Law / Maintenance Claim From Mother - Poland [19]

Thanks terri,

Ouch so I am also responsible for my mother in law great... One more question if I may I have heard of a process where you can separate marrital assets and income. Normally done pre marriage but can be done post I have been told If I do so will this exclude my income and assets. and yes dragenhamdave she does live in Poland unfortunately

Law / Maintenance Claim From Mother - Poland [19]

Thanks for the response

My wife is not an only child but her siblings live in England so it appears she has come after us as we are the easier targets as we live here.

I do agree that there is a responsibility to parents and if the claim was truly for food and shelter I would pay it but with her weekly visits to the nail bar hairdresser and beautician I think food is not what she wants funding here. Money for us is not easy Polish salaries joy so I don't see why my family should go without to find her so I will take all steps to prevent this.

Does she have to sue all siblings??

Law / Maintenance Claim From Mother - Poland [19]

Thanks for all the advice

Your a star

Law / Maintenance Claim From Mother - Poland [19]

Having obtained some leagal advice it very much appears some kind of payment is unavoidable the court will assess joint incomes and a Financail separation will not help as the assessment will take place on last years Tax return which took place when we were not financailly separate. Having looked at the claim the majority of her expenses are made up of rent and living expenses for an apartment "which she lives in alone" (not true) one thing that I don't understand is this apartment and expenses are completely unaffordable based on her declared income some 1200 pln rent alone is 1000 pln and her income and expenses have not changed for at least 2 years so the question is can we ask her to prove how she was affording it before. I know the answer to this but surely this is a question the court should ask??

UK, Ireland / Advise needed on having a UK RHD car from the UK here in Poland [8]

having a rhd car in Poland is not a problem in terms of the Police, in fact, it is easier. I had one for some time here the trick is when they pull you over just don't speak any polish generally the Police don't speak English and the can't be arsed to get a translator. It is a nightmare on long journeys for overtaking as you have to pull all the way out before you can see if it is safe to pass and in my opinion it's dangerous. I would, however, check out your UK insurance as mine had a maximum 90 days out of the country rule so just in case you have an accident it's worth checking

In terms of going from RHD to LHD I looked into this too. Once you look at the cost of parts ie you will have to buy a new dashboard and normally a new wiring loom and pay a really good mechanic to fit it. When I looked into it the prices was not worth it plus doesn't matter how good your electrician is normally there will be something that will not work. Also you will get 0 resale value as the car will be a conversion and people are scared of how well its been done. The only car that you can do it on economically due to no need to buy many parts is a Landrover Freelander 1 but they are so cheap now here no point investing in one. I found a guy who could do a Landrover Freelander 1 for around 3500pln

Real Estate / Renting out my appartment in Poland - how to do it properly [12]

If you have a contract you are half way there. The only thing you will have todo is let your local tax office know you are doing so and then pay the tax it is about 8% of the rental income that you will recieve also you need to arrange for the podatek grunt (land tax to be paid we had nightmare as we forgot this and ended up inserious trouble talk to your gimna about whether they can send it to you abroad. Also check as you may already pay it as part of your service charge if so its easier you will just have to continue paying this. thats about it I think any more questions let me know

USA, Canada / Bought an item in Poland, shipped to the US. Help to track it. [8]

HAve you tried this

emonitoring.poczta-polska.pl

Love / What to expect at a bachelor party in Poland? [15]

Batchelor parties in Poland are relatively new thing brought over from the US actually but I would say it will almost certainly involve a lot of drinking of vodka. Having been to one I can only tell you about 1 experience but I think it will almost certainly follow the same lines. Polish parties generally take place around a table with plenty of food with the drink being vodka drunk neat and chased with some juice. Make sure you eat and eat as this is the only way to avoid getting absolutely drunk. Normally I would suggest taking a bottle of nice Vodka to this kind of party. If your budget can stretch to it I would recommend Belvedere goes for around 175 pln per bottle. I would say a contribution is probably not needed but depends on where they are doing it Poles in general are extremely generous and any party will be fully catered for. Tell me where you are staying and when the party is and I may be able to give you some insights as north and south Poland differ in marriage traditions

USA, Canada / Car Export from USA / Canada to Poland [30]

Also to register a car you will need a tax number which involves allot of faff took me 4 months

Real Estate / Planning permission for garage building in Poland [5]

Hi there,

I am by no means an expert here but we had a similar debate about building a greenhouse and a shed next to our border fence and the conclusion we came to was that it is not covered in the act.

This is the paragraph which refers to what a building is:

ACT
of 7 July 994 BUILDING LAW

2) building - it shall mean such a building object which is permanently connected to the
ground, separated in spatial terms by means of building partitions and has foundations and a roof;

Because our shed and Greenhouse were erected on concrete blocks which sounds like your shed we concluded they were not included in the building law.

Generally, if you have a good relationship with your neighbors not much is a problem

Love / Trying to get Married in Poland - I'm English, my bride to be is Polish [7]

I did this myself albeit in 2012 I will tell you What I went through

You will need

Your birth certificate the big one with your parents names and professions etc

A deed on non-impediment which can be obtained from any UK registry office (I believe this is the 039)

Your passport

In Poland you will need all these documents translated with an official Stamp

Then prior to the wedding you will have to visit the Local town hall again with a certified translator to sign some paperwork.

Next is down to the priest or person who will administer the service sometimes will require you to have a translator at the service I was lucky as my priest spoke English and was a cool dude!!! very rare in Poland. If it is not a cool priest he may want you to attend wedding preparation classes etc etc

O and are you Catholic if not you will have to go the civil route

Any questions let me know

Love / Trying to get Married in Poland - I'm English, my bride to be is Polish [7]

I would guess this would be your Decree Absalute,

Have it translated
Your best bet is to go with you other half to the local town hall try to find someone who is not a total unhelpfull person (which will be hard and show them) what is your local town hall ie where you want to marry??

UK, Ireland / Buying a car in Poland from UK [16]

There is a polish equivalent of an MOT but it is very different and allot easier to pass one thing they do not check is emissions here and this is what most older cars will fail on in the UK. The guy could be honest but as was said above he could not be. I would see if you can get it checked out by a mechanic first worth the flight over to stop you losing money.

When you buy the car it will have documents a id document which is a small piece of paper and a thing that looks like an eu passport you must have both plus they will fill in a contract of sale.

My advice is to not do it but if you are going to take a flight and have a look.

Do you know any polish people nearby

If you want PM me the link and I will do some digging and give you some more advice

UK, Ireland / Buying a car in Poland from UK [16]

Would really appreciate your help. How can I PM you?

clik on my name in blue and there is a PM button next to my name

UK, Ireland / Buying a car in Poland from UK [16]

by any chance is it the english jag?

UK, Ireland / Buying a car in Poland from UK [16]

If it is the Jag which is the only one that makes sense buying so I presume it is, The guy selling it seems on the level he runs a business selling rocks and sand which has been trading for 11 years. The location corresponds to where the car is advertised and the business seems to be in good standing. The car is still on Uk plates and I would imagine he has never registered it here otherwise it would have Polish plates so you should get a jolly old V5 which will make it easier to check. The car is not MOt'd and the last one was in 2009. There was a failed one in 2007 for rust which would be my major worry with this car looking at the photos but the fact that it passed in 2009 means this has been seen to but to what extent would be the question. Also, it is untaxed and not SORN so you would need to see if you would be liable for the back Taxes and stuff. These cars range in these UK from 6K to 30K so at just over 6k it could be a good deal but you have to factor about 1700 pounds to ship it to the UK. The condition here is key as this will determine its ultimate value so as I said before a flight and an inspection is a must as it could be a great car or a money pit dependant on the extent of the rust and the condition of the body.

Don't know if this helps could be a completely different car but ht me up if you need more info

Real Estate / Warsaw buyer or sellers market? Houses around the Milanówek area [20]

Hey I do invest in property but not in the warsaw area due to it already being a mature market with fairly high prices. My experience will differ from the warsaw market but I will share it with you just incase it is of help.

In Poland there are some differences interms of pricing and the desirability of property. I found that the interior standard will really move the pricing of a property much more than in other european markets. Also the commuter culture is still in its infancy here so there are oppertunites to buy into what us western europeans would consider commuter towns as the relation of the petrol prices to salaries currently make commuting not as viable as an option. Also all sales are much riskier as surveys are rare and the sale completes very quickly and there is very little comback so be sure the property is structually sound.

Poland in general and especailly Warsaw is seeeing dramatic wage increases and therefore high standard properties are becoming more and more sort after. The likelyhood of getting a deal however I have found very much depends on the sellers personal situation Pole will advertise properties for high prices howwever these can be very negotiable if the seller needs quick money especailly if you are a cash buyer with no need to arrange a mortgage. Try to find out the sellers situation why are they selling does it look like they need a quick sale. If you are a cash buyer you can complete in about 1-3 weeks so you really hold all the cards. They unfortunately will presume as a foriegner you will have deep pockets and will probably push you hard for every penny possible. I would not be afraid to offer low and if you offend them you can blame it on your ignorance sometimes pretending to be dumb works it does for me anyway.

Also if buying off plan or from a developer the situation is very different what kind of property are you thinking of buying ????

Hope this helps

Real Estate / Warsaw buyer or sellers market? Houses around the Milanówek area [20]

Hey I find that a lawyer is no use. Do you know the house buying process here it is completely different from that in the UK. Generally, you make an offer it's accepted and you go to a notary who completes the paperwork and that's it. No 3 months checking this and that like in the UK, therefore, there is very little to get a lawyer to check.

You are right that land does normally hold more of a value than a house as many simply knock the house down and start again sometimes this is cheaper. I have bought a couple of times and never had any issues but its very nerve racking that its so quick and you feel like you could be getting conned but generally it turns out ok. I would say I have been lucky for the most part but if I would offer any advice it would forget the house look at the sellers be sure you trust them and the sale makes sense. On the whole, most poles are honest trustworthy people but like in any country, there will be some who want to have you over.

I would if you speak Polish just not admit that you lived in England or abroad for so long.

You said that you never lived in Poland but do you have a PESEL if not you will need one before buying ...

Real Estate / Starting an English building company in Warsaw. [24]

Hi

Good luck with your venture, I am now going to give my opinion which will be predominantly negative, please take this as just my observations and I could be completely wrong and it is not a personal attack on your idea but......

So the positives first.

There is definitely a lack of good tradesmen in Poland due to the good ones for the most part being poached abroad.

English is desirable as there are many Foreign Businesses looking to invest here in Poland I would say this would be your market rather than individuals.

Now Negatives.

The major issue will be getting a workforce the Poles Struggle to get good workers and you will need one with some kind of English understanding our you will have to speak Polish to him. With a complete lack of a decent workforce, many companies are employing the bottom of the barrel employees alcoholics dragged from the street and then turn a blind eye to them sipping vodka at 7 am. These people will ruin the reputable image you are trying to build. Also because you are a Brit, unfortunately, they will demand more wages from you than they would a Pole so you will get the worst workers for the highest price.

Without contacts, you will find you will be paying retail prices for materials as most of your cost will sit there you will struggle to quote competitively, Of course, you will build these contacts up over time but the initial period will be difficult and again you nationality and language will be a barrier here.

In Poland, if you want to take a **** you need a piece of paper with a stamp on it from the town hall LOL a small joke but in the building trade, you will need so many pieces of paper it will be a nightmare. I am sure your wife can help you navigate the Town Hall, Good Luck, but you will need to find the people with the right stamp that you need for each project again without contacts expensive.

Also, you will have the joy that all new business owners have here in Poland ZUS basically you will need to pay 800 pln per month whether you make money or not doesn't sound much but adds up quick when you can get work for the first couple of months.

In summary, I think its gonna be tuff and unfortunately if you are a decent builder which I am sure you are you will conclude like the Poles disappearing for a couple of months to Germany or England to earn a year's money is worth it.

Real Estate / Warsaw buyer or sellers market? Houses around the Milanówek area [20]

Good luck I hope it turns out well for you. I can see on some other threds you are looking for lawyers I would say you are wasting your money here. I would proceed without one they will charge you a bunch and you still won't get any certainty.

Honestly I think you will waste your money

I know it feels wired compared to the Uk but having gone through it a couple of times i am sure it will be fine

Love / "I wait for you" - American Guy With Polish Girl Question [9]

I would imagine the translation would be czekam na Ciebie my polish is not excellent but my wife often says it to me which my interprtation is that she is waiting with anticipation of our next meeting. There are many with much better Polish on here than me but I would say that its an overtly positive statement.

Real Estate / Warsaw buyer or sellers market? Houses around the Milanówek area [20]

Good luck, the agents fee will be very hard to negotiate I find the best I have ever done is a couple hundred pln but good luck.

Travel / Best way to get from Metro Mlociny to Chopin Airport? [22]

not at that time last train is at 22:30 and first at around 4am taxi it is

Love / Cards for occasions - Polish custom for couples? [4]

Hi there

I noticed this to upun moving here that finding a birthday card is near on impossible. Once before my Polish was passable I found in tescos some cards and picking one which had a pretty picture of a bird on it and what I thought was Happy Birthday I was happy that I could give this to my wife. Upon reciept however she explained that the card was lovely but the text read "get well soon" ooops one of the many challenges of living here with very little language.

The only market which is strong for cards seems to be cards for christenings communions and weddings as far as I can see

Hope this helps

Travel / Western Poland Destination Ideas? [6]

Torun

The Krakow of the North

Real Estate / Tenants Rights in Poland - who should cover additional equipment costs of the apartment? [3]

Unfortunately the landlord only has to maintain the aprtment to the same state as it was rented to you allowing for fair wear and tear. The price of the improvements which are your responsibility. The only line of attack you have hear is to claim that the heat from the windows is making the apartment uninhabitable as it is too hot. If you do not have a way of cooling it eg ac and it gets above 30C then you have a case for him to have to pay for the blinds however he or she will not have to put in the blinds of your choice he will probably do it in as cost efficient way as possible so you are stuck. My advice being a Landlord is to come to an aggreement any blinds you place you are entitled to take with you when you leave but they will be worthless as you will have to find windows that fit them but you could ask your landlord to cover a percentage of the cost on the basis that they will be left when you leave. i have had a smilar situation with a fitted wardrobe and me and my tennants split the cost 50 50 on the basis they would leave the wardrobe as this was not a requirement.

The leak is his problem and make sure you take photos and inform him of the damage as he or she could claim you are liable for this.

It also depends on where you live as in most cities now rentals are in short supply and generally if a landlord looses a tennant he/she can replace them very quickly which makes them less inclined to look after their tennants. I however believe in if you are good to them they will be good to you and look after your property so I try to work with my tennants to find a mutally aggreeable solution to each problem.

Good luck

Not sure I have been of much help but ....

PS I think that price is very high for blinds I did my whole house for 2500 and have 4 big windows

Work / Native English speaker looking to teach English in the Opole area of Poland. [29]

Ok so I am not in your locality but I went through a similar thing, as you and I will just offer advice hopefully more positive than the ladies and gents above.

Ok qualification I got one but you don't need it but some basic understanding of tenses and structure helps.

Teaching in a school is fairly rubbish money but depends on what you need to live people on here think that you will struggle on anything less than 5k pln in hand but I can tell you that's rubbish with low rent or no rent 3k is enough and this is about what you will earn in a school for around 25 hours per week going rate for a native seems to be anywhere from 35 pln per hour to 100 pln per hour depending on area etc. etc.

So what about opening your own company this can be tough as you straight away get hit with ZUS i.e. national insurance which starts at around 400 pln per month then double and then goes up again and you have to pay it even if you make 0 so until you can guarantee an income close to 5k pln per month it is totally not worth it.

My advice is start in a school but give a **** and try really hard and go above and beyond for your students then you will start to make a name for yourself once you have a name then you want to go to local big businesses and offer courses to their employees in my experience that's where the money is at but make sure you do 2 things learn from my mistakes

1st sign a contract and in that contract ensure you get paid by hour not by student then the students cancellation policy if they cancel they still have to pay or you will sit in a company for hours for free.

The most important thing is to be professional and look the part and prepare and deliver your lessons with passion

I did this and make a decent income

O and one more thing save money in the winter cause in the summer you will earn nothing, as all students will want a break

Hope this helps any more info please pm me

Real Estate / How much would it cost to build a house in Poland? [23]

Houses cost can vary allot but If you are talking in feet i/e around 150 square metres I built mine including the price of the Land for around 70k english it was cheap in my opinion but there is allot more involved than just a rough guess. I would say have a look at a site that sells plans for houses as they normally have an estimate of how much the cost will be. There will be two prices look at the bigger one as one will be just the elevation and the other will be a rough cost of a finished home but I think that you should come and check and ask as the land price etc will have an impact. I could write a book about all the pitfalls but not on this site for the regulars to pick it apart and tell me I don't know what I am talking about.

If you need any specific advice message me and I will be happy to help.