Hi Gang.......:>))

[Deleted]

I hope all of my old friends here are doing well.......

After several years recovering from my insane Hrvatska experience, well documented in this forum.

I am ready to return......lol.....I must be crazy. But even though I lost everything it doesnt change what i thought was a good quality of life.....this time I return without a fat bank account but a far wiser man in the ways of the world.....:>))

2 years ago obtained a job with a UK Investment Corp on the FTSE.... Admin for an international singles site......whooo hooo what fun. So it matters not where I live now, the Barclays deposits still go in...... I was broke for years after coming home.

So as the job has developed I find a need to live in Europe again so I can further develop the business plan.

All knowing the difficulties to stay for a Yank......I plan to have 2 homes this time in 2 different countries and then the 90 day nonsense and really most of the stress will be non existent.
As the job entails a bit of travelling to hold gatherings in different cities, that will help my cause also.

I have already been offered a cheapo locals price rental on Hvar and one for free, so they still love me.....Had a poem dedicated to me from there about no Tim in Krusvica the mountain area my land was in........ and will buy a small place somewhere else or rent.

Maybe Ancona where friend wants to be or Hungary east of zagreb I have seen some nice places and no d.o.o. needed to own.....also saw a cool stone house just north of the Greek border in Bulgaria.....that way I can get an EU car and green insurance card with bulgarian company, now much easier to deal with and no big investment there.....just do the paperwork.

So....my arrival is about April.....i will only be in Croatia half time unless I find a wife, maybe this time I can focus on that rather than stress and flipping out....lol.....we will see.

So....nice to be back I have thought about this place quite often.

Cheers

[Ribaric]

Well hello again Bebewanna, good to hear from you again. You're right, you are crazy after what you went through the last time you were here. I reckon the wiser and experienced head will win out this time!

[Deleted]

Hi Ribaric.......nice to see you man... I looked at your site, very nice.

Yes there was no way before that I was prepared for all of the law changes and what that would bring..... it wont still or would not have ever been easy, but I did not expect impossible........so with renewed attitude and energy as well as a far better insight on how to play the system I stand a far better chance.

Not needing to make money in Southern Europe is a big plus too.....all I need is internet.

I met woman from Bajina Basta, Serbia, thats how the return plan began. That ended recently, but I worked to get that site set up based in Europe so I could move back, now I kind of have to, lots of work ahead.

I am curious to hear how the EU entry has effected things, I do note house prices are astronomical again so as expected that seems to have happened. On Hvar they have new subdivisions in places I thought as did the locals, next to the sea, you were not allowed to build.
Guess they need new housing for all the foreigners, create their own villages, cause few locals could afford them.

Well nice to be back continuing the dream.....I do not like failure, maybe I need personally to change the final chapter of this story to one I can better stomach....:>))

[Ribaric]

Madgolfer and Mrs MG had to return to the UK to care for ageing parents and were roundly screwed by a number of HR government departments with respect to health insurance payments and the like. It seems you can check out but you can never leave!

[Deleted]

I am sorry to hear that MG was a big catalyst for information here.

Yes I have that issue also, only 3 brothers in Miami to deal with my folks, so I am relieved of that stress being the brother living far off all my life nothing is expected from me.

I do wonder if when you have your d.o.o. seized which Id guess is what happened, I still have no clue......are they gonna arrest me when I enter??? Who knows what repercussions await me....they should be satisfied if so they got a free new unfinished house and 18,000m2 of vineyard land on Hvar......hopefully that satisfied the hunger.

The Visa Business Stamps are still in my passport so not like I can act like Ive never been there.....LOL....maybe I should get a new one.

[Ribaric]

Oct 29, 2014 18:42:09 GMT 1 @bebewanna said:

The Visa Business Stamps are still in my passport so not like I can act like Ive never been there.....LOL....maybe I should get a new one.

It's a worry, also about the abandoned d.o.o.

Are you sure you want to come here? Isn't it like starting a football match where you are 0-2 down before you even start?

[Carol]

Wow! You are on virgin territory now Bebewanna! I don't think anyone has ever tried again with Croatia. All credit to you for trying and the very best of luck.


It will be interesting to hear whether you find Croatia different now a few years have gone by.

But the doo might be something to tread very carefully around before committing yourself fully. The question are: how joined up is the bureaucracy, how long are the memories and how merciless will the person who will handle the case be? There was a common attitude a couple of years ago - in 2011-12 - which might be best called "Make the foreigner pay", so it will be interesting to hear if things have moved on or not.)


Good luck! You are a VERY brave man!

PS If you decide not to risk Croatia again, what about Bosnia or Slovenia? Both are beautiful....

[Deleted]

Hi Carol, nice to see you. I dont know what happened only because at a certain point I just gave up to relieve stress, .... I didnt have the money lawyers wanted to clear up what the ones that were supposed to clear up wouldent answer my mails to do.

I guess i will have to find out the answer to this question, most of the Hvar Police know my face, I never had any problems but still.......so I dont think I am one person who can hide on that island like many do or Id never left...... to be honest I was kind of kidding but who knows. Id guess there were a few "blue envelopes of threat" floating around with my name on them, but no way Id have gotten them.....Posta Manager was mad at me already for getting my mail delivered at a Kaffee Bar without their permission for 2 years and of course paying the 90 kuna for the stamps for the permit.

I think my friends were quite tired of my problems and need for help, so I stopped bothering people to check things out long ago. I have my total independence back it feels good.

But my young woman friend in Zagreb can likely figure out where to look...... any ideas of where Id find out that stuff about company??

Im not sure I really care if they want money other than I dont want to be in a Hrvatska Prison......lol.... my situation is their doing not mine....the gift that keeps giving.

It is not my intention other than to spend time there to in any way get involved in any business activities again of any sort with the system other than wild nights at Carpe Diem with Zeliko Kerum......ha ha and withdraw cash from the ATM and get my Land Rover.
Croatia is to be my 2nd home this time, I will dance the 90 day laws back and forth.....

My name will go on nothing except the insurance paper I need to drive the Rover and I already emailed those folks in Split to be sure thats still happening for 90 days at a time.... even if I wanted to I am not wealthy enough to buy a place in Croatia again, especially since the surrounding countries things are a giveaway in comparison and in some I can even get it financed......I also learned my lesson, dont pay cash for real estate.....lol, be an true American make payments, its safer. Thats was my first mistake, one I was never comfortable with and thats the one that bit me.

Nobody ever registers with the police for that white tourist card anyways on Hvar... but yes until Ribaric said something about MG having issues I had not really thought too seriously about it.

Someone saying Id be the first to come back and see what happens should make me nervous.... and it is......really we have nobody that has tried that...?.....wow......thats not good

I was looking at cool old brick farmhouse in Hungary an hour from Zagreb, but if I cannot enter the country that sure changes that fast.....

I am going to for sure buy something over in Bulgaria since most of my work will be from there north to Ukraine anyways, I really liked it in the Rhodopis when I was there....... work will be in most of the Eastern and Southern European countries.

well maybe i get to be a guinea pig again here...... anyone know a good bail bondsman in Zagreb......:>))

[Deleted]

And i like to have 10 euros for everytime in my ordeal with this country someone told me I was a brave man......

Every person in government offices I ever met said that....... or plainly asked why you would you leave America to come here "Crazy Americans"......first thing I ever hear in that country from the Carina guys checking the dogs at Zagreb airport.....

But without the residence law changes, I would be sitting in my little shop right now in Split because I would have made it.

So I guess there is always that feeling that it didnt have to work out the way it did...... that is the 1 that has been hard to shake...... the crazy system didnt beat me, the changes for EU Ascension did.

[Ribaric]

Oct 31, 2014 16:45:15 GMT 1 january said:

company info here, just enter company name and search
www1.biznet.hr

I just searched three companies, the details of all three are totally wrong. Not encouraging.

[Ribaric]

Oct 31, 2014 19:31:54 GMT 1 january said:

Huh, but it is the official register from Cro chamber of commerce..............................

I changed the address of my d.o.o. over a year ago, this site still shows it owned by the people who sold it to me and not even at their most recent address.

[Carol]

You need to send an email to the Chamber of Commerce to get the details updated. They did it for my company when the phone number changed but you have to ask. I am not sure if you can ask for a company that they don't have you down as owning.

So, as a place to research things, the company register is not reliable, unfortunately.

[crojoe]

Oct 31, 2014 5:28:54 GMT 1 @bebewanna said:

And i like to have 10 euros for everytime in my ordeal with this country someone told me I was a brave man......

Every person in government offices I ever met said that....... or plainly asked why you would you leave America to come here "Crazy Americans"......first thing I ever hear in that country from the Carina guys checking the dogs at Zagreb airport.....

But without the residence law changes, I would be sitting in my little shop right now in Split because I would have made it.

So I guess there is always that feeling that it didnt have to work out the way it did...... that is the 1 that has been hard to shake...... the crazy system didnt beat me, the changes for EU Ascension did.

bebewanna, I really doubt you would have made it much better even if they allowed you to stay as honestly things haven't gotten that much better since joining the EU. Passing through the shopping centers I see all to often (once the tenancy period is up.. like 5 years I hear) most small shops close. Loads of shops down town Zagreb are closed. Zagreb now has like 13 shopping centers. Not much has changed with inspectors, although it does seem they have been able to kick the small business/coffee shops to pay PDV and register income with the new online computer pay system. But the same big business owners are the ones that just tell the tax man NO, we won't pay and there is nothing you can do about it. And sadly there is still a bit of suspicion towards small foreign business owners.

[swordfish]

Same here in Istria, shop and resturants closing everywhere. What I can't understand the government says tourisum is up but on the ground here this year we have noticed half the amount of foreign vehicles on the roads and with increases in flight prices into Pula almost doubling unless people are now traveling further across to Zadar etc.

[Deleted]

Hi, thanks for the link, it does show as being closed and I think some translation I did there was some verdict a few years later in 8/2014.....

So from there who knows. Not much I can do.

Yes I was there when Zara opened and a few of the Croatian women small shop owners said then that the big Corporations coming in they were all slowly going out of business and everyone would soon be an employee instead of a small shop owner.

When I say I would have made it.
The bummer for me was I did not mind losing money I just wanted to stay. I was just about breaking even for the shop every month a total of maybe 400 euros with power and really I have enough other income that would have worked, that was the goal all along to just stay and show compliance... The VISA deal I had to pay myself whopping 1000 Kuna a month, they were really quite easy on me.

Other than the really tough lady that did the technical check for the shop and warned me how much it costs if she has to come back because I do not comply with what she tells me. My Croatian woman friend now in Zagreb told her a thing or two in Hrvatski about her attitude I guess, so that moment was handled for me...lol......2 Croatian women arguing are like fighting cats

I never had an issue with any one particular in that Government, Split City, County, nobody.....everyone I came across was helpful and maybe I was just lucky.
Nobody ever bothered me one time about Visa residence checks, shop checks, nothing, remember back I was the first to get the VISA after the changes.

An American is a novelty item there and it worked to my advantage in most situations, including most with government people...... they seemed to have an appreciation for what I was going through already knowing how hard it is for them. I left most of those contact moments with a new friend from police to the lady at the auto registry desk in the big Split cop station that made phone calls and got things faxed she needed to help me with a line of 100 people behind me.

So my last thing to determine is when I enter the country is there going to be something pop up that says this or that about me entering the country....