Ugo

Please let me know what you find out, indeed we are stil interested in the area but want to wait and see how the situation eveolves   ugo

Since many of you asked, here's an update: my wife and I met with the agency on Friday. They said that since this report is a "new element," we have the right to cancel the contract at no cost to us.   We are a bit heartbroken because we really loved the chalet, but we decided that cancelling was the rational thing to do.  We are now trying to find out about the process for cancelling the contract.   Thanks again for your help and support.

Will,   the report highlighted the standard risks of all mountain town (I compared with several other mountain resorts and they were all the same).  The compromis de vente included a map showing the various areas of the town classified as low risk, moderate risk, and high risk. My plot was classified as low risk. However, things have now changed because the glacier sits right on top of the chalet I am planning to buy and that specific area is now at high risk.   Thanks for the advice   Ugo

thanks again to everybody, I am learing a lot! This is such a bummer, it goes well beyond the finaicla costs. We have been looking for the perfect chalet for more than three years and after we had found it and had developed an emotional attachment to it, this whole thing happned. Ohh well...

thanks again to everybody. Yes, I bought through an agent.  I just talked to him and I am meeting with him on Friday to discuss possible options (luckily, I am in Geneva not oz J).  I also found an English speaking lawyer in neighboring France and I will try to speak with him after I talk with the agent.     Besides the financial implications, we are so disappointed because my wife and I really loved the chalet and Saint Gervais. But of course I understand that problems of the residents (including the owner) are much more serious than ours.   Will keep you posted   Ugo  

Dear All,  Thank you very much for the answers (especially for all the details provided by Will) and sympathy of Sweet 17. In case you are interested, these are some more details. The Major commissioned a study on the risk of the glacier in 2007 (apparently everybody in the town knew about this study but nobody told me about it and the study was not mentioned in the compromise de vente).  The results of the report were given to the Major on July 13 (the day before I paid my deposit) and the Major made a public announcement on July 28. The compromise the vente mentions the standard geological risks to which any mountain town is subject to, (avalanche etc.) but does not mention that the area of my chalet is at particular risk (in fact the plot in which my chalet sits was indicated as a being a low risk area in the town risk map) or that a study on the risk of the glacier that sits on my chalet was being undertaken.

I early July I signed a compromise de vente for a chalet in Saint Gervais les Bains and paid the 5 per cent deposit.   Two weeks after signing the compromise de vente the Mayor of the town released a report showing that there is a significant risk that a glacier which sits on top of the town will collapse and destry a signifcant part of the town (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/news/melting-glacier-threatens-valley/story-e6frg8ro-1225900403709 ). The property that I am planning to buy is in the most at risk zone and I am very worried. The compromise de vente does not say anything about risk of natural disaster, but this is a huge new piece of information (the whole town is in state of emergency). Does anybody know if I can walk away from the contract without losing my deposit?