Cardinal

The ONLY person who can give you a definitive legal answer is an Avocat. Not a Notaire - they are NOT lawyers and not the same as a Solicitor in the UK. A properly qualified financial adviser can point you in the right direction, but beware of taking advice from Forums such as this. Every case is different and requires specialist knowledge and advice that is peculiar to your circumstance. Its worth paying for! Also, be careful about the word "property". There is property as in house/land/etc and also property as in car/tv/furniture/pictures/jewellery etc and the rules can sometimes differ. The only thing that doesn't differ is that all property (both meanings) is taken into account for inheritance tax purposes. So before the notaire comes to value the property on the event of your spouse's demise, park the Beemer up the road out of sight!!  

No. A CdS or TdS are only residence documents and it says (on mine) that for formal identity it must be accompanied by a valid passport. Renewing a UK passport in France is easy. Arguments about Shengen aside, for travel to any country other than that of one's residence always needs a passport or national identity card - even though you rarely/never have to show it. But if you happen to be involved in an accident or criminal act you WILL almost certainly be asked for it. It amazes me how many Brits come here on holiday and don't carry their passport. Of course, if the UK had ID cards it would be that much more convenient . . . .  

A friend told me a few days ago that Tontine contracts are to be made illegal in France. . Does anyone have any info that will confirm or refute this? They have been illegal as a form of investment/insurance in the UK and US for decades because they avoid tax and encourage bumping-off of partners! C

Sorry Gail. Only just back on-line after a month off. For next year, there is always a big carnival parade in Saintes - preceded by a round-the-town road race and culminating in a massive fireworks display at midnight. C

The definitive source of information on land prices is your Mairie. But always seek a second opinion!

Miaow!

[quote]Is it possible to find out BEFORE purchasing a house if it needs a fosse septique? How much do they cost, do you have to pay a yearly charge? How does the financial bits & pieces work??? Help![/quote] If it hasn't got one it probably doesn't need one. Until you come to fit a new bathroom or shower. The alternatives are: Mains drains, a fosse (septique or etanche) or a puits-perdu (a kind of soakaway). Puits-perdus are now illegal for new-build and for additional santary load and, in theory should be replaced within the next five years. A 2000 litre fosse septique will cost about 2000 euros - installed. The bigger the more expensive. We had a puits-perdu, but had to have a fosse put in for our new bathroom. Took three days and cost 1900 euros. Check with your Mairie for plans and timetable.

[quote]We are hoping to buy a property in Chirac, Charente and have heard that properties in the area are to be conected to mains drainage starting 2006. Has anyone heard of this happening in the area??[/quote] By law, I forget the number (something of 1999?), all communes with population of 400+ (I think) have to have a plan for mains drainage by the end of 2006. That's having a plan - not the drainage. I was told recently that it has to be installed by end 2009 when it becomes illegal to discharge grey water to the street. The cost is recovered through the water charge, as in the UK. You pay approx 1.5 times the cost of water used - plus the cost of water used - that's 2.5 times.

[quote]we've just had an above ground pool constructed (don't get me started on the list of problems with this particular company), but we are far too far down a road. We checked with the perfecture at La Ro...[/quote] Carolski, I have been considering an above ground pool and I live in 17. Which company should I avoid? C

[quote]'Haven't seen a Gendarme for months round here' Me neither, but what I do see on a very regular basis is a very low flying helicopter hovering over certain properties, from which people, (don't know...[/quote] This helicopter myth is spreading far and wide. It started a couple of years ago in 17. Exactly how could a helicopter photograph a water level in a pool - especially if it has a cover on. Even a light weight summer cover would hide any water level visible from a helicopter. You are far more likely to be denounced by a neighbour - they go in for that in France. C

[quote]Dick - I got a little lost with your maths (it has always been a problem for me) but even on your reckonings more people (Tories + Lib Dem) did NOT want Blair & Co. in office than did want them. ...[/quote] If less than 50% of the electorate bothered to vote, one can assume that the rest were not bothered who won. That is, they didn't vote against Labour candidates so we can safely assume that they are happy enough with them. By this version of maths, Labour won a huge majority!

[quote]Dick - I got a little lost with your maths (it has always been a problem for me) but even on your reckonings more people (Tories + Lib Dem) did NOT want Blair & Co. in office than did want them. ...[/quote] If less than 50% of the electorate bothered to vote, one can assume that the rest were not bothered who won. That is, they didn't vote against Labour candidates so we can safely assume that they are happy enough with them. By this version of maths, Labour won a huge majority!

[quote]The carte europeene d assurance maladie forget it as you would not get on in time from cpam, will take about 8 days to come through -

[quote]We have some american guests staying in a couple of weeks. They want to visit Paris on their way back from Normandy to Bonn but don't want to take the car into Paris. Can anyone recommend a good pla...[/quote] If they are going to Bonn and want to miss out Paris, how about Amiens. That way they would avoid driving through/round Paris completely. C

[quote]My husband lives in France and I live in the UK during the week and commute at weekends. He is retired and has only a very small pension - I transfer money to the French bank account for living expe...[/quote] Highly respected and knowledgable as this Forum is, it is not the place to get a definitive answer to your question. You need to seek professional tax advice, unless you want lots of amateur opinion. Every case is different! C

I have just renewed mine at the Consulate. I got my picture signed and it took 5 days. It says so on the form so I got it signed. I wouldn't risk not getting it signed - having it returned, sending it in again - and turning it into a 5 month ordeal. C

James,   Good fun! But you know we use kilometres here not miles. For those who don't get 6 channels loud and clear - go to Mr Brico and buy an analogue satelite kit. They were about 50 euros when I bought mine. C

Outcast - no I have definitely NOT had my bum bit. I paid into a scheme (up to 15% at one time) when I struggled to have a social life, bring up family etc etc. It was hard then, but now I reap the rewards. Young people these days seem unwilling to make sacrifices. I will admit to belonging to a very good company final-salary scheme, but don't let anyone tell you I got something for nothing. When I was paying £400 a month into the scheme my friends thought I was mad - today they rue the day they didn't! And if you read the Daily Torygraph its no wonder you have such a jaundiced view of the EU. A good point was raised about Annuities. I agree that they appear to have been a con - but there were alternatives. My view then, as it is now, was "Don't touch the stock market with a barge-pole unless you are willing to take the risk". BTW - willing to take a risk means willing to lose!   C

Teamed Up gets it right again. Remember what your granny told you - "You don't get something for nothing". Pensions are no different to anything else. If you don't pay in, you don't get out! All those folk who think the UK owes them something because they LEFT 20 years ago, or CHOSE to pay threepence a week, or plain REFUSED to join the scheme should get real. The ones that really get my goat are those that live in houses bought for a pittance 40 years ago now worth a million. They want to be able to GIVE it to their children, not pay any tax, and then get the state (that's me and you) to look after them in their old age. Sell the mansion and downsize? Whatever next! An Englishman's home is his castle and woe-betide anyone who suggests selling it and using the money. If you scrimped and saved from the age of 18, and worked, and paid full whack until 65 you will get, and deserve, a pension worth having. If you didn't - you won't. I feel sorry for those who were suckered into share schemes believing they would get big increases and didn't believe the warning that they could decrease. When share schemes were paying 15% a year and more my measly 5% growth looked awful but it was safe. Oh! and don't listen to Outcast's anti-EU UKIP style rants. C

How about for normal transactions: Always start with a "Bonjour Monsieur/Madame" "Excusez moi, je suis pas courant en francais." (the french swallow the "ne") Followed by "On peut continuer en anglais?" If the situation is urgent, don't waste time with niceties. "Est-ce que vous parler anglais?" It may get an abrupt "Non" but if its urgent you make do. The essence of communication is getting the message across - trip, stumble, crawl, limp or any old how to get there! Cardinal

[quote]Hello Yes that might be the case for Mr Bliar. But unfortunately or should I say fortunately he is not head of state. He is just the leader of a particularly odious political party who when they got...[/quote] Albi - you have a serious problem! HRH appoints the Prime Minister and this one in particular has done more good for the UK than the last three put together. The Party of which he is leader also has proposed more legislation that is relevant to ordinary working people than any before it. Minimum wage, New deal, real jobs, better health care and education . . .  I could go on, but I'm sure you wouldn't be listening.

I bought a SIM only from France Telecom for Orange and it cost me 30 Euros. I put it in my fairly ancient phone and no problems.

>How about any vide greniers? Hi Hazel, The village of Crazannes(17), near St Savinien, about 15km north of Saintes, has a huge brocante event on Easter Monday. 8am to 4pm. Over 70 stalls last year. The Cardinal

Thanks for the advice. A recent trip to Spain found us over the border in Gibraltar - bought the camera there and saved 100 on best UK price.

Where's the best place to buy a digital camera in France? Should I go to Andorra? or buy on my next UK trip?