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Cacknanty

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Posts posted by Cacknanty

  1. We leave our windows open and the shutters shut, ever since we came back in the spring to find everything had a thin layer of mould on it.

    Also put sofas on bricks, just to lift them off the floor and allow a better air flow underneath.

    We use those 'stress' balls/toys in a plastic bag to drop into the toilet.

    To help the 'drain down' process, we blow compressed air from the shower head and turn taps on in turn. This also helps if there are some low points in the plumbing.
  2. Yes, Mr T was going to put in the access just for his daughters wedding. The church opposite our place is used by both villages.

    The 'after party' is now going to be held in a barn back at his place. for the life of me, I can't think why he didn't do that in the first place.

    The chap I took as an interpreter is an artist, I did suggest Mr T commission him to paint a walnut tree on the yellow barn, they thought I was joking !

    The other gain we have got is next year we will have even more grass to cut, ho hum.
  3. Here goes ...........

    I didn't want to immediately go to the Gendarmes as we only get to the house for about 9 weeks a year so is somewhat vulnerable to any 'revenge' action.

    After arrival we established that the yellow barn was still owned by our neighbours, ex farmer G and rented out to farmer V. The land and barn behind our property is owned by farmer T who bought it in 1984 from a previous occupant of our place. Our property deeds state that farmer T has a right of access across our land to his land, indicated by the yellow line on the plan. Indicated in a section called 'Servitudes'

    We did know about the right of access from when we bought the place, being assured that T would never use it due to him making an easier alternative access from the road around the corner way back in the 80's.

    The Mayor advised we get the plan showing the yellow line from the Notaire. The next day we did just that. We always assumed that the right of way would be along the existing driveway, not so. The right of way is a 5 metre strip to the West of our property. The walnut tree was within that 5m.

    The next day a chap walked up the drive and started talking away in rapid French, my schoolboy French couldn't keep up, but eventually realised he was inviting me to his daughters wedding. The party after would be in the barn behind us (penny dropping!). Ascertained that he was farmer T from the next village. He was quite a large fellow, built like a brick No 2 house and in my head I could hear my father saying 'the bigger they are son, the harder they fall'. Well that never worked in the 60's and I couldn't see it working now, so continued to talk.

    He actually wanted to use our electricity to power his daughters wedding ! Regrettably we would be leaving for the UK the day before the wedding so we couldn't go to the wedding and wouldn't be able to supply electric. Anyway Mr T, about this tree......

    We then discussed the tree and the land, Mr T believed the 5m strip of land was bought by his father, not so I declared and showed him our deeds and plan. He insisted that the land was his and he had documents to prove it.

    We arranged to reconvene at his place in a few days where he would have his docs ready.

    We then talked about the cost of weddings, sons, daughters, cars etc and had a coffee.

    I visited his place with someone who could speak both languages. After a fairly short discussion, Mr T accepted that the land was ours, his father hadn't bought the land and he shouldn't have cut down the tree. For this he was extremely sorry and would return the wood to us.

    During this time his two sons joined the conversation and each one apologised to me. They also said that I should visit the Notaire to have the Right of Way annulled and they will sign it as required.

    The wood was returned, cut into metre lengths and split, a walnut tree in a kit.

    So there we are, a bit of chat perhaps avoided any real unpleasantness. We have lost a magnificent tree, but gained about 4m of firewood, the removal of the Servitude from the deeds.

    I will place another post in the Legal section relating to Notaire charges, the Notaire wants €700 to complete this contract. seems a bit steep to me.

  4. Many thanks for sorting the links out Catalpa, it looked fine in the preview.

    Looks like a trip to the Gendarmes next Friday, it's just over the road from the supermarket so two birds with one stone.

    The tree was a split trunk tree. Any ideas how old a tree of that size might be? Would it pre-date the barn I wonder.
  5. Here is a photo from last year

    [URL=http://s192.photobucket.com/user/cacknanty/media/DSCN2368sml.jpg.html][IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z196/cacknanty/DSCN2368sml.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    And now

    [URL=http://s192.photobucket.com/user/cacknanty/media/imagesml.jpg.html][IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z196/cacknanty/imagesml.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    The wood appears to have been taken away or rather stolen.
  6. Thanks for the replies.

    The tree was very productive, producing many boxes of nuts for distribution to anyone that wanted some.

    Our contact in the village council thought initially that EDF had requested its removal, but on checking with the mayor, this is not the case with this tree.

    The mayor will accompany us on a visit to the perpetrators of this destruction when we get there next week. He has asked that I read the cadestral and notarial papers that we have from when we bought the place 11 years ago.

    I guess this will be a good test of our elementary school French!
  7. Help required please, next door to our property is a barn rented by a family from the next village. This week, they have chopped down our large walnut tree and the hedging that

    Is on the edge of our property.

    The walnut tree was on our side. We do not know why they have chopped it down.

    We are due to go to France next Thursday and would like to know what procedure we should follow once we have discussed it with the individuals / vandals concerned.

    Gendarmes or some lawyer type.

    Thanks in anticipation

  8. I can vouch for salt. Last summer we came home from holiday to find a large square of dead grass in the lawn.

    It turned out that the son had placed his VW Polo bonnet on the grass to 'rat look' it.

    Sand off the paint and rub salt in.

    Allow to corrode, replace on car, add sticky back plastic wood 'panels' and wait for the plaudits from your mates....................apparently !

    Car has since gone to VW heaven.

    But, we still have a large square of dead grass. So salt it is next time we want to kill weeds.

  9. 1) '73 Norton Commando 750

    2) '73 Norton Commando 750

    3) BSA Bantam D10 (but it did teach me a lot about mechanics !)

    4) Norton Commando 961

    5) Jota (but now pleased I didn't bother)

    6) Going over the alps to Italy in '77 on the Commando.

    7) Triumph Daytona 500, Honda CB175, Lambretta 125, Honda C95 150, Bantam D10, Honda C70, Honda PC50
  10. We had Oak beams 1 metre apart and used the chevron idea but at 40cm centres. Over engineered ? don't know, but that was what I read at the time.

    The chevrons gave us something to attach plasterboard to whilst still showing off the old oak beams downstairs, and as you say gives the opportunity to do a bit of levelling for upstairs.
  11. I'm interested too !

    I know it's not a defintive answer but I put a trip into Viamichelin from Calais to Beaune, toll cost £31.55. Added a stopover in Troyes and the toll costs went up to £37.81. Which indicates that there is an increase in costs if you pull off the Autoroute.

    Personally I can't be bothered pulling off the motorway to go to a supermarket filling station. It would turn into a shopping trip and add another hour to the journey time, if I'm lucky !
  12. There is no requirement to have snow chains on the autoroutes.

    By April there "probably" won't be any snow unless you start going up the mountian roads.

    As far as I can recall snow chains are only a compulsory requirement on the mountain roads and there are signs to tell you that if there is snow on the road you must put on the chains.

    In my experience the Autoroutes are well gritted if required. Main roads are usually clear a day or two after a large 'dump' of snow.

    However, whenever I have driven the Alps in the winter/spring I have always been happy in the knowledge that I had a set of chains in the boot, even when I had a 4x4. The only time I got to use them was a month ago here in the UK !!!

    It really is up to you whether you feel the investment is worth it. If you have them then you probably will never need them, if you haven't .........................
  13. I don't understand the huge variation in charges. We pay our water bills direct to Veolia, not via the commune. It is a village of some 62 permanent residents.

    All these big bills got me doubting if I was correct, so a quick check reveals €20 for Redevance Complementaire Visit. In the heading it does say 'Assainissement Non Collectif Redevance annuelle SPANC 2010'

    So maybe we will be charged €20 each year, rather than €100 every 5 years.
  14. Hi, we also have a place in 71 and had the inspection earlier this year. It seems to have been a non-event. The Mayor handled the inspections for the 'foreigners' in the village that weren't there.

    The 'foreigner' that was there told me that a young lady in a short skirt and high heels came with the mayor, asked a few questions wandered around a bit (keeping to the path of course) asked a few more questions and went off.

    Now this chap doesn't know where the fosse is on his land, there is no vent pipe, but he did know that a pipe emptied into the dyke at the side of the road and always 'ran clear'. The mayor couldn't find any documentation for his installation either.

    The mayor did have documents for our fosse but they were incomplete.

    The end result, all the foreigners installations are fine, here are your invoices for €20, go pay at the Tresor please.

    A revenue raising excercise if you ask me.
  15. We have twice stayed close to Epernay, here,

    http://laloge.pagesperso-orange.fr/indexx.html

    It is south of Epernay, close to Cramant.

    It's a rubbish website, but Mrs Richard is a cracking cook if you book the diner gourmand, a bottle of champagne is included.

    Mostly used by Belgians for some reason.

    Both times that we have stayed it has been a good atmosphere, comparing days out etc.

    The rooms are large and comfortable, some have been renovated since the website was last updated.

    They also make very nice Champagne, we now take a diversion off the motorway to buy a case on most trips.
  16. We (4 of us) own a property in France as an SCI.

    A letter was awaiting for us on our latest visit from the above orgainsation requesting (or requiring) that we pay €74.31 and also a copy of each of our passports.

    I have searched this forum and it appears that it is some form of directory/register of societies/businesses.

    I have looked on the website and found the (brief) entry for our SCI.

    My question is, is this a compulsory thing or is it yet another business directory 'scam'

    We do struggle with the French legalese a bit !
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