The Estate Administrator in Israel: When and How to Have One Appointed
Obtaining an inheritance order or a probate order in Israel is not always enough for the assets to be collected, the debts paid and the estate actually distributed. As soon as an estate includes real property, a business, debts, minor heirs or heirs scattered between Israel and abroad, the appointment of an estate administrator – Menahel Izavon (מנהל עיזבון) often becomes the only practical way forward. Here is what the role involves, how the appointment is obtained, and how it differs from the succession mechanisms foreign heirs are used to. I. What is a Menahel Izavon (מנהל עיזבון)? The...
Read MorePolish Citizenship: Which Archives Actually Prove Your Claim?
Polish Citizenship: Which Archives Actually Prove Your Claim? In a confirmation of Polish citizenship (potwierdzenie posiadania obywatelstwa polskiego) case, the argument is rarely about the law — it is about evidence. The Polish authorities presume nothing. The applicant must show, document by document, that an ancestor held Polish citizenship and never lost it. That makes one question decisive: which archive holds the proof, and what can each collection actually establish? I. Why the file is won or lost on documents The proceedings before the Governor of Mazovia (Wojewoda Mazowiecki), the...
Read MoreCondominium Disputes in Israel: The Tribunal Most Apartment Owners Have Never Heard Of
Water seeping down from the flat above. A neighbour who encloses a balcony and encroaches on the common areas. An owner who has not paid the building dues for two years. In Israel, disputes of this kind are not heard by the ordinary civil courts but by a specialised tribunal that many foreign owners discover far too late. Here is what it can order, how it is seised and what to anticipate when you own property in Israel without living there. I. The Supervisor, a specialised condominium judge The Mefake’ah al haBatim haMeshoutafim (המפקח על הבתים המשותפים) — the Supervisor of...
Read MorePolish Citizenship by Descent: The Loss Rules That Decide Your Case
Most Polish citizenship claims do not fail for lack of a Polish ancestor. They fail because that ancestor had already ceased to be Polish by the time the next generation was born. Everything therefore turns on a single question: was the chain of citizenship broken before your parent or grandparent was born? Here are the breaks the Polish authorities look for, period by period. I. A confirmation of an existing right, not a naturalisation Poland applies ius sanguinis: citizenship passes by descent, with no residence or language requirement. The procedure known as confirmation of Polish...
Read MoreHeitel Hashbaha in Israel: the betterment levy that catches sellers out
You are selling your apartment in Israel, the deal is signed, and the municipality suddenly claims several hundred thousand shekels. It is not a mistake: it is the Heitel Hashbaha, the betterment levy, one of the most poorly anticipated costs of an Israeli property sale. In 2026, with planning schemes multiplying, it affects a growing number of foreign owners. I. What exactly is it? The Heitel Hashbaha (היטל השבחה) is a levy collected by the local planning committee (Vaada Mekomit (ועדה מקומית)), not by the national tax authority. It captures the owner’s enrichment when a planning...
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