BJSLIV

I see La Poste have introduced a special cheaper tariff for things such a DVDs and CDs supposed to benefit  Ebayers etc. This is to overcome the problems caused when they introduced the rule forcing" things" rather than letters to go by Colissimo. Mind you 1.50 euros for 1 DVD is hardly a bargain! You must attach a special label MiniMax http://www.arcep.fr/fileadmin/reprise/secteurpostal/articles-lettre/lettre65-consopostal-minimax.pdf

Cookers should not be plugged into ring main circuits in the UK I agree entirely with your thoughts but it's interesting to see that Aga's installation instructions state....... Designed for connection to a normal 13 amp domestic electrical supply. A 13 amp safety plug may be used providing that this is of a high quality to British Standards 1363, but direct wiring to a double pole switch is to be preferred. http://www.aga-web.co.uk/agatech/inst4b-13a.htm

A more equitable system than arresting foreign drivers who have no UK address to receive a summons, keeping them in the cells overnight, then bringing them before the magistrates court to be dealt with.....  From what we all recently heard it seemed as though they were already doing this........(Just in case anyoine misses SD's point) As far as this proposal is concerned it would seem to pas a "fairness to foreigners test" as it is stated that it would apply to anyone unable to prove their residence in the UK.

If you don't build within 4 years of purchase they will collect the VAT at that stage  with additional charges for late payment.

The main impact of the declaration is to extend the coverage of an existing policy to include things such as Flood, Landslip, and Tree damage , things which might otherwise have not been covered. It also brings with it a statutory excess which is 380 Euros for home property damage  1520 Euros if it involves land heave or subsidence. These rates come into play if they are lower than the excess aready applied to your policy http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F3076.xhtml  

The most likely reason is to ensure that the correct rate of VAT is applied. If it's building land no VAT to pay , but around 9% worth of other taxes. If its not building land then VAT at 19.6% is levied.  

But if they can't gain access to the meter, then they usually insist on an actual reading every year, though we have gone as far as two years without an "actual". I think that if they have to make a special visit they now make a charge.  

Clair Were these changes within the last couple of years? I have a vague recollection that someone said that there was now a call out chargefor each change.  

Just as in the UK there is a debate as to how to reduce the amount of waste. Some councils believe that by making people pay a separate charge for rubbish disposal it will make them more sensitive to the costs involved.....Discuss!

Does a cheap Rolex copy purchased from an email Internet supplier count?????? That way everyone could be a success

You will find here http://www.lagendarmerierecrute.fr/contenu/devenir That the first condition is....... Être de nationalité française. I somehow think that even if she were to obtain French nationality  it would sill be very difficult to gain entry.  

Many years ago I used to send money from Midland to Soc Gen. I used to be charged by Soc Gen about 100 Francs for every dollop of Francs that arrived. So I was paying at both ends. I got round that by sending money by Tipanet from the Coop Bank  to Soc Gen. They used Banque Populaire as an intermediary, which meant that when it arrived at Soc Gen it was an internal French transaction so no charge at that end. In your case I think logic  suggests that the HSBC  version of the story is more plausible CA. I don't really think that the HSBC computer would have levied a charge without something provoking it. We have all know that the French response to an unusual  query is "Pas possible".  Its quite likely that though the local CA hasn't levied a charge, one of the CA central processing computers has. I imagine that HSBC have decided its easier to waive the charge rather than waste more time trying to sort it out. It will be interesting to see what happens next time if you don't accept the charges on the HSBC form. Will they be redirected to your French account?    

Try clicking on Le Journal de 13H. New window opens then page down there  to find the map.    

No the mediation process is simply to decide whether the insurance company were right in their decision to reject the claim. I suspect that your problem is that French companies are much stricter in how they decide  whether or not to pay. If they can prove that the problems were a result of inadequate maintenance they won't pay out.

In fire-prone parts of the south of France property owners are obliged to remove certain trees which could be a fire hazard. There are penalties if this work is not undertaken. http://www.maisonapart.com/edito/travaux-le-debroussaillage-obligatoire-426.php  

To quote from LD Lines T&Cs   The 10 tickets are to be used before 15th December, 2009.

They are now sold in blocks of 10. Anything less would presumably not be worthwhile for the company.

The details aren't on their website. You have to request the details and they will email them to you. The broad outline is that you pay £600 for a block of 10 single tickets which must be used by Mid December 2009.

There has certainly been an increase in the number of topics which do not match the remit of the Forum ie "France and French lifestyle" as the stated aim in the Terms and Conditions. Simply because someone adds"What do people living in the Dordogne think?" to a debate on  road gritting policies in Herefordshire,  doesn't make the thing appropriate. The forum is supposed to complement the Archant magazines.  So as I see it, if the subject couldn't in some tiny way support an item in the magazines it probably doesn't belong here. If people want to debate general UK politics then they can do it on the Daily Mail, the Sun, or the Telegraph sites.  On the other hand if, for example,  a UK Government were to propose to withdraw E106s then that would be highly appropriate for discussion. As far as discussing French politics is concerned the Forum seems an ideal place to discuss such matters at a "Janet and John"  level so that people may begin to understand some of the things that surround them. A couple of years ago  deviations from  "France and French lifestyle" were ruthlessly suppressed, perhaps too heavy handedly , now I think things have gone too far the other way.    

As you are changing the use of an existing property you will need a Permis de Construire. As the building isn't a house you will be liable to VAT at 19.6%, you only qualify for the lower rate on a building that is already a habitable building completed for more than 2 years.  

It surprised me how soon much of France will be switching over, a lot will have converted within the next 18 months.  There has been far more publicity about it in the UK though it looks like we will switch in France earlier than in the UK. One recent table shows Zone Arrêt de la diffusion, analogique   Réémetteurs à partir des sites régionaux de Besançon, Gex, Privas, Limoges, Chambéry                                                4e trimestre 2009 Alsace                                                       1er trimestre 2010 Basse-Normandie                                     1er trimestre 2010 Lorraine                                                    1er trimestre 2010 Pays-de-Loire                                           2e trimestre 2010 Champagne-Ardenne                                 2e trimestre 2010 Franche-Comté                                         2e trimestre 2010 Bretagne                                                    2e trimestre 2010 Poitou-Charentes                                       3e trimestre 2010  Bourgogne                                                4e trimestre 2010 Centre                                                        4e trimestre 2010 Picardie                                                     4e trimestre 2010 Nord                                                          4e trimestre 2010 The frontal areas come later as they have to fit in with switch overs in Italy, Switzerland. Germany etc. There is still little or no information about  when  the many relays will be converted.

I can't see that it will be cheaper . You will have the DRIRE fee to pay, 87 Euros, plus the cost of a special controle technique, plus any work that they specify. http://www.drire.gouv.fr/national/demarches/dem_vehicules/4%20fiches%20RTI/080318_import_nonconforme.pdf  

I see that wwoof's own websites refer to the legal situation in France as being difficult or even fragile. They even mention that board and lodgings equals employment under French law, so minimum wage and insurance cover should be complied with. They also say that some farms operate through the .uk website to remain under cover. Doesn't seem too promising if the Inspection de Travail drop by. The wwoof.fr website doesn't seem to be working at the moment. Perhaps that's fragile as well.

Catherine If you post the details from www.degrouptest.com the results showing the characteristics of your line (Not Your Phone Number!!!!) I'm sure that one of the gurus will give an opinion as to the likelihood of ADSL working  chez vous.

This has confused the issuer as nearly all the villagers pointed this out and demanded that they re-work the bills! Not that it will achieve anything, other than redistributing the original cost plus any cost of reissuing the bills.