Blodwyn

Happy birthday Benny! Sadly I lost 2 dogs in 4 months, aged 12 and around 16. During lockdown I decided getting another rescue dog was a good idea, company for me and it would force me to go out. I thought a small-medium older dog would be suitable but I have been checking every rescue site I can think of and there are only big dogs.

Sorry, not exaclty French finance. I declared UK rental income on the French tax return. I realise it should also be declared in UK but I have never completed a tax return there, it's all PAYE. It seems in UK the tax on rent should be paid by the tenants. I don't know how that works, it seems a bother for them. Can anyone explain?

Congratulations! I''m shocked that people are being so spiteful - shame on them (miserable so-and-sos).  If you feel it's right for you it's not their business to criticize - and you  don't have to justify it to that very rude troll who is so negative. I feel sorry for someone who behaves like that. What's so wrong with getting citizenship of the country you live in, pay tax etc and intend to stay in?  I'm disgusted by Brexit and annoyed that I'm no longer European. As for queuing for a CdeS, appointments are made online so there's no need.  The queues must be for other things.

I know withdrawals from Assurance Vie are taxed at 35% for the first 4 years, so would not put all my money in one. But after 8 years you get an annual tax-free allowance of 4600 euros which would be enough.  I haven't checked out assurance vie with my bank (Credit Agricole) but it might be a problem if I had to return to UK whereas the Prudential one would not.  I don't want to leave France but one never knows what the future may hold. I put some money in Premium Bonds and so far have won a little more than I would have got from Nationwide, but I know they aren't regarded as an investment, more of a gamble! And people always seem to win initially and then not so often. I would have to cash them in if I go for the Prudential products.I guess I'm wary of being sold something that isn't best for me. The guy said I could forward his report to my son, as he works for a bank, but he has nothing to do with investment, or to a friend - but I don't have one who is knowledgeable about this.

Not sure what an investment trust is!

Yes, I live in France, I'm not sure Assurance Vie is available in UK?  The recommended accounts are Prudential, based in Dublin, but apparently portable should I ever have to return to UK.

Thanks for the reply! Yes, retired and over 70.  I mostly manage on pension but need to access savings some months and have money available for any big expenses.I don't mind having some money locked away if it beats inflation and I agree the penalties in the early years are scary. I guess it's hard to make a long term decision.

Hi, not been on the forum for a while and find it mildly annoying that 'accept cookies' comes up on every page - and if you click 'options' nothing happens!  It also says the connexion is not secure. Anyway, I have modest savings in UK at 0.5% interest and of course cannot swap to a better account as non-resident. So with inflation the money is effectively melting away. Now I'm widowed my income has halved and outgoings much the same.  So I contacted a company who did a financial review and suggested putting most in a Prudential assurance vie and the rest in a couple of other Prudential accounts. It all sounds very convincing re interest gained etc. but I'm a bit baffled - never having 'invested' before. And there are heavy fees for withdrawals - 10% to start with. I know investments are long term. How do I know this is a good option? Of course the advisor gets commission which is made clear. The money goes to Prudential in Dublin.  But I was told the UK compensation fund is only for bank accounts anyway.

I checked with Credit Agricole about the lower value for RHD cars, They checked and said it makes no difference. I hope I never have to find out!

Yes, I put it badly, the tractor driver did indeed turn left into my friend's car and badly damaged the passenger door (luckily no passenger). My friend is dealing with her insurance company. I have recently changed car insurers and am beginning to wonder if I would have the same problem. So I can avoid it, which company were you with BritinBretagne?

har har!

A friend recently had an accident: empty road, good conditions, overtook a tractor which suddenly turned  into her car and caused a lot of damage. She was shocked to find the insurance company will only pay half the repair bill - because she was overtaking. Her husband insured the car from new and she thinks he must have made a mistake in taking a policy that was not fully comp. but a middle level. He would have gone for fully comp, This clause was not explained to him. Has anyone every heard of this?

Gosh, good luck with that! I can't imagine many people in France would be selling a RHD car with an MOT. I was wondering what to do with my battered old RHD car if I decide to get a LHD one here. I don't think a garage would want it in part-exchange.

I'm so sorry for your loss CeeJay. My husband died 3 months ago and I sympathise with you about the overwhelming amount of admin. First I would say very little has to be done immediately. I believe a notaire has to be consulted within 6 months. I posted about this a few days ago. Transferring the title of the property seems expensive but would have to be done if you ever decide to sell it. You take a death certificate to the bank and they can advise you about your wife's accounts and how to transfer the money to you and whether it's the notaire's job or they just need to see the Donation Entre Epoux. If you have a joint account and the chequebook is M ou Mme, you can still use it. If the bank card is in your wife's name you won't be able to use that. If you have children they may have an interest in the house - you'd have to ask the notaire. You don't need a solicitor to transfer a UK house in joint names. I went online to the Land Registry, downloaded and sent off a form and a death cert. (It asked for translation but I reckoned they could work it out and they didn't insist.) They were very efficient and you can email questions. You don't have to register the death in the UK. You will need to contact your wife's pension providers, the DWP and the Inland Revenue. I phoned and it was straightforward. Sorry to ramble on - I was thinking of what I had to do.

Thanks for the replies. I said we were both shocked because we'd both have to pay 3-4000 and neither house is worth more than 150k. I later emailed the notaire and she said she could phone and explain, or we'd get the details when we sign the papers. She said the fees are the same whichever notaire used. I suppose the main cost is transfer of property. Someone else with a much more valuable one was quoted £5000, and decided not to bother! I guess you only have to do the transfer of title when you sell the house. I wonder if there is any disadvantage in delaying? It might be simpler for my children if the house is in my name when I die. I don't know what other charges there will be. The bank took 113 euros for 'succession'. It took about 1 minute to amend their computer record and (unlike Nationwide) they didn't even provide a new chequebook in my name only!

I went to the notaire with a friend who has also recently lost her husband. We were told the fees will be 3-4000 euros, which came as a bit of a shock.  I have a communaute universelle and my friend has no children, so it should be a straightworward transfer of the house and everything else. The notaire explained that the fee is set nationally and she charges the same as other notaires.  A lot of the cost is based on the value of the property, which in both cases is under 150 thousand. Has anyone recently had experience of this?

I've had more bad than good customer service in France. After having the lawnmower serviced, and paying when I collected it, I got a letter months later saying I'd not paid. Luckly I had the proof. No apology. Two days after my husband's funeral, the bill arrived saying pay by return, so I did.  When I contacted the mutelle re insurance, they said I should have contacted them first and they would have paid and the undertakers would then bill me for the difference.  So I told the undertaker, who promised not to cash my cheque. It was cashed 10 days later. Last week I emailed saying I was disappointed that they had not reimbursed me after over six weeks.  They said they'd been waiting for insurance money that hadn't been sent 'au bon service' and I'd be paid 'sous quinzaine'  The insurance money was sent 5 weeks earlier. I'm still waiting...

Oops!  Basic error - I had only 5p of credit left.  Now, if they'd only sent me a text to say so...  £20 lasts me years so I hadn't thought to check; my son suggested doing so.

That's what I do!  My 2 euro monthly Free contract is only for use in France, that's why I have Vodaphone too.  When I text, I have the choice of Sim 1 - Free, or SIM2 - SFR so of course I choose SFR when texting the UK. It's always worked before, till last week. Frustrating....

Recently I tried to reply to a text from the UK, but it failed. Then I tried texting my son in England - failed.  I've never had this before in the ten years I've lived in France. It would have been a real problem communicating with my sons when they came over in a hurry when my husband died. Has anyone else had this problem? Or does anyone have a solution?I have a Free mobile contract- 2 euros a month - for use in France and Vodaphone pay as you go to contact people in UK and to use when I'm there. The phone is a basic one with dual SIM,

For some reason, every time I tried to post here in recent weeks, I couldn't, but today I can!   Thanks to all the kind people who offered condolences when my husband died 8 weeks ago. In case it's any help, I'll describe my experience as, even though my husband was terminally ill, I hadn't thought in detail about what would happen. It was all rather frantic, with phone calls, people calling in and my sons arriving from the UK. The funeral has to be within 6 days. It can be delayed only if there is good reason, but permission has to be sought and forms completed. Our GP signed a form which I took to the Mairie. I was asked for a birth certifcate, and the dates and places of birth of his parents. (A friend was recently asked at a nearby mairie for the dates of death of her husband's parents, so it's not consistent.)  If I didn't know the dates, I could have guessed. I went back later to collect several copies of the death certificate.  There is no requirement to inform UK authorities. A funeral company was phoned and someone came out later that day to take the body and to discuss the funeral. I decided to have the coffin closed at their premises- otherwise it would have to be done at the crematorium on the day.  A kind friend offered to help plan the funeral and take charge on the day.  It's hard to discuss funerals with one's loved ones, especially when they are ill, but I'm glad we did. It was simple and personal with friends talking about my husband, or reading things people had sent, including an affectionate amusing poem! My son downloaded 3  pieces of music onto a memory stick (after we checked what format was required). We decided that the coffin would stay put and I and my family would have a short time alone after the others had left. (That was the hardest bit.) I hadn't thought about flowers so rushed out the day before the funeral to buy some to put on the coffin alongside a nice photo of my husband. Apparently when flowers are ordered for delivery at the crematorium, they don't always arrive in time, so we took them. I hadn't discussed it with my husband so chose 3 charities in case anyone wanted to donate in his memory. I had to collect the ashes within two days.  I believe the law says you should not keep them at home, but I hadn't organised anything else so they are still here. A French friend said they never check. We will scatter them on our land in the summer.  Apparently, if you bury the urn and later sell the house, the buyers have to grant you access. Not a great selling point. I still haven't been to a notaire, which has to be done within 6 months. I have informed pension providers, bank, Inland Revenue. We only had joint bank accounts and the French bank card is in my name - otherwise it could have been stopped. Luckily I had no problem, but a friend pointed out that it's important to know what bank accounts the deceased had, and passwords. I was able to delete my husband's email and Facebook accounts. There are still things to do but nothing is urgent. The sadness continues though I try to keep busy.

Last year we had no income tax to pay in France (for 2017).  But I notice a payment was taken from the bank account in January this year, presumably for 2018.  There's no reason to think our income would change much between 2017 and 2018  (it didn't), so I wonder why, and how they decided how much to take?  Sadly my husband died recently so the income for 2019 will be less than half.  I wonder if they'll still take payments from the bank and if I'll ever get a refund!

We bought the house before we thought of doing the CU. (The notaire made a right mess of that, it took months to correct my date of birth but then they changed my husband's instead so both were wrong!) Both should mean the house is not an issue but you never know in France.As I posted in Driving, I was trying to get the car put into my name but sadly was too late.

No will.  The house was bought en tontine so should now be mine. Joint bank accounts so no problem there.  We had a Communaute Universelle which states we jointly owned everything.  Would I still need to list possessions? Nothing of great value. After 46 years, there was very little that belonged to my husband specifically. Two children, no stepchildren. A friend of a friend (French) was apparently shocked at the notaire's bill which apparently included a lot of things that are not compulsory and inflated the cost.  No idea what they could be! Maybe informing banks etc. which I've already started on. I have copies of the death certificate (free from the Mairie).  I checked online and it is not compulsory to register the death in England and Wales but if I do, it costs £200 plus £50 for a certificate. If anyone can think of anything to add I'd be grateful.  Haven't made an appointment yet. Apparently the process takes at least 6 months.

My husband died recently and I've started work on the necessary admin. I know I have to see a notaire but wonder if anyone who's been through this can tell me what documents and information I need to take?