WJT

Hi again Chaterham7, not sure if you received it so I thought I would let you know that I sent you an email to the address you suggested. Thank you again.

Very nice Rdkr, aren't you a macho fella and clever dick. I do hope you keep yourself safe with these endeavours. Very happy to learn what sort of person I have taken a few post's seriously from. Lesson learned, Thank you.

Hi Caterham7, I just sent you a PM to your post box to ask your advise on something. Thank you in advance.

It appears to me (just a lurker on the side here with two cents ) Katrina mistook Outcast with Albi in her sharp reply in the first place. 

Hi Timc17, I am currently in my 40's (O.K. I am sure this qualifies me to be an old codger. ) However, I am certainly not planning on receiving more than pennies if any from my state pension. Oh yea by the way, unfortunately, my husband and I contribute more taxes than I would like to even think about.  Some people are very lucky to have skipped this step and are able to benefit from others. P.S. Timc17, you have stated earlier that you are paying taxes so this is all a bit unfair being directed toward you. I guess it is just a sentiment that people like myself feel about those that don't. Honestly, nothing personal. I am sure your real situation is different, just disagree with the mentality of the politics. Quite honestly, we find it quite difficult sometimes meeting all of our obligations and trying to do the right thing.

I must agree with you on this one Boghound. If everyone wanted something for doing nothing or just breeding we would all be in trouble. Fortunately, these appear to be a minority and most people luckily have a bit more pride, particularly the locals in that regard. They do at least appear to have a lot of that and to be very hard working and self sufficient and not asking for hand outs(ex. farming subsidies) . I can only imagine what the neighbours are thinking but are not saying, particularly being an outsider looking for something from their hard earned taxes.

I for one certainly don't blame you for wanting to buy the land. We almost bought a house that would have had a serious problem with a neighbouring barn. I just gave my explanation in Retirement in France. For those that try and make fun of those that want more land may not have these issues. However, I would have the same concerns as you because as Dordognecarol mentioned the pink boxes do seem pop up in strange places particularly on the outskirts of villages like ours. We looked at one very beautiful farmhouse and could not understand why the asking price was what it was and learned that a Dutch fellow was building dozens of the things in the field just opposite.

Well, this is exactly what we wanted, a smallish, manageable garden. However, we definitely wanted an old stone property.  We searched for over a year and every property we saw with not much land ALWAYS came with a problem. I am sure there are many that don't, we just couldn't find one.  Many are in hamlets with neighbours too close, very near or right on the road, not too mention the worries about future building.  At the last minute before signing the compromis on a property, we learned that the neighbour had planning permission to convert a barn that would have overlooked the entire garden.  All after the owner and agent insisted that nothing could ever be done with the building, a very good warning to us about French planning and building issues. By the way the neighbour was very unfriendly about the whole matter. As mentioned by previous poster's regarding Brits wanting a property in France with a large garden may seem a bit silly to some but for us it was the only way we felt secure and happy. We want to move to France for the beauty, history and peace not passing traffic on our door step, loss of privacy and worries about future planning permission.  Mind you, I guess there is a certain trade off because there is a worry of maintenance that we did not want. We are quite lucky in that in our fields surrounding the house the local farmer cuts for hay.  From what I gather, people that do purchase properties in rural France, this is pretty much the norm so really offers the seclusion with all the land but the benefits of just having to maintain the garden surrounding the house.

Hi Caterham7, thank you for the information, I will follow up and I may post my problem in the Renovation section. We will need to get this sorted well before August and in fact would like to in two weeks time if at all possible. Thank you again.

Isn't there a bridge in New Orleans that links to the North Shore that is over 25 miles and all built as a bridge (no tunnel). The people that live there and commute to New Orleans are called Bridge people. By the way there isn't even a toll charge to drive across!

Hi, just received our CU in the post today from our Notaire. I thought I would post a section of the contract regarding the death of one spouse on here because it may be of interest. I did use the translation service offered on the LF first page but thought I would leave the translation up to you.   S'APPLIOUANT AUX IMMEUBLES SITUES EN FRANCE M. et Mme (------) restent soumis a la loi anglaise et a la separation de biens. Toutefois, en application de 1'article 6, alinea 3, de la Convention de La Haye precitee, M. et Mme (-------) declarent vouloir que 1'ensemble des biens immobiliers dont ils sont et se rendront proprietaires en France soient soumis a la loi fran9aise et au regime de la communaute universelle de biens tel qu'il resulte de 1'article 1526 du Code Civil Fran9ais. CLAUSE D'ATTRIBUTION INTEGRALE Au surplus, et pour le cas de dissolution du mariage par le deces de 1'un des epoux, tons les biens immobiliers situes en France qui feront partie de la communaute universelle de biens d'entre M. et Mme ( ------ ) appartiendront au survivant des epoux. Cette stipulation s'appliquera, qu'il existe ou non des enfants du mariage d'entre M. et Mme (------), et 1'epoux survivant sera seul tenu d'acquitter toutes les dettes afferentes auxdits biens. MENTION Mention de cette declaration sera portee a la demande des epoux ou de 1'un d'eux au repertoire civil annexe tenu aupres du service central d'etat civil du ministere des affaires etrangeres a NANTES, conformement a 1'alinea 2 de 1'article 1303-3, alinea 2, du Nouveau Code de Procedure Civile. FRAIS Tous les frais, droits et emoluments des presentes seront supportes par M. et Mme (------) qui s'y obligent. POUVOIRS Les parties donnent tous pouvoirs a tous clercs et employes de 1'Office Notarial denomme en tete des presentes, avec faculte d'agir ensemble ou separement, a 1'effet de faire toute demarche et toute formalite qui serait necessaire aupres du Service Central d'Etat Civil du ministere des affaires etrangeres a NANTES.

A Uk Solicitor so called specialist in purchasing french property as well as advising on Inheritance matters was a COMPLETE waste of money for us. They are one of the ones advertising in the French magazines. However, I don't think they have ever advertised in Living France. If you do decide to use a UK firm, they will not get involved with boundaries and searches. This is something you or your agent should check with the Marie about. Good luck.

Help, can anyone recommend a Structural Engineer for advise in the Dordogne please? Thank you in advance.

TiffanyS, thank you for the reply and you are absolutely right in what you say. I will be over this time for a longer period and I will look into it further. But it is very difficult, the stray dogs I mention, my husband and I will see all over the area when we are out driving and exploring not only in our little area and village. Before we decided on the Dordogne we spent a number of years exploring many parts of France and saw it everywhere, in supermarket car parks, sides of major roads in Villages etc and of course still do. It is very difficult for me to just turn away.  As I mentioned, this summer I will try and be a little more pro active (and courageous) particularly with my neighbour's dog and the little three legged Yorkie in the Village. By the way, I have looked at your site and it broke my heart, I have all the admiration and respect in the world for people like yourself.

TiffanyS, It is a neighbours little terrier dog that is left on a chain on a wood pile 24/7 right next to a road.  The poor little thing has very little slack and can really only stay in one place. He looks very thin as well. Being new and strangers it is very difficult because I have noticed quite a few abandoned dogs most appear to be hunting dogs that must have past their sell by date and just discarded,  outside of the stray extremely thin and scruffy three legged Yorkie in the village that is. Obviously, I am sickened by all of this and just feel that being new and an outsider makes it very difficult. I did put an anonymous note in my neighbours post box regarding the dog (cowardly I know) in spite of my husband begging me to do or say nothing. By the way he knows nothing about this, he would kill me and it would explain why the neighbour was quite rude to him.  It probably wasn't to difficult to come up with a few suspects. In any case we are looking forward to moving there permanently, however I just hope I have the nerve and stomach to deal with these situations and can come to grips with the barbaric nature of some of the French toward animals. How do those of you that live there deal with this? Is it a matter of turning a blind eye to keep the peace like a sympathiser or do you just have to toughen up, I certainly need any tips if there are any.

Hi TiffanyS, just sent you an e-mail. As I mentioned in my e-mail, if we lived in France permanently, I would be tempted to take one of the abandoned puppies. Good luck in finding homes, just wish I knew of someone. Also, must be honest, if we lived there it would be very difficult for me not to end up with a menagerie (which is certainly not what we have in mind or need). I have seen some heatbreaking situations and one is right next door to me! 

Hi, I have just posted this in the South Western Section and thought I should post it here as well. Can anyone recommend a good caring dog kennel in the Dordogne? We are near Sarlat so somewhere between Sarlat and Bergerac would be ideal. Dare I say it: whistling: preferably English owned. Thank you in advance.

Can anyone recommend a good caring dog kennel in the Dordogne? We are near Sarlat so somewhere between Sarlat and Bergerac would be ideal. Dare I say it: preferably English owned. Thank you in advance.

Scorpio and Richardbk, I am totally bewildered Jo53, I have also heard that most French couples nowadays adopt the CU when getting Married which is not consistent to the statistic Scorpio read so even more confusing. However as far as the fees, we are still based in the UK at the moment and it wasn't free for us but I guess somewhat marginal regarding the Notaire charges. The Notaire charged us about 350 euro if I am remembering correctly, this was last July. This does not include the fee we gave our UK Solicitor for his advise regarding a CU which I believe in addition to the £2,500 fee was about £300. I find all of this very confusing. Our Notaire is meant to be quite a respectable one in the area and because of the language barrier he made a point with our Agent present to try and be as clear about it as possible. In fact he made a drawing for us showing a triangle, spouse, spouse, children. When first spouse dies house will be owned by surviving spouse then crossed out children of the first spouse and told us they receive nothing. He then leaves the room for us to discuss further and returns a few moments later for us to sign the CU.  By the way both of my Husband's children are well over 18 (of which we have made provisions for in the UK, mind you not that they have a need for any) and I have none but as far as I can remember the Notaire never asked us the age of the children and certainly never asked about consent. I do find it hard to believe that all three advisers, Notaire, Agent, Solicitor could have it so wrong. I will ring his office tomorrow and put this to him. For me this is all very difficult and I am sure sounds very selfish to some that are in different situations. However, when as a couple you decide to move to rural France things could change very quickly if something happens to one of you. For my husband and I, neither of us would probably want to live in that situation alone and at an older vulnerable age would need to know we could do as we wish or need to with the property.

We changed our Marriage regime to the CU and did not get permission from Husband's children from previous marriage and was told by our French Notaire and our (--) UK based Solicitor and Agent that when one of us dies that the house will belong wholly to the surviving spouse with no inheritance tax due. Our Notaire, Philippe Laurent based in Sarlat advised us on this issue, our agent, Agence Wilson and Turner & Co. Solicitors did as well. We paid substantial fees for this advise. Before I was told off, I self edited my post.

Hi Tants, we have received a few quotes and they are very expensive. I would love to think we could do it ourselves by painting xylophene on but we have been told that the wood must be injected to be effective. We were told painting it on does not get rid of the Capricorne inside the wood. Is this true?

Andy.F, sorry to disagree but couldn't disagree with you more on this one. I found it to be very different and a very good change indeed. I just finished reading the new look LF, I loved it! I must admit for the past year or so I haven't enjoyed it as much as I did early on. I found that I could thumb through it in no time and didn't find some of the articles that interesting. Well, this one I thoroughly enjoyed and it took me hours to read all of the interesting articles. Of course I loved the section on Dordogne but I may be a bit prejudice with having a second home there and being madly in love with the place. In any case, well done, looking forward to next month's issue.

Could you also send me the name please? We too have a problem with Capricorne. Thank you.

Interesting this because I just discovered this site a few weeks ago when I was in France. I was able to locate our house name on the 1750 map on the site. I too am very interested in learning anything I can about the history of our house. It is a real mystery. The house needs quite a bit of work, mostly undoing what they did to it in the 70's. We were told the origins probably date back to the 16th century with many changes since that date. We have  learned that there is a fireplace that appears to date back about a thousand years, I first thought that it may have been put in at a later date but appears to be original.  We also have a fireback with a date of 1302 on it, we assumed this was a reproduction but now am having thoughts (although doubtful) that it could be original. Beynac Castle has the exact same fireback with the 1302 date on it. Does anyone know if the one at Beynac is a reproduction? If so there are probably many about. I have come to a dead end in trying to learn about the history of the house and our little village in the Dordogne.  Any advise or suggestions would be most appreciated.

My husband is always going on about how much time I spend (or waste in his opinion) looking at this site. I regularly mention that I read this or that on LF. Well, I did mention this post and had him worried, when I learned that it was a joke his reply was I told you looking at those stupid sites would just get you into trouble. Most of the time it is people with too much time on their hands that want to stir things up or don't know what their talking about. Thanks, Richard. Now to save face I will be looking in less and on the quiet.