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londoneye

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Everything posted by londoneye

  1. Hi As normal today (rather annoyingly in lashing rain !) we took our dog for a walk. Today we went around the edge of our 'local' lake, ie owned by some farmer and in the middle of nowhere. Very often we have approached said lake and heard 'things' diving into water. Today for the first time we saw one of the 'things' and crumbs it looked an awful lot like an otter. Actually my first thought was 'mini' nessie, because we saw the head, a little hump and then a bit of a tail. It was grey/brown, appeared to have fur and probably close to a metre in length, counting tail. Otter ? something else ? We were very excited actually having spent 4 years hearing things dive into the water but never seeing them !
  2. londoneye

    Cancer

    Hi Cathy I don't know what you are going through, but can sort of imagine, because 5 days before we were due to move to france i found a lump in breast. Had all tests done in uk etc but could not get results for a week or so (new owners moving into house day we moved out - not good). Had my first week in france frantic with worry and had to walk to a public phone booth to call uk and get results. I was very lucky - all clear. You are not so lucky, and I am so sorry. But one of the reasons why we did not back out in the 5 days prior to moving was that the woman that we had purchased our french property from (french lady) had breast cancer and I had talked to her about it prior to moving, and I was confident that she had received good treatment. Fingers crossed everyone goes well for you.
  3. Hi We have a gite complex and are registered under AE - for the last year and a half we have been declaring under the 12% (vente de merchandise (sp?)) - we clearly identified that we were a gite business ... no come-back. Not sure why there should be a difference between chambre d'hote and gite, but I don't know enough to say that there is not. ...
  4. Hi I am bringing this old post back to life (!) because are in a similar situation regarding our house and three converted out-buildings. However, I have read that the law regarding VAT on resale within 5 years has changed (March 2010) and I think we do now not have to pay it on the conversion properties. I will go to speak to a notaire in due course, but does anyone know if this is correct. We will of course (or I assume so) have to pay CGT on the three conversion properties, but not on our own house (although how they align any gains between the four properties will be fun I should imagine). I hope I am correct but can anyone clarify for me please as it will make a huge difference to any profit we make.
  5. Yes it does - of course it sounds like a cliche; but it does put things like 'OMG my tax fonciere has increased' (!!!) into perspective somewhat. Fingers crossed for the rest of them.
  6. It's worse than watching Lassie Come Home. I'm a wreck - been here blubbing for about 3 hours now ..... Still, can't seem to take myself away from the live CNS footage.
  7. Sounds like you and OH are following the same learning process at moment only he is working on what he refers to as a 'mushroom house' ..... don't ask as it's top secret and he thinks someone may steal his designs - then I'd have to kill them before he killed me ...
  8. Don't worry about it too much devil's advocate. We had only been here a week or so (or around that as I recall) when the gendarmes turned up wanting to know if my OH was my builder and working on the black. Told them no, showed them our permit and we haven't seen them since (Oh except the time they fined us for running a stop sign!). Chances are they won't come back and if they do, then what can anyone do if you are just getting a little help from family - pretty much impossible to prove that your helpers are not your family - certainly easy enough to prove that they are I would have thought, if required. We are registered as a business and we know there are other similar businesses around who are not, and while I understand the sentiments expressed here I think I would find it quite hard to report someone. But that's probably just me being soft.
  9. Hi - I'd more or less come to that conclusion myself actually but always useful to have other input. Not to worry, I can always trot off back to UK for a few months when it all gets too dull here in winter, and earn a lot more money. Only problem is that I have done it once and really worried about the animals when I was away. For good reason, actually as OH nearly poisoned cat and dog positively rolled out of the house to greet me on my return, having put on 10 kilos in 3 months ! Ah well .....
  10. Oh crumbs - you poor thing - can't help I'm afraid but hope you get better soon - and in the future be more CAREFUL !! Hardly any cepes this year I gather anyway so you are not missing much - keep seeing very grumpy people slinking around the woods with empty baskets - not even any in our grounds this year - last year we had loads. Interested in your wood bending though (on another thread).
  11. I know - I was imagining him trying to bend a 300 year old Oak I must admit ! I'm sure he is around somewhere - probably carving out a tree - he came to cut one of our trees for us and I had to keep an eye on him so that he didn't get the urge to turn it into a swan or something !
  12. Oh dear - sorry - tried to put a smiley in at that point but clearly didn't work. Never mind. thanks everyone
  13. Lovely - thanks everyone - I think anyway I am now somewhat more familiar with the form and workings of such, so in that sense this process has been a good thing. As ever, good advice from all - I am going to rest on my assumption and not worry for another year or so (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  14. No problem 5-element. Just been googling like mad and found someone on another site with same situation and now I am convinced that my assumption is correct - which means that I should expect our base to increase after the two year exoneration to match that of the current base for the rubbish collection. Oh dear (gulp!). Next question though, if we completed the H1 in July 2009, when is the 2 year exemption calculated from. This is the first year that we have had the new H1 taken into account, so I would assume that the exemption for the 2nd year will be next year, and that the new base will be applied to all other categories in our 2012 bill - does this sound correct, or would it be next year (our 2011 bill).
  15. Ok, the only box where our base has massively increased - from 702 to 1676 is under the box which says taxe ordures menageres. Last year the base was 702 across all the boxes; this year the base in all of the boxes is 607 (!) and the base in the menageres is 1676. Which leaves me even more puzzled. And we actually have two properties listed on our fonciere and the base for the second property is showing 247 across all of the boxes, as opposed to the 244 that it showed last year. Very puzzled now - why would the base just increase for the rubbish and not for the rest? Unless (hideous thought) the base increases for the rubbish straight after you have finished the work, but only for the other categories two years later. Of course I have no idea if/why this would be the case.
  16. That's weird - I came on here to ask a question about steam bending also - not for myself you understand, for OH. Chris what size wood are you trying to steam bend out of interest ?
  17. Definitely sand and we back-washed it a few days ago. I telephoned swimming pool company and they said it was definitely a broken vein in the filter which they would come out and change for xxx euros (use your imagination but it wasn't cheap!). Only problem I had with that is someone diagnosing the fault unseen and then telling me how it was going to cost. Added to which I cannot imagine that you can replace something damaged in the filter without also replacing the sand, so I suppose that would have been an added bonus ! Its worrying me (the pool always worries me); it's not that I object to paying someone to do what I can't do myself, I don't but I would hate to pay xxx euros if it wasn't required, as we don't have that kind of money to throw around for nothing.
  18. Hi Thanks - we completed work in 2009, and yes we submitted H1 within 90 days of completion of works. I have to admit that I just don't understand the form (strange how when the amount is very little it doesn't seem important to understand the form but when it increases it does!) There are so many boxes along the top all with a 'base' below them. If it is the commune base percent then it is 18.33%.
  19. sand filter - when we vacuum the bottom of the pool it's chucking sand into the pool.
  20. Thanks but the taxe ordures menageres has always been included in our fonciere. Actually if this includes the new H1 I am happy with the amount - my huge concern is that this does not include our new H1 and that we will get a bill for a hugely increased amount next year. Perhaps I should wait for the habitation to arrive, as that should also show an increase I am thinking if the latest H1 has been included into our fonciere.
  21. Hi Is there anyone in the not too distant from St Yrieix La Perche region who has a swimming pool and uses or has used a pool technician. We have a problem with our sand filter and I am having real trouble finding someone to come and have a look at it for me. Any recommendations would be gratefully received.
  22. oh sorry ignore this - I meant to put it into central france category - i will try to move it sorry
  23. Hi Is there anyone in the not too distant from St Yrieix La Perche region who has a swimming pool and uses or has used a pool technician. We have a problem with our sand filter and I am having real trouble finding someone to come and have a look at it for me. Any recommendations would be gratefully received.
  24. Hi everyone I will try to keep this as succinct as possible. When we purchased our property (small house, two large out-buildings), we were required to complete an H1 form and our tax fonciere increased from around 130 to nearly 500 euros. Admittedly we had gone completely over the top and 'treated' ourselves to an indoor toilet and a shower. to me however, even taking into account our new luxurious life-style, the increase was far too much. At that point I telephoned the appropriate person and had a conversation with what I can only describe as the most unpleasant official I have ever dealt with, whose only response was - you filled in the form, so there is nothing I can do about it. Anyway, said hideous woman is still the only person available at the relevant office. Last year we completed a large renovation project, massive barn and one other out-building into seasonal rental properties. Being a good citizen I once more completed the dreaded H1. Tax fonciere has increased just over 100 euros, now being 600 odd euros. Something is clearly not right. I've checked with neighbours and they have only had increase of a couple of euros, so it's not an across the board increase. Is there any way I can tell from the form why the increase. I would love to believe this is the total increase from my latest H1 form and am slightly wary of querying it and then having a further higher demand. But, on the other hand, if this does not even take into account the new H1, then by not querying it I could end up paying more than I should. It's a dilemma. And I am not sure I can face going to see hideous woman. Any thoughts (apart from the fact that I said I was going to keep this succinct and haven't!).
  25. actually I would probably make him cycle ! You know what I meant - well maybe not, but I know what I meant! I wouldn't just let him go anywhere without checking out that the people weren't slave traders or worse !!
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