val douest

I originally posted this as a follow-up to a question in the gardening section but I think it makes more sense to post it here! Thinking of our neighbour, who is having trouble managing her garden, if someone is in the French tax system but does not have enough income to actually pay tax, would they still receive a rebate in the form of real money when using the cheque d'emploi system?  I know this is what happens in the case of tax rebates for the installation of 'green'  energy appliances (ie you actually receive a cheque for real money if you do not pay tax). Many thanks Val

Just a supplementary question (thinking of our elderly neighbour): if someone is in the French tax system, but does not have enough income to actually pay tax, would they still receive a rebate in the form of real money when using the cheque d'emploi system?  I know this is what happens in the case of tax rebates for the installation of 'green'  energy appliances (ie you actually receive a cheque for real money if you do not pay tax).

We have blue tits which occasionally perch on the window frames and peck away at the putty round the glass.  Apparently it contains linseed oil which they find attractive - each to their own I suppose! Val

There's a dog with an English passport needing a new home, described in the post two up from yours.  Maybe you would suit each other? Val

Many thanks for that useful information - with such a price differential we may well feel we can learn to live with an above ground tank! Val

This year I am determined to get organised before the first frost and to move my more tender outside potted plants to a warmer spot.  I know what to do with the pelargoniums but what should I do with the climbers/shrubs which have made a lot of top growth?  I have a potted passion flower which has covered a bamboo screen and a plumbago which has grown up a trellis.  Should I cut these right back or should I just remove the bits which are attached to their supports?  Once they are in a very sheltered place I gather they just need an occasional watering to stop them drying out.  Any help appreciated. Thanks, Val

We shall soon be replacing and resiting our oil central heating boiler and the present storage tank (which is very old) does not conform to modern regulations.  As the usual storage tanks are not very pretty, and as ours cannot be housed in a special brick-built enclosure as this would infringe the 'no new building within 15 metres of a departmental road' rule, then we were thinking of an underground tank.  Does anyone have any experience of having one installed? - approximate price and type of supplier (brico, specialist etc) to approach would be very useful. Thanks, Val

I don't have the definitive answer but there must be plans on file which show the route of any possible road modifications.  I guess the best place to start would be the Mairie of the commune where the property is situated.  If he doesn't have access to plans he should know whom you should approach for the information you need.  Good luck!

Looking at the Ryanair website there is a flight from Birmingham to Biarritz which seems to continue a few times a week during the winter, though Biarritz is a bit too far south for many people.  There is also a new flight from Stansted to Lourdes which has much more civilised timings than the Stansted to Pau route.  We still keep hoping that Ryanair will see the potential of bringing pilgrims and/or skiers from Liverpool to either Lourdes or Pau but so far no luck!

It's also worth getting a quote from Trailfinders (www.trailfinders.com) who will cover people beginning their journey in France or any European country as well as the UK.  They are usually very competitive. Val

Many thanks to everyone for their information and advice.  Panda, this is likely to be a one-off, involving my husband doing some work on contract back in the UK.  I don't think he will have the option of being employed by the outfit concerned but it you are able to do so it sounds as if it might be more straightforward.  Presumably the employer will be able to give you all the paperwork to back up your status, income, any tax paid, term and place of employment etc which should keep everyone happy.  I'm sure it would be very useful to post again with your experiences and any problems when you've completed an assignment.  Meanwhile - good luck! Val

I understand from reading back posts in this forum that income is taxed in the country in which it originates.  If someone is in the French tax system, with tax on normal income being paid in France, but then does some consultancy work entirely within the UK for a UK company and is paid in the UK, then presumably this income is declared in the UK and tax on it is payable in the UK.  In this case it it possible to set the income against UK personal allowances - or do these personal allowances disappear if one becomes tax resident in another country?  Your thoughts/advice appreciated! Val

Christine - I don't know if this little one would suit the couple you mentioned.  I just came across her on the website this morning and have no idea if she is still available but she's young, white and female and seems to be mostly caniche.  The reference is  http://www.secondechance.org/animal/show/id/24702. Val

The camper van in question was six years old but I would have thought if you have a Certificate of Conformity, the 'e' number and the VIN plus the other bits and pieces of paperwork, you should be OK.  You would also of course have to have the Controle Technique certificate (MOT) which includes checking the exhaust fumes as part of the general testing procedure; once you have the CT I don't think the pollution question would arise. Val

I posted a couple of months ago about reregistering procedures for a camper van belonging to friends of ours.  I am pleased to report that it has finally been registered here in Hautes Pyrenees, at the prefecture in Tarbes, with very little trouble.  The actual procedure we followed might be of some help to anyone about to do the same thing. The vehicle was a Fiat/Hymer, left hand drive and registered in the UK but originating from Germany. They had a Certificate of Conformity, but in german. Our first step was to go to the DRIRE in Tarbes, assuming that they would issue an attestation which we could then take to the prefecture, avoiding any issue with a german CofC. However, they said we should go straight to the prefecture since we already had a CofC. So my friends then set about acquiring the other bits of paper, Controle Technique and Quittance Fiscale; armed with these and a utility bill, the UK V5c, a UK driving licence and the "demande" form for registration, it all sailed through. I believe the combination of the VIN and the e1 number was enough. The man at the desk did check that what appeared on his computer screen was consistent with the CofC, but there appeared to be no need to read german; he was just checking numbers such as gross weight, unladen weight etc. The power output, absent on the CofC, appeared automatically on his screen. So a very relieved and delighted couple, who had expected a long drawn out and expensive process, can now have new number plates attached and drive away fully registered in France. I imagine that the ease of the process depends very much on which part of France you are in, and even the particular officer dealing with you. My friends did ask Fiat of France some while ago for a french version of the CofC; they replied asking for a copy of the UK registration document, then everything went quiet. Many thanks both to Mike and Maria for their encouragement, and especially to Sunday Driver, whose knowledge and advice was - as ever - spot on.

One way to check the cheapest flights over a period of time (if you can be flexible on dates) is to use Martin Lewis's flight checker on his excellent site (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com).  If you subscribe to his free weekly newsletter he also highlights any special deals and the timeframe for booking.  As it happens, it isn't working for Ryanair flights today as Ryanair are still having problems with their site, but normally it's very useful.

Hi Lilly There was a thread a while back when someone in the same dept as you was looking for a pet sitter while they went back to the UK.  She had a reply which looked quite promising though I'm not sure if anything came of it. It might be worth checking out, anyway.  The thread is http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1074943/ShowPost.aspx. Good luck! Val

Most of the big banks in the UK have 'international' associates offshore which offer a variety of accounts (sterling, euro and dollar) which are available to non-UK residents.  The savings accounts usually pay you but the current accounts charge a fee.  For example, Lloyds TSB offshore have a fairly basic sterling account (cheque book and debit card included) for £7.50 per month (first three months free) and you can have a euro account alongside for no extra fee. More info on http://www.lloydstsb-offshore.com/international/internationalaccount You may be able to have internet access to the account which would be useful - and if the Lloyds version doesn't suit then it would be worth looking at what the other banks offer.

And it is enforced.... my daughter had her passport stolen in Spain and Ryanair refused to let her board a flight back to the UK using her photo driving licence.  She had to pay a lot of money for an emergency travel document from the British Consulate in Barcelona plus the full fee for a new passport on her return.

There is a 'silver surfer' website http://www.ssti.co.uk/travel-insurance-80.htm which suggests several insurance companies (including Marks and Sparks) who will insure people over 80 - I don't know whether any annual policies are included.  There is also http://www.allcleartravel.co.uk which claims to offer insurance with no age limits.  I've no idea if any of them actually offer what they say they do and whether the premiums are affordable but it might be worth a look. Val

The information provided by Gengulphus is fascinating and the kind of useful post that I can never find again when I need it in a hurry!  Could one of the mods make it into an FAQ at the head of the gardening section? - I'm sure it would be appreciated. Val

Hi Eli I don't know the specific answers to your questions but here are a few pointers which might help you find people who do. I assume that as you have never lived in France your French nationality comes from one of your parents.  You don't say which other nationality you hold but your reference to the IRS leads me to think you are probably a US citizen.  If not then the same general principles apply wherever you are based. I think the best place to start your enquiries about the legal issues is with the French embassy in DC.  Their website(http://www.ambafrance-us.org/) gives the various departments and a list of the ten consulates around the US).  It's not the clearest of websites and you have to keep going to the bottom of the page to find the information you were looking for, but at least it gives you some contact points. Another website which may be useful is www.americansinfrance.net which has a forum (http://www.jeffsteiner.com/Live-in-France-Forum/index.php) where you can post specific questions.  There will probably be people posting and reading it who are in the same position as your wife, for example. Regarding employment, I  hope you have fluent spoken and written French, without which it will be difficult to find any job requiring qualifications.  There is a jobs section on the 'americans in france' website which could be useful but the embassy should be able to advise you on specifics. Good luck! Val

Hi Patf - I've sent you a pm Val

We had friends who used to take their cat with them caravanning and all went well for several years until it was chased by a dog and went missing, presumably having lost its bearings.  They had to return to work but went back every weekend to look for the cat and after a month of tramping round the area and calling its name, the wife was extremely relieved when her thin and bedraggled kitty hurled itself into her arms.  That was the end of caravanning for the cat; he stayed at home after that and was looked after by friends.  Even if my cat was a good traveller, which he isn't, like you I would be very worried that he would become totally disoriented whenever we changed places - and if he had to stay shut in it would be a miserable 'holiday' for him.  I suppose it might be different if the idea was to stay put in one place for several months but not otherwise, I think.

We also paid €250, to the same notaire who was in charge of our house purchase.  That was four and a half years ago.  Most people we know have done this through a notaire and not through an avocat - maybe it would be worth contacting a couple of local notaires, including the one who will be handling your house purchase ? Val