Mike_87300

It's the A19 see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A19_autoroute edited too many times to admit to to get the link to work[:$]

just to confirm, you bought the tv in France? so you're trying to tune a French system tv on a French system aerial

now changed again! currently trading as http://www.limousincentre.com

try http://www.limousin-centre.com

create an account with moneybookers.com I have have set up my hsbc account  to send a £100 per month to my Moneybookers account which I let build up to £400-500 and then transfer to my CA Britline account to keep a balance against expected bills (insurances, water, electric taxes foncieres/habitation) and to give me "holiday" spending money when I'm actually in France. As long as you take into account the time lag for money to reach  moneybookers from UK account and to reach the onward account French when leaving moneybookers it seems a cheap, effective and sensible solution. Others may well disagree, but it works for me!

go to http://www.code-route.com/telechargement.htm then click on the link signaux routiers to open or download a pdf file of road signs and markings. It's in French but has text describing the meaning of each sign. How up to date it is I do not know. You should also be able to go directly to the page from here by clicking on the link shown above

at present there is no controle technique for motor bikes or scooters/mopeds. I feel it in my water that the French government will make it a requirement for such vehicles to pass a CT in the not to distant future.  

To confirm Charles’ correction http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F2880.xhtml?&n=Transports&l=N18&n=Automobiles%20et%20deux-roues&l=N529&n=Contr%C3%B4le%20technique&l=N539 relevant info is: Le contrôle technique n'est pas obligatoire pour: les voitures immatriculées dans les services diplomatiques (CD, CMD, C), les voitures de collection, les voitures immatriculées dans les séries FFA (Forces françaises stationnées en Allemagne), les motos. but I do think the intention has to be to subject beasts, such as my MBK scooter,to a controle technique.  

thanks for clearing that up Charles

http://www.precismoto.fr/control_technique.asp there's a link to download the form that they use I'll have to check my scooter now!

I'm not a dentist but this is my understanding of the situation You wish to change the use of an existing area? I think the answers in the thread lower down in this forum "permis/declaration" apply to your situation and you should be applying for a permis de construire as the area affected is over 20 sq metres...see link to another forum below which suggests that over 20 sq metres a permis de construire is required, below 20 sq metres a declaration de travaux will suffice.. http://www.french-news.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=417&posts=17 The declaration will then trigger a letter (eventually) from the Impots office who will want to know within 90 days of completion of the works the new layout of the property and habitable area so the property can be reassessed for fonciere/habitation purposes.    

Hi JeanS, it was me that was confused, Ian helped out by translating the letter I got from the Impots. Gist of it is that once the declared works are completed you have 90 days to inform the Impots of the changes so that they can reassess tax liability. I'm going to adopt a shotgun approach to the modele H1 form and fill in everything that I feel is relevant to the property and not just the changes I've made. I'll then pop into the Impots with it on my next visit as that will be within the 90 day period. Luckily the Impots office is less than 1/2 k from my house so if necessary I can drag someone down to the property! good luck with yours!

That's a very kind offer Ian, would it be OK to email a scan of the letter (150kb) to your booking email address? On re-reading the letter I think it says that they understand that the works have been completed and so I have to inform them of the new total habitable area within 90 days. I think I have to sign off the box at the bottom of the letter confirming that the works are complete and then fill in the relevant boxes of the modele H1 form to show the room by room makeup of the property and indicate the new total square meterage that is habitable. It would be great if you can confirm or correct this! the modele H1 form seems to be a catchall as it includes domestic and professional use of a property, whether it is the principal or a secondary residence, whether occupants are in receipt of any state aid as well as detailing gardens, garages etc etc.  

Morning all, I'm having some works done on my holiday hovel (enlarge 1 window and relocate main drains connection: declaration de travaux all approved) to enable me to change its layout. Basically what was just an entrance/cave will become a kitchen and the bathroom which was an alcove off a "piece a vivre" has been moved to an area freed up by shrinking the bedroom. Still with me?!! In essence I'm gaining a separate kitchen over 9 sq metres and losing the cave. The nice people from the Impots have sent me a letter/form which I understand to be for me to detail the scope of the works and date of completion so that they can check to see whether I need to pay more taxes. I'm already paying habitation and foncieres. What has flummoxed me is the form modele H1 they've included...Do I need to fill in the complete form or just the parts relating to the areas that are affected by the works being done? Baffled of Bellac!!

thanks for the info gentlemen  

Morning all, has anyone done Limoges airport to Bellac by taxi? Or do the taxis waiting for flights at Limoges airport just want to run back into Limoges? Airport website suggests that airport into Limoges is circa 20 euros. I'll need to get up to Bellac and depending on the cost prefer to go by taxi direct to Bellac rather than taxi to train station and then err, train to Bellac.  

so long as the materials are all yours and for your domestic use in your property you shouldn't have any difficulties, or need any paperwork. regards Mike

you are currently insured with Direct Line and are going to take/keep the insured car in France where it will be insured by AXA and the insurance policy with Direct Line cancelled? Direct Line shouldn't have a problem with this. Tell them you require the evidence so that AXA can start insurance from specified day and you can cancel UK insurance from same date, surely this is no different to any change of insurer within UK. I'd strongly suggest that you ask AXA precisely what wording they want to see on the letter from DL as when I tried something similar using AGF in France it took 3 letters from UK insurer cobbled together before AGF were happy. My UK insurer was also very protective of the no claims bonus...different circumstances to yours in that I am keeping my UK car insured with UK insurer but wanted evidence of no claims to get AGF to insure motor scooter purchased and kept in France. see archive thread "Fraud Sir?, Me Sir?"

[quote]Yes !! We have had ours in and I am sitting down, need to check on why it has increased so much. I would also like to pose a question; I have just been reading a book as a guide to living in France...[/quote] looking at the bumf on rear of both foncieres and habitation bills, my reading is that for your principal residence for purpose of taxe d' habitation: box "Qui est exonere?"  if you are over 60 the bill can be subject to means testing box "Qui est totalement degreve?"  if you are in receipt of RMI you are exempt and  box "abattements pour les habitations principales" if someone in the property is over 70 means tested reductions/exemptions apply for purpose of taxe fonciere box "exonerations et degrevements de taxes foncieres" section 6 there is means testing for over 75's same box section 7 persons 65-75 means tested reductions it'll probably take me until I'm 60 to learn enough French to fully understand the meaning of these sections

I was getting twitchy on this matter as well so I sent an email last night to ask whether it had already been sent out to either my holiday hovel in Bellac (87) or my UK address and had been lost in the post. I received a response to the effect that the bills will be sent out over the next few days and that payment will be due 15 December. so you were probably right and you'll receive it over the next few days.

not sure that this is going to be helpful but I went through this process last year and read the meaning of the first message as please fill in details on a RIB and send to own bank, this I did ( bank, CA britline just as perplexed) and low and behold nothing happened that year so I ended up paying it manually, this year however with my bill there was a message telling me that i'd opted to pay by internet so I've dutifully entered all my numero fiscal details via web and received a message to say that transaction has been successful, until they take the money out which as far as i understand it is on the last due payment date I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I think the payment by internet option is relatively new as i did have a suspicion that i'd read at the time something along the lines "register now for a new service staring next year"....which would explain why i had to manually pay last years bill. did i say "not sure this is going to be helpful" ? 

hello Dolly, now why does that make me smile! only a suggestion but you could try "the Blue door" in bellac which is in the little run of driving schools opposite the Cheval Blanc auberge.....or try some of the Bellac immobiliers as they have quite a strong english speaking presence. I've not used these services so i have no idea of costs or competencies good luck

is the bill showing actual meter readings of what has been used betwen 2 dates or is it an estimated usage?

having requested a letter from my UK insurer stating that I am entitled to full no claims bonus I today received a duplicate insurance schedule. AGF have already seen a copy of the original and requested the confirmation of entitlement letter, which is why I asked for a confirmation letter in the first place. after a rather short tempered phone call to UK insurer I think we have agreed to a compromise which should satisfy the needs of both insurers. my UK insurer will write a letter to state that I'm currently insured with them and as part of this insurance I have full no claims entitlement. hopefully this wording will satisfy my UK insurer that I'm not able to hoodwink another insurer into "using" my no claims bonus with 2 companies at the same time and it will act as a suitable reference for AGF to base their quote on. still not quite sure what crime I'm supposedly committing! mike  

as far as UK is concerned I'm a scooter virgin, my full uk no claims bonus is based soley on car use. as far as france is concerned license wise I'm allowed to use scooter up to 125 cc as I've held a full license for over 2 years. AGF have seen my license and are insuring my use of the scooter on the basis that my no claims bonus status demonstrates that I appear to be a sensible person, until they receive a copy of the letter stating that I'm entitled to full no claims I'm paying a higher rate as a higher risk, once AGF receive the letter they will reduce my premium. surely it is up to AGF to be able to base their premium on this basis? I suppose the view of my uk insurer is that I could have an accident on the French insurance and not declare it to the UK insurer for them to adjust my risk rating accordingly. still not sure whether I've got my head fully around what Uk insurer is driving at!! regards, Mike