Thanks for any responses it is much appreciated.

Braveheart16

11 Nov 2015

Real Estate / Chlebice village, near Zary, Poland [3]

I would be grateful to know if anyone has knowledge of Chlebice village which is located about 30 minutes from Zary and is close to the German border. It would be really helpful to know a little more about this small village and the general area.

Thank you for any feedback on this.

Braveheart16

11 Nov 2015

Real Estate / Chlebice village, near Zary, Poland [3]

Thank you for the information. Would you have any up to date information on this village which you could provide. Thank you again for your help.

Braveheart16

12 Nov 2015

Travel / Zielona Gora - What's there? [19]

Thank you very much for your feedback and suggestions on restaurants/bars in Zielona Góra, they are much appreciated.

Braveheart16

6 Dec 2015

Life / Alternative for Medicover (private healthcare insurance in Poland)? [5]

Merged: Private Medical Insurance in Poland

I want to set up private medical for my wife and myself with a company but not sure of who to select. I have looked at one or two including Medicare, Lux Med and Signal Iduna. In particular I would be grateful if anyone could provide any feedback on Signal Iduna and whether this company are worth considering.

Thank you for any feedback on this.

Braveheart16

9 Dec 2015

Law / British living in Poland - tax treaty with the UK? [30]

As far as government pensions are concerned for example for ex civil servants there is a double taxation agreement between the UK and Poland and most other European countries. (Article 18 applies) Therefore you would only pay tax once in the UK and you should not be taxed again in Poland.

Braveheart16

19 Dec 2015

Law / British living in Poland - tax treaty with the UK? [30]

@_antoni

Further to my post, Article 18 of the Double Taxation Convention states that:

(2) (a) Any pension paid by, or out of funds created by, a Contracting State (for example a government pension paid by the UK) or a political subdivision or a local authority thereof to an individual in respect of services rendered to that State or subdivision or authority shall be taxable only in that State. (ie. tax on this pension must be paid in the UK)

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph, such pension shall be taxable only in the other Contracting State (for example Poland) if the individual is a resident of, and a national of, that State.

I think the key words here are 'resident' and 'national'. Hence it would appear that if you are both a 'resident' and a 'national' of Poland then tax on your UK government pension should be paid in Poland.

Hope this is of help.

Braveheart16

20 Dec 2015

Law / British living in Poland - tax treaty with the UK? [30]

I think it is worth clarifying the pension situation with @_antoni.....when you say you are in receipt of a UK government pension I am assuming you were previously working for the UK government as a civil servant or in some other government position in which case in normal circumstances tax will be paid in the UK (a government pension is different from other pensions such as 'state pensions' etc) If you are now resident and also a Polish national then it would seem that your tax should be paid in Poland. There is a HMRC form which you can complete and this will enable you to pay tax in Poland. As previously mentioned it would be beneficial to seek guidance and advice from HMRC.

Braveheart16

23 Dec 2015

Law / British living in Poland - tax treaty with the UK? [30]

dolnoslask.... If, true hundreds of thousands of poles (If not a Million) currently working in the UK would be penalized with a further tax burden if they chose retire back in Poland and would probably never return.

Not sure what you mean here, if any Polish worker from the UK chose to retire in Poland they can do so and would likely have to pay tax on their pension in Poland. (not sure whether you are suggesting that the 'hundreds of thousands of Poles' are working as civil servants but I would think that is unlikely. Therefore any pension payable would not be a government pension but some other pension ) The original post seems to be raising a point on whether his 'government pension' would be taxed in Poland now that he has been told he is a 'national' of Poland. The law on this point seems to suggest that you would need to be resident and a national before you would be required to pay tax in Poland, otherwise if you are a national of the UK and resident in Poland your tax on your 'government pension' will continue to be paid in the UK. (government pensions normally refer to ex civil servants or people who have worked for the government in some capacity. I hope this helps to clarify the situation a little more but yes this is a complex area.

Braveheart16

29 Dec 2015

Real Estate / Refusal for a mortgage in Poland [18]

I know that a lot has been written about mortgages in Poland but wanted to share my recent experience. I asked my bank PKO for information on obtaining a mortgage with them. My wife is Polish and I am British. Although the staff were very helpful and tried their best, they said that because I was not earning an income in Poland it was not possible to get a mortgage with them. I receive a monthly pension of 6,000 zlotys but can work if necessary. I intend to buy a property and will put down about 200,000 zl towards a house purchase and plan to make up any difference, say about 100,000 to 150,000 zl with a mortgage. We were told that I or my wife must have a job and be earning in Poland in order to get a mortgage. (neither of us have a job in Poland but we could if necessary)

The bank clerk said that normally we would have to be working in Poland for about 3 months to get a mortgage or even better a year. They did however say it was possible to get a loan for 100,000-200,000zl but this would have to be paid back over an 8 year period, which would make monthly payments too expensive. They were unable to offer a loan over a longer period. I find this all very odd and I would have expected mortgages to be based on fixed income rather than the mere fact of having a job. I did ask that if I did have a job how much I would have to earn before I could get a 150,000zl mortgage and the clerk wasn't able to answer. The clerk did however suggest that although she would like to help all this was to prevent foreign buyers from buying property in Poland. I thought that as we are in the EU that the purchase of property would in general be something banks would be knowledgeable on and would embrace.

Would anyone be able to share their experience or could anyone advise on how we can move on and get a mortgage. Thank you.

Braveheart16

30 Dec 2015

Real Estate / Refusal for a mortgage in Poland [18]

Thank you Dolnoslask and Delphiandomine.....your comments are really helpful and much appreciated. It has been a bit demoralising to be told it is not possible to obtain a mortgage and your responses have been a great morale booster. Yes Dolnoslask I may well take you up on your kind offer to meet up so I will keep in touch. We are looking in the lower Silesia area for a property as well as other areas. We are realistic and hope to find a suitable property soon.

Thank you both again.

Thank you Buggsy for your reassuring words they are also much appreciated and helpful. Yes, I will take your advice and shop around.

Braveheart16

1 Jan 2016

Real Estate / Refusal for a mortgage in Poland [18]

kmoursy

Thank you for sharing your experience on obtaining a mortgage. Your advice is very helpful and I appreciate your feedback.

Braveheart16

30 Jan 2016

News / Attack on Poland's judicial independence [50]

I have followed this discussion carefully and would suggest that it is often beneficial to look at how other countries prosecution departments operate. The Crown Prosecution Service in the UK is independent from politicians but are responsible to the Attorney General who oversees the CPS and has a healthy relationship with the Director of Public Prosecutions. (the DPP is a qualified senior lawyer who is appointed to his/her position) Importantly there are many codes (articles if you wish) which explain how prosecutions are commenced and conducted. The Director of Public Prosecutions is impartial and is accountable to the Attorney General. Basically politicians in the UK do not have any influence over who is prosecuted and the important point to make is that prosecutors are required to comply with the code for crown prosecutors which sets out standards on whether there is sufficient evidence to charge someone with an offence. I have attached a link for more information. It seems strange that a politician would have sufficient qualifications to undertake legal decisions on whether someone is arrested and charged with an offence. It would seem more appropriate for a qualified lawyer to take this sort of decision. In the UK the Crown Prosecution Service works closely with the police and this enables a more balanced approach to prosecutions and in the end a more fairer outcome as the CPS will ultimately decide on whether a prosecution can proceed on the evidence provided by police.

cps.gov.uk/about/

Braveheart16

30 Jan 2016

News / Attack on Poland's judicial independence [50]

Gumishu....Poland is not a country like that yet and there has to be some overseeing of the work of prosecutors

This is a fair point and yes a slightly different approach is probably necessary for Poland. I think that one question I would ask is who are the prosecutors accountable to? In the UK there is clear line management which oversees and regulates the work of prosecutors and requires all prosecutors to account for their decisions based on the code for crown prosecutors. In short, prosecutors need to be able to justify their decisions to line management and to be prepared to answer questions. Regular feedback from line managers on prosecutors personal performance also helps to maintain discipline and a balanced approach to legal decisions.

Braveheart16

17 Mar 2016

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

It would seem that further restrictions imposed by banks will now make it even more difficult for EU citizens to buy a house in Poland using foreign income. Today I returned to the bank who in February informally agreed that I could take out a mortgage given my circumstances.. We went there to discuss further details and to prepare for the purchase of the house we now intend to buy. It came as quite a shock to hear the mortgage advisor apologise and tell us that the rules have now changed concerning mortgages as follows: (I am planning to arrange a small mortgage using my monthly pension which originates from the UK.)

It appears that since the 14 March this bank (and perhaps all other banks) now require me (and I presume other EU citizens in my position) to have a second income originating in Poland which must pay more than the foreign income generated by my monthly pension. So in short I need to have a job or business which pays more than my pension before this bank will consider my request for a mortgage.

Whilst my pension is not that substantial I think it would be really difficult to find a job which will pay me more than my monthly pension. I just find this quite incredible.

Naturally I was quite shocked with this news and asked how long the advisor knew about the changes. He said that he had only heard recently and seemed to suggest that it was other internal banking officials who changed the rules and not the government. He did say that had we provided the usual paperwork in February then we may have been able to obtain a mortgage based on my UK pension. Finally he said that his bank had a lot of other customers in my position (I presume other EU nationals)

My wife and I went to another bank and following checks on income, age etc said that they could give us a mortgage providing we paid for it in UK Sterling....(at the moment I have receive my pension in Zloty's) This would require us to set up a sterling bank account so that the bank would either receive all of my pension in sterling or just the monthly payment for my mortgage) What was interesting was that when we mentioned about the 'new rules' she said that it must be internal bank rules because her bank are fine with giving us a mortgage. However this could all be quite complicated and financially difficult because of the exchange rate etc with my personal bank and transferring the funds to this new bank for our mortgage.

We did however go to my own personal bank (who many months ago confirmed that someone in my position couldn't get a mortgage with them for other reasons) to see if it was possible to open a 'sterling' account (assuming we would move forward with the mortgage at the other bank) Not possible as they only have euro and zloty accounts. However on discussing our recent bad news from the original bank they did confirm that the new rules apply to all banks... The bank was however happy to give us a personal loan which unfortunately was less than we needed but nevertheless would enable me to obtain some finance. She just needed to make sure that I had permanent residency in Poland. My wife explained that we will have permanent residency when we buy our house but that a the moment we have a temporary address. I have already applied for residency and although the letter and card I received does not specifically say that I have permanent residency it does say something about residency so not sure if this will suffice.........

Thought you may like to hear about this new change which at the moment is really making life difficult for us to buy a house which has taken many months to find.

It would be helpful to hear your comments.

Braveheart16

17 Mar 2016

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

Thank you both for your helpful feedback so far on this and yes my pension is subject to the double taxation agreement. The bank eventually understood what a double taxation agreement was and didn't push to have it taxed in Poland. In my case the EU double taxation treaty (signed by Poland) means that although I reside in Poland my pension is taxed in the UK. However I am really more concerned with sorting out my house and mortgage so hopefully something positive will happen soon.

Braveheart16

18 Mar 2016

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

mcm1 - Thanks for your feedback on pensions. It seems from the previous enquiries I made Article 18 of the UK/Poland double taxation convention signed in London on 20 July 2006 became effective in Poland from 1 January 2007. Subsection 2(a) and (b) of this Article deals with the whether a person is taxed in the UK or Poland and in particular '...such pension shall be taxable only in the other contracting State if the individual is a resident of and a national of that State' Although I am a resident in Poland I am not a national and therefore my pension is taxed in the UK. This is how I interpreted this and UK Customs so hope it helps. I suppose it all depends on the personal situation of the individual.

Interesting information on mortgages from others so thank you.

Braveheart16

18 Mar 2016

Law / Cash loan in Poland without PESEL [49]

Merged: Pesel number required to obtain personal loan for EU citizen

Today I went to my bank and made an enquiry for a personal loan. All relevant documents already translated, my passport, income, residence card etc were supplied and the manager was sure everything was fine. She confirmed the amount of loan which was possible with my income. She was very helpful but when it came to a 'pesel number' I did not have one as I understood some months ago that they have stopped issuing them (or don't issue them) to EU citizens. So I was able to open my bank account with my passport and other supporting documents.

However it came as quite a shock when the bank manager said that although everything else was fine I couldn't have a loan because I didn't have a 'pesel number'. I just found this amazing as my income is paid into my account...deductions made for PZU etc. It may be that this is just an internal bank rule but very strange that lack of a 'pesel number' prevents someone from getting a loan. I did try another bank where my wife has an account but as I would be financing the loan I would need to have had a bank account for 6 months...then the clerk informed me that it would the discretion of the director if I would be allowed a loan without a 'pesel number'......

Just thought I would post this to help anyone else in a similar situation.

Braveheart16

18 Mar 2016

Law / Cash loan in Poland without PESEL [49]

I really wouldn't have waited six months to meet up with the director in the hope of him or her approving my loan without having to use a pesel number...!

Braveheart16

20 Mar 2016

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

I really don't understand the reluctance of banks to provide finance for EU nationals particularly by reason of not being able to provide a pesel number (as happened with myself) as most banks will simply take the property to cover any losses. Banks really don't make it easy when trying to do business and I am sure would be more than happy to generate more income for their bank and indeed the Polish economy. Unfortunately the result is that they miss out on increasing their own profits and at the same time create animosity with customers who I am sure will simply steer clear of the bank in the future.

Agreed that some say that banks are in business to make a profit etc, but really need to be more flexible and customer service orientated if they are going to keep customers. I think there may be an important training need identified for customer service skills development. Maybe their hands are tied up with legislation which restricts their ability to be more flexible and able to find solutions. (lending money would seem to be one of the more important services that people need but I do know that times have changed with regard to lending so I suppose this is to be expected.)

In the meantime EU nationals will simply use the banks as a means for looking after their funds and make little use of any services banks provide. Maybe banks feel that it really isn't that important to develop business relationships with EU nationals and are happy to continue with what they are able to do rather than being more proactive and imaginative with the services they provide.

One bank I spoke with did actually say they could provide a mortgage but with lots of hoops to jump through, wanting me to arrange for a credit check on myself when I was living and working in the UK, opening a sterling account etc, and did not even know about the recent legislation which crucially affects EU nationals using foreign income for a mortgage. This would have been very expensive with exchange rate conversions and set up time too long to tie in with the purchase of a property we currently want to buy.

I suspect there are quite a few EU nationals who have had to back track on their plans to purchase property using or partly using a mortgage and have had to find different ways to finance this.

Braveheart16

20 Mar 2016

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

Delphiandomine - This is a fair point and helpful to know....I am of course a resident here and will be a permanent resident when I buy a property and do have a clear and regular source of income from the UK paid into my bank account every month. But I agree not a source of income from Poland which is unlikely as I am retiring here. However I would be happy to work in Poland although pretty sure that any such salary would not match my pension and therefore enable me to qualify for a mortgage under the new legislation.

Thank you for your continued feedback it has really helped me to understand more on how things work here.

Braveheart16

20 Mar 2016

Real Estate / Changes to mortgages for EU citizens in Poland with foreign income. [34]

Peterweg - I am aware that the banking system has changed since 2008 and I do actually pay the bank to manage my money and hopefully provide advice and guidance as all good banks do. I choose to use a bank for a number of reasons, reputation, recommendations, internet banking and of course what they could offer in terms of products/services. (not sure why you think that banks are 'not there to provide a service and products for their customers') There are heaps of adverts on TV etc advertising 'credit'...they really have gone over the top on selling their products.

Although you feel that my pension is too much of a risk due to the currency exchange it was accepted by the bank for my mortgage. All information on income, credit background, residence, etc was fine....I was refused a mortgage because due to legislation which apparently came into effect in March 2016 all EU nationals must have a second income in Poland which must equal or exceed the amount of foreign income. In February the bank said everything was fine (of course not formally approved) and agreed...just go and find a house...In March things changed and a rather embarrassed bank mortgage advisor said that he had just heard that I needed a second income in Poland in order to meet the requirements for a mortgage. Hence no mortgage. Happy to work no problem but very unlikely that I can meet the requirements of the legislation which requires me to earn as much or more than my pension.

Braveheart16

21 Mar 2016

Real Estate / New land law legislation in Poland will make life very difficult when it comes to selling. [21]

It would seem that the new legislation on farmland/agriculture purchase which is effective from 1 May 2016 will make things very difficult for owners of such land who wish to sell or pass it on to their family. There would appear to be many restrictions on the sale of such land. However whilst it seems to be intended to target foreign buyers it will seem that farmers will be severely restricted in what they can do with their farmland and the small print in the legislation provides much more detail on how things will be after 1 May.

- No EU nationals will be able to purchase farmland.
- No Polish nationals will be able to purchase farmland, unless they intend to become farmers and use the land for farming purposes for a minimum of 10 years.

- Existing owners of farmland cannot pass on the land to their family unless it will continue to be used as farmland.
- Anyone selling farmland can only sell to someone in their immediate local area and it must be bought by someone who will use the land for farming.

- If unable to find a buyer the government body for land will acquire the land at market value. (likely to be less than current value)

- Any abuse of the law on this will result in land being acquired the government body for land and sold on at market value.
- As land value drops farmers will find it difficult to sell at a price which covers their mortgage/loan.

These are just some points which appear in the legislation. I have attached a link to a short article on this subject which you may find helpful. Just wanted to see what your thoughts are on this.

thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/211611,Act-to-restrict-purchase-of-land-by-foreigners-passed

Braveheart16

13 Aug 2016

Food / Where to find a good bottle of wine in Poland? [18]

I would be grateful for some advice and help on where I can go to find good red or white 'dry' wine.... Although there are plenty of supermarkets selling wine, very often the wine I see is 'sweet' and it is quite difficult to find 'dry only' wine. I am now careful to look at the bottle label to check on whether the wine is sweet and have only really found one or two labels which are ok...Italian wine seems to provide the best 'dry' wine. Of course it does perhaps depend on price and in general I am looking at the 12-18zl range, but would be happy to pay more if the right wine was available.

Braveheart16

13 Aug 2016

Food / Where to find a good bottle of wine in Poland? [18]

Thanks for your advice....I have already tried Tesco and other supermarkets a number of times but no luck in finding a selection of 'dry' white or red wine, just the odd one or two...Some wines I have come across should be 'dry' but still taste 'sweet'....I will keep on looking but just wondered if anyone could recommend a 'dry' wine as opposed to 'sweet dry' etc.

Braveheart16

13 Aug 2016

Food / Where to find a good bottle of wine in Poland? [18]

Thanks for your feedback....and yes for me I really enjoy Pinot grigio from Tesco which is my favourite. Larger Tesco stores also have Chardonay and Soave from the same producer which all have a really good 'dry' taste...Lidl also have some good wines and I will also try out some of the speciality shops....Thanks again for your feedback..