Mark_the_teache
6 Sep 2019
Real Estate / Polish government targeting British property buyers!! [10]
Thanks for your comments guys.
Thanks for your comments guys.
Mark_the_teache
26 Aug 2019
Real Estate / Polish government targeting British property buyers!! [10]
Thanks Atch. We have engaged a solicitor for the case however in the first hearing the prosecution lawyer from the ministry didn't seem to have much of an argument and our solicitor has had to do the due diligence you refer to after the fact unfortunately. Nevertheless, he has not been able to identify possibly fault on our part. It is for this reason that I suspect the ministry is simply going after foreigners because they are an easy target. We will have to see how the case goes and whether the court finds us or the ministry at fault.
Thanks Atch. We have engaged a solicitor for the case however in the first hearing the prosecution lawyer from the ministry didn't seem to have much of an argument and our solicitor has had to do the due diligence you refer to after the fact unfortunately. Nevertheless, he has not been able to identify possibly fault on our part. It is for this reason that I suspect the ministry is simply going after foreigners because they are an easy target. We will have to see how the case goes and whether the court finds us or the ministry at fault.
Mark_the_teache
26 Aug 2019
Real Estate / Polish government targeting British property buyers!! [10]
Thanks Pawian. That assumes we actually did something wrong (i.e. that the notary made a mistake). We can't find any evidence of either. It seems much more likely that the ministry has it's facts all muddled up. What happens if the court rules against the ministry?
Does anyone know the definition of "forestry land" in Poland? I mean the kind of forestry land that foreigners require permission to buy. Is it any land inside a forest or rather any piece of land specifically designated for forest (not-residential) use (ex for gaming, wildlife, logging etc).?
Thanks Pawian. That assumes we actually did something wrong (i.e. that the notary made a mistake). We can't find any evidence of either. It seems much more likely that the ministry has it's facts all muddled up. What happens if the court rules against the ministry?
Does anyone know the definition of "forestry land" in Poland? I mean the kind of forestry land that foreigners require permission to buy. Is it any land inside a forest or rather any piece of land specifically designated for forest (not-residential) use (ex for gaming, wildlife, logging etc).?
Mark_the_teache
26 Aug 2019
Real Estate / Polish government targeting British property buyers!! [10]
Warning to all British citizens! I bought a house in Poland (I'm British) with my wife who is Polish. The house was located on a plot of residential land (allocated for residential purposes) inside a forest. On the land was an uncompleted house which we completed after purchasing the land and house. Our notary (responsible for checking the legal side) gave the green light on the purchase. After 2 years we started receiving letters from the housing ministry claiming that because our land was forestry land we needed permission before we bought it.
The harrassement we are facing is quite ironic given the sheer numbers of Polish citizens living comfortably in the UK many of which have bought and are living in UK properties. Despite the relatively tiny number of British living in Poland, it seems we are fair game for the authorities to go after if we purchase property. After being sued by the ministry of housing, we are now having to pay legal fees and undergo stress and time wastage in the Polish courts to prove that the land was allocated for residential purposes (we have town hall evidence that our land is residential land - indeed we live in a neighbourhood full of other houses in the forest and all around us!).
It is true that foreigners need permission to buy forestry or agricultural land however :
1) The land has to be over 5000 sqm (ours is under 800 sqm)
2) The land has to be proper forestry land (used for logging etc) however ours was allocated for residential use and we have local town hall documents showing it was.
2) Assuming we broke some law (no sign so far that we did!), it should have been the notaries responsibility to flag this to us. so the ministry should have taken this up with our notary.
The stress alone is making us think of packing up and leaving the country but trust me if this happens I will kick up one hell of a fuss in the British press. You can't expect millions of your nationals to come and enjoy a peaceful life in the UK and then make it living hell for a handful of British nationals living in Poland. The cheek!
Warning to all British citizens! I bought a house in Poland (I'm British) with my wife who is Polish. The house was located on a plot of residential land (allocated for residential purposes) inside a forest. On the land was an uncompleted house which we completed after purchasing the land and house. Our notary (responsible for checking the legal side) gave the green light on the purchase. After 2 years we started receiving letters from the housing ministry claiming that because our land was forestry land we needed permission before we bought it.
The harrassement we are facing is quite ironic given the sheer numbers of Polish citizens living comfortably in the UK many of which have bought and are living in UK properties. Despite the relatively tiny number of British living in Poland, it seems we are fair game for the authorities to go after if we purchase property. After being sued by the ministry of housing, we are now having to pay legal fees and undergo stress and time wastage in the Polish courts to prove that the land was allocated for residential purposes (we have town hall evidence that our land is residential land - indeed we live in a neighbourhood full of other houses in the forest and all around us!).
It is true that foreigners need permission to buy forestry or agricultural land however :
1) The land has to be over 5000 sqm (ours is under 800 sqm)
2) The land has to be proper forestry land (used for logging etc) however ours was allocated for residential use and we have local town hall documents showing it was.
2) Assuming we broke some law (no sign so far that we did!), it should have been the notaries responsibility to flag this to us. so the ministry should have taken this up with our notary.
The stress alone is making us think of packing up and leaving the country but trust me if this happens I will kick up one hell of a fuss in the British press. You can't expect millions of your nationals to come and enjoy a peaceful life in the UK and then make it living hell for a handful of British nationals living in Poland. The cheek!
Mark_the_teache
8 May 2015
Law / Advice on starting an international/British school in Warsaw, Poland [26]
All, thank you so much for your advice thus far. I will keep you posted on progress.. Ultimately I want a school that encourages children to find their "dreams" and pursue them. This is something that is glaringly missing in most educational methods.
I hope to contribute to the emergence of a generation of happy, contributing, confident adults each working in their areas of passion.
All, thank you so much for your advice thus far. I will keep you posted on progress.. Ultimately I want a school that encourages children to find their "dreams" and pursue them. This is something that is glaringly missing in most educational methods.
I hope to contribute to the emergence of a generation of happy, contributing, confident adults each working in their areas of passion.
Mark_the_teache
3 May 2015
Law / Advice on starting an international/British school in Warsaw, Poland [26]
Thanks Atch and scottie..I checked out esl cafe.. interesting site..although probably more oriented towards ESL. Let me clarify what I'm getting at a bit bitter..
My experience on teaching methodologies is as ff:
Montessori : student focused, farm/nature focused, generally not much
Steiner : I tried one of my kids in one and was not impressed. Too dogmatic. It felt like a cult.
Nevertheless, I did like the student/emotional focus.
British international : I went to one myself. Very curriculum focused leading up to university
entering A and O Levels (now GCSE's). Extremely international.
Diplomats etc.
Canadian international : My children go to a school like this in Poland. This one's main selling
point (and it is full with waiting lists) is bilingual (Polish/English) and
dual (Polish and Canadian) curriculums. It enables kids to avoid public.
Negatives are too much homework, too little contact with nature, too
much grade pressure, not
enough art, music, emotional development, sport facilities (swimming,
athletics, field games etc) and student focus.
Polish Public : My wife and her extended family all went to these. Kids put down. Discouraged
to dream. Heavy curriculum focus. Rote memorizing. Creativity and Risk
taking discouraged.
My dream
-------------------------
1)Create my own teaching method (stealing the best from the above teaching methodologies) with the following principles :
student focus,
heaving art and music focus,
heavy reading focus,
heavy focus on connecting all teaching to practical applications
heavy sports, team games and athletics focus,
heavy multilingual focus
heavy creativity focus
low to nil homework to encourage play
low to nil grade emphasis
Nursery to university entrance exams (French bacc probably)
Scholarships and grants
2) Raise funding to build the school
3) Estimated cost 10-20 million ztly. Investment return via profits from fees after costs. (to be defined in business plan).... Does not horrify me.
May be unrealistic, but one can always dream and "try". All I loose is my time in the process. Most great successes were held back by negative thoughts..
Thanks Atch and scottie..I checked out esl cafe.. interesting site..although probably more oriented towards ESL. Let me clarify what I'm getting at a bit bitter..
My experience on teaching methodologies is as ff:
Montessori : student focused, farm/nature focused, generally not much
Steiner : I tried one of my kids in one and was not impressed. Too dogmatic. It felt like a cult.
Nevertheless, I did like the student/emotional focus.
British international : I went to one myself. Very curriculum focused leading up to university
entering A and O Levels (now GCSE's). Extremely international.
Diplomats etc.
Canadian international : My children go to a school like this in Poland. This one's main selling
point (and it is full with waiting lists) is bilingual (Polish/English) and
dual (Polish and Canadian) curriculums. It enables kids to avoid public.
Negatives are too much homework, too little contact with nature, too
much grade pressure, not
enough art, music, emotional development, sport facilities (swimming,
athletics, field games etc) and student focus.
Polish Public : My wife and her extended family all went to these. Kids put down. Discouraged
to dream. Heavy curriculum focus. Rote memorizing. Creativity and Risk
taking discouraged.
My dream
-------------------------
1)Create my own teaching method (stealing the best from the above teaching methodologies) with the following principles :
student focus,
heaving art and music focus,
heavy reading focus,
heavy focus on connecting all teaching to practical applications
heavy sports, team games and athletics focus,
heavy multilingual focus
heavy creativity focus
low to nil homework to encourage play
low to nil grade emphasis
Nursery to university entrance exams (French bacc probably)
Scholarships and grants
2) Raise funding to build the school
3) Estimated cost 10-20 million ztly. Investment return via profits from fees after costs. (to be defined in business plan).... Does not horrify me.
May be unrealistic, but one can always dream and "try". All I loose is my time in the process. Most great successes were held back by negative thoughts..
Mark_the_teache
3 May 2015
Law / Advice on starting an international/British school in Warsaw, Poland [26]
Starting small certainly sounds like an option however I was thinking about possibilities of getting sufficient funding to a build a medium sized steiner/montessori/private Swiss/British style school.
I know there is a large amount of demand for school places on this kind in Poland.. I wondered if I could get investment funding for a project that would be bound to be successful..
Regarding the this forum not being ideal for getting answers to the questions, where would you suggest I go to ask?
Starting small certainly sounds like an option however I was thinking about possibilities of getting sufficient funding to a build a medium sized steiner/montessori/private Swiss/British style school.
I know there is a large amount of demand for school places on this kind in Poland.. I wondered if I could get investment funding for a project that would be bound to be successful..
Regarding the this forum not being ideal for getting answers to the questions, where would you suggest I go to ask?