Law / Working in EU countries and in UK with Poland's Residence Card (Karta Pobytu)? [51]

All the information you need is here in a simple question and answer format:

gov.uk/government/news/statement-the-status-of-eu-nationals-in-the-uk

Basically if you're an EU national and you've lived in the UK for five years you don't need a residence permit, you have an automatic right to permanent residence. There is no requirement to register for documentation to confirm this status.

If you're worried about what will happen after Brexit, according to British government the official position is:

'When we do leave the EU, we fully expect that the legal status of EU nationals living in the UK, and that of UK nationals in EU member states, will be properly protected'.

If you're worried about proving that you came to the UK more than four years ago, I'm sure you'll show up somewhere in the system, long before you started working even if you weren't signing on or claiming benefits of any kind. For example, did you ever go the doctor or dentist? Your patient records would be there, did you have a bank or post office account? Did you even have something like a Tesco or Boots advantage card? Did you attend any classes or courses? I'm sure you have enough evidence to show that you were in the UK long before you started working.

I don't think you have anything to worry about but in any case there's nothing you can do as there's no such thing as a residence permit for an EU national.

History / Royal Family still in Poland? [79]

Oh I know, the business about people 'bowing before him' is pretty mirth-provoking but you know Ironside, our American cousins have a fairly simplistic view about Royalty and aristocracy. And yes, lots of them have probably been told tales of how they're descended from nobility. It's a romantic notion that ties in with the Disney Cinderella vibe that America likes to feed people.

But having said all that, there's no harm in a teenager or anyone else trying to find out a bit about their family's long distant past even if it arises in the first instance from some silly notions. At best they might actually learn something about history and become more educated and better informed about Europe which can only be a good thing.

Of course anybody seriously tracing ancestry should only rely on properly verified information. There's a lot of very inaccurate rubbish published on the internet which people take at face value without delving any further.

History / Royal Family still in Poland? [79]


Do you mean the information provided is not accurate?

As for being useful, you provided the OP with some information and the link I gave provides more detailed information on the same subject. In more general terms, somebody who is trying to trace their family history might find something of use on a site related to genealogy don't you think?

History / Royal Family still in Poland? [79]

@SAS Poland

You might find this useful. It has a full list of the princely families and other nobility.
pgsa.org/polish-history/polish-heraldry-nobility/the-titled-families-of-the-polish-lithuanian-commonwealth

History / What is Poles opinion on Intermarium (Międzymorze)? [188]


And that's precisely what didn't happen when:


then voted in quite the opposite manner.


The reasons matter less than the outcome. The fact is that Poland was seen by the other Visegrad countries to apparently do a U-turn on a matter where they appeared to be in agreement.

I absolutely see where you're coming from with the idea that nations, Slavic or otherwise, should act in unity where it's in their common interest to do so but there are two problems with that. Firstly it's not always possible to reach agreement as to the precise nature pursuit of common goals should take and arguments ensue that can ultimately end up damaging relations between countries rather than improving them. It's hard enough for politicians within the same country to agree on things let alone politicians from several different nations.

Secondly and most importantly, unions or alliances of any kind inevitably impinge to some degree on sovereignty as is the case with the EU. The EU went from being an 'Economic Community' to becoming a kind of mini-Commonwealth with the members now having what one might call 'home rule' rather than complete independence.

History / What is Poles opinion on Intermarium (Międzymorze)? [188]

Ziem is right. The former Eastern Bloc countries are still in a state of reform/development and their internal workings are not sufficiently smooth and streamlined to cope with any additional demands. It would require enormous co-ordination between Slavic nations to operate on a similar basis to the EU, if that's what the OP envisages. He didn't specify so we don't know.


Very vague. What does that mean in practical terms? I can't help thinking of the refugee vote back in 2015 when Poland, having initially shown solidarity with the other Visegrad nations against quotas, then voted not with its Slavic 'brothers' but with the other EU members.

History / What is Poles opinion on Intermarium (Międzymorze)? [188]

I think the Slavic countries are all too 'young' politically and economically to cope with the administration and logistics of a union. Also perhaps they are a little too alike to co-operate with each other effectively. Slavs can be a volatile lot, they tend to be quick tempered and harbour grudges. I don't think the word 'compromise' is really in the Slavic lexicon. It would probably all start off with great bonhomie and shoulder slapping and sharing the bread and salt and end with none of them speaking to each other for the next fifty years.

Work / Regarding demand of physiotherapy in Poland [21]

You would need to contact the Polish Ministry of Health. Their website has a section about recognition of qualifications but only for those who trained in other European countries. However it will give you some idea of what's involved before you speak to them:

mz.gov.pl/en/healthcare-system/health-personnel-and-training/recognition-of-professional-qualifications/recognition-of-other-medical-professions-qualifications-obtained-in-or-previously-recognized-by-other-eu-member-state-including- member-states-of-european-economic-area-and-switzerland

Food / Christmas pudding in Poland [22]

If you can get hold of a couple of jars of mincemeat you can make a fairly ok express pudding but that's about as hard to get in Poland as the actual pudding.

Jon dear I have a lovely recipe for you. It's nothing less than the genuine Drury Lane Twelfth Night cake (how did I get hold of it you ask...........) Anyway I'll pm it to you, tomorrow if I have time. As nobody took the slightest interest in my Christmas cake I'm mortally wounded so this is for your eyes only.

Food / Christmas pudding in Poland [22]

Hi Sylvio. If you make a pudding now it won't have time to mature properly so it won't taste quite as good. It should really be made several weeks before you want to eat it. Also (sorry Smurf!) to get the really authentic taste the fat used should be suet, that's the fat from around the kidneys of the cow. So for next year, order a couple of packs of Atora dried suet on the internet. Anyway for this year, yes, like Smurf says, just use marg. Loads of recipes online. Try Delia Smith. I'm not a big fan of hers but her cakes and puds are good:

deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/traditional-christmas-pudding

You don't need Guiness, you can use any porter like Komes or Żywiec. You can use any alcohol you like in a pud, much like the cake, you can use sherry, port, rum, whiskey, brandy. Christmas cake and pud are very forgiving and you can substitute ingredients very easily. So knock yourself out! Good luck and smacznego :))

Food / Christmas pudding in Poland [22]

Alma used to do one, can't remember which brand, an outrageous price it was anyway. Alma are now closing all their stores in Poland by the way. You've left it too late to order via the internet but for future reference you can get several different Christmas puddings from The British Cornershop.

Life / Opłatek, not presents, epitomises the true Polish Christmas spirit [85]

Come on now Smurf. Tis the season of goodwill for all, whatever your beliefs. We need an excuse to be nice to each other!

Anyway Polly is referring to the tradition in some European countries that the Christ Child brings the gifts. It's quite sweet really. I know you find the whole religion thing not only nauseating but a bit worrying (the indoctrination of children aspect and all that). However having taught so many very young children, it's very touching to see how much they love Baby Jesus. I'd much rather see children being 'good' because they want to be like Baby Jesus and he'd be sad if they were naughty, than because Santa is 'watching'. That in itself is a really weird concept. I was actually terrified of Santy when I was a kid!! I mean I loved him but I was really afraid of the idea of him coming into the house in the night, it seemed so spooky. I used to crawl down to the bottom of the bed and hide under the covers, from where my mother would rescue me, and myself (and we'd say at home) in a lather of sweat, between terror and over heating :D

News / New Nuclear Ambitions Of Belarus: cooperation with Poland in the energy deliveries to the EU countries [20]

This post is worth responding to because there doesn't seem to be a very high awareness amongst the Polish public of the continuing horrors in Belarus as a result of the Chernobyl disaster. Do people know about the children of Chernobyl who continue to be born with extreme deformities and congenital heart defects? There's even a medical condition known as Chernobyl Heart. Six thousand born every year in Ukraine with this condition. If anybody out there would like to get involved in helping, here's a link:

chernobyl-international.com/programmes

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]


Yes, the California thing is weird, I don't quite follow that.


Yes, there's a mis-match in the dates there but it could be a simple data entry error by the person doing the website.

I wouldn't get too carried away Orong. There is nothing obviously fishy about this company. He's probably an accountant who was either trying to set up on his own, or doing a bit of business on the side apart from his nine to five job which is perfectly legal and he was obviously declaring the income for tax purposes. After dissolving the company he could have gone back to a regular job or carried on working in his usual job where he'd been all along if you see what I mean.


If you mean in Poland, they would want to meet him in person. But if you're talking about the bookeeping guy, you don't need a notary to register a company in the UK.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Forgot to say, another thing that a detective agency might be able to do is to check flight manifests to see whether anyone of that name has been flying in and out of the country and if so, where to. But the problem is that if the Samuels ID was a fake one, used only for the purpose of setting up the company it won't be much help.

One other thought, you could try searching company director registers in other countries, I just checked the UK and came up with this guy:

duedil.com/company/08021946/samuels-bookkeeping-solutions-limited/ownership

However, one needs to proceed with caution as, although it's not a common name, there are certainly a few of them out there and it's easy to get the wrong man and one needs to be very careful about libelling people and ending up being sued oneself! Try to get the ages of anyone you come up with to see if they match.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]


Hi Orong. Firstly, try to the break the habit of calling them Ltd because they're not. Their title is SP zoo because it's a Polish limited company. Calling them Ltd will result in confusion as inevitably it will lead people to the bona fide Irish company.



Well it's a very Jewish name and there are quite a few Jews in SA so I'd say that the chap you found there is probably just a South African Jew and not necessarily the same guy.


The only way you're likely to be able to turn up anything else is by using a private detective agency. But I wouldn't pursue the guy in South Africa. That could be a complete red herring. Go back to the source which is Poland. Detective agencies have contacts in government departments, tax office etc and they can very quickly find out the details of his ID and run it through a check to see if it's genuine. There are a number of licensed detective agencies in Poland and any evidence they uncover is admissible in court.

Without knowing anything about the alleged scam it's very hard to advise you any further. I mean, if you or somebody you know, were conned by sending money for goods or services to this account, then you must have had some dealings with the guy or somebody representing him. So, how did you encounter him?? Is there any other business address, telephone number, website etc which could be checked out?


Quite possibly. The only way you'll definitely get a response from them is if you speak to them through a solicitor and it would really need to be a case of you having been personally scammed. You would need to say that you're investigating the guy and that if the ID he used to set up the account was fake, you'll sue them for the financial loss you suffered as a result of their negligence. They might answer you then. However you really do need to consult a solicitor as the bank may well be covered by some legal agreement and may not be required by law to check the validity of IDs.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Well I had another quick look and there's one guy who has set up no fewer than fifty, yes, fifty companies over the last few months. His wife seems to have set up a few too. It may be nothing dodgy though, just a way of keeping their money safe from potential creditors by sticking it in limited companies.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Hi Orong, very pressed for time at the moment, wish I had time to take a good look but here's my first, very quick impression. Having followed the link provided by Ziemowit and had a quick look, all the companies listed, which I glanced at were set up this year and within the space of a few months during the summer. Some definitely have the same names as existing companies in other countries. All involve amounts of capital between 5,000 and 20,000 PLN. You don't really need to speak Polish to get the gist. I would suggest you google all the companies listed and see if any of them appears to actually be trading and which ones have the same names as existing companies particularly in other countries. Then compile a list and see what picture emerges. It does seem that it could be well be a money laundering operation.

I found one that is trading. Link Visuals:

linkvisuals.pl

This seems to be a bonafide company and has a proper business address at Nowy Świat. The director's name matches the email on their website. Ziemowit is correct that 86 Ulica Hoza is a PO Box address probably just available for purchase to people setting up a company, it's bascially what's known as a 'registered address'. People often get one before they have a business premises. However it's worth checking all the companies listed and seeing which ones seem to be genuine and sorting the ones that are suspect. Ok, must dash!

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

OMG!!! Thirty other companies!!! Then there is definitely something shady going on. That's a very useful piece of information. Well done Ziemuś! It could well be that the OP will indeed uncover a major fraud. Perhaps all thirty companies have the same source, and as Orong says, this Samuels guy is simply one of many mules in whose names the companies are established.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Good luck with it Orong, let us know how you get on.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Can't really say about the press, I don't really follow Polish media that much, but I imagine that it would need to be fraud on quite a large scale for them to be interested.


Remember they've sold out to Couche-Tard so they may not be too bothered about it. However their former stations are still operating under the Topaz name so I'm sure that Couche-Tard wouldn't like a scam company to be operating with the Topaz Energy name in Europe. Niall Anderton is one of the two main directors of Topaz Engery Ltd, the Irish company, and I'm sure he could put you in touch with somebody at Couche -Tard. He'd probably be very approachable. Irish people aren't big on formality. If you join Linkedin you could get his email. Otherwise his address is listed here:

solocheck.ie/Irish-Director/Anderton/Niall/1141472119

ie.linkedin.com/in/niall-anderton-82652a13

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Hi Orong. I got the name of the firm of notaries who registered the company:

Kancelaria Notarialna
Marek Hrymak, Daniel Kupryjańczyk s.c.
ul. Chmielna 73B lok.10
00-801 Warszawa Wola

They would certainly have seen his ID and would have a copy in their files. Of course it might be a fake ID.

However you will find that it's a real problem dealing with Polish bureacracy and it's very hard to get any response to your communications. If you write in English you're probably going to be ignored. Don't expect any response from the police either.


Do you mean this guy is wanted by Interpol?

I think it might be worth contacting Topaz Energy and Marine, the bonafide oil company as their legal department might take action, in view of the fact that this guy is using the name Topaz and listing 'mining oil and gas' as one of his company activities. I would write to them (but get a name for somebody to write to, even if you have to call them and find out first). It's worth a try anyway.

I'm afraid that if you want to see any response from Polish officials you will have to engage a Polish solicitor.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]


They won't! You need to go and see them in person and expect to get short shrift (in other words the bum's rush). What information did you want from them other than the regulations in English? Because they won't discuss any account or account holder with you. I'll take a look later and see if I can find the regs in English but it's doubtful. Information, other than the most basic stuff is very hard to obtain in English. I'm quite certain though that the bank does comply with the money laundering regs. Polish banks, whatever their faults, tend to be extremely fussy about ID etc and you can't activate your account and begin to use it, without visiting the bank in person to provide your ID and sign documents.

I've a busy day ahead but I will get back to you later and let you know if I find anything else. Inidentally, he may not even live in Poland and that address might just have been a rented flat so it may not be of much use :(

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

The only information I turned up was one guy, Simeon Stefan Samuels, not a very Polish name. Anwyay he's the sole owner, there are no other partners or shareholders, so if you can trace him, you've got your man.I took a look on Google street view at the address given for the company and it's in a block of flats so I wouldn't mind betting that it's also his home address.

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Topaz Energry Ltd is not a Polish company. It's an Irish company and is not registered in Poland.

However, I found a Polish company calling themselves Topaz Energy!! Of course being Polish, they are called Topaz Energy SP Zoo and not Ltd. Here's the link to their information:

aleo.com/int/company/topaz-energy-sp-z-oo-warszawa#anchor_company_profile_company_authorities_data

As you can see they were only registered in May of this year. This is obviously the company that you are looking for. As you can see they include 'mining oil and gas' under their many activities even though they have only 5,000 PLN capital!! This suggests that they may be trying to represent themselves as with this company, Topaz Energy and Marine, an international oil company:

topazworld.com/en

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Ok, I did some googling. Basically Topaz were taken over earlier this year by a Canadian multi-national firm called Couche-Tard. They operate convenience stores and filling stations in America, Europe and Canada. Topaz stations in Ireland continue to operate under the Topaz name for the present but they are now part of the Couche-Tard group, who 'have a significant presence in Poland'. I suggest that you contact Couche-Tard direct and give them the details of your concerns.

corpo.couche-tard.com/en/our-company/board-of-directors

Law / Where can I check in Poland my company formation status and tax number NIP and REGON? [95]

Yes Topaz is a bonafide company. It's very well known in Ireland. They have a number of filling stations (petrol) all over the country. Why do you think they're trying to scam you??

News / How serious is existence of Lithuania as independent state between Poland and Russia ? [72]


I agree. He's far too much of a 'character' to be a Russian troll. Crow is just a delightful eccentric and I think he's utterly sincere in his views. He's lovely as long as you don't let him get hold of any armalites or missiles or whatever it is they're using these days :)) He's a gas man altogether as we'd say in the Emerald Isle.

Genealogy / Polish & Prussian/German town name cross-reference. [100]

A lot of advertising agencies are located in the Madison Avenue area and advertising copywriters are always coming up with cheesy slogans and catch phrases which have exercised some influence on the vernacular of the English language. That's my guess anyway!

Polonia / Let's talk about Sweden and other Scandinavian countries [236]


That would require quite a bit of time and effort including collaboration between test centres and the external markers who re-check all previously marked papers. Those markers have the physical test papers in their hands so it would thus be necessary to either get them to come on board in a major fraud, or produce an entire set of falsified test papers to hand over to them, and where would the educational authorities get them from, as they're only supplied with the necessary number of test booklets in the first place?? And they're not easy to reproduce. They'd have to have them specially printed.

This might help you to make a more informed decision about the possibilites of faking test results:

oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/PISA%202012%20Technical%20Report_Chapter%207.pdf


Lyzko where did you get those figures from? PISA was last administered in 2015 and the results will be published a couple of weeks from now. The most recent results are from 2012 as they only administer the test every three years. Finland was the highest in Europe in terms of literacy, with Ireland at number two. Iceland was a considerable distance below either, in fact they came below the OECD average score. Mabye you're confusing it with UNESCO literacy estimates which is a different thing entirely as it simply estimates literacy in the adult population of countries.