fulcrum

[quote user="J.R."] If it is any consolation it took me 20 years to realise that my first and only massive gas bill (£235 in 1986) resulted from the seller cheating on the reading. In all that time I thought that it was the gas board that had come to take the reading (as the seller had told me). It was only when I rented the house out last year that I found out they accept whatever reading is given to them. [/quote]   The only real way to do meter readings is for the buyer and seller to read the meters together just before signing the Acte. It is then easy to agree the readings before you sign anything.

Nicos Its either single or three phase. Single is phase means one live conductor and one neutral conductor feeding your consumer unit, meter etc.. Three phase means three separate live conductors and one neutral feeding your consumer unit, meter etc.. Single phase is what most people have in France if they're not needing lots of power. This is the prefered solution for you as it less complicated and less hazardous Three phase is normally provided if EDF cannot give you all the power you need on a single phase.

PG That really is a very interesting article. There was a well known English dog trainer (Barbara Woodhouse) years ago who said that Border Collies are psychopaths. I was ready to believe her because I had had problems with a border collie years ago in Australia when I used to work on farms herding sheep and cattle. However this throws a different light on their character makeup.  

[quote user="bixy"]I've read that it's not a good idea to clutter up your computer with software from the Orange CD when getting connected. We are already connected with dial up (with another provider) but now wish to have ADSL with Orange. How can we connect without putting aforesaid unwanted software on our machine? Thanks Patrick [/quote]Patrick The main change from dial-up to ADSL is that instead of the computer dial-up connection containing your userID and Password, the ADSL modem/Router itself has to contain that information instead. When you sign up for your Orange contract they should give you that info anyway and I think the Modem/Router will ask for your UserID and Password.. As BobT says you should then be able to connect without any other problems.

The price does vary a lot between suppliers so you need to shop around. But don't just think about price. 1. Using surface trunking has the added advantage of knowing exactly where all your cables run. 2. It avoids all the problems associated with the rules of where you are allowed to bury wiring in walls and partitions. 3. It will be easier in the future when you want to make changes or add switches and sockets. Just my thoughts and experiences based on having installed several different lots of gaine (truncking)

[quote user="Anton Redman"] then it is probably faily cheap to fix as it is likely to be linkages or inhibitor switches.  [/quote] I would tend to agree with that as automatics don't usually give problems. I actually had a very similar problem on my Nissan. The kick down wouldn't work either.  I traced some electric cables from the auto box to near the engine air intake/throttle assembly and found a switch which I sprayed with WD40. It was fine after that.

No one can explain satisfactorily, when asked, why it is so "efficient" or cost effective when compared to other forms of heating. It really does seem like a smoke and mirrors scam. I do understand the theory behind the systems. But how can an investment of around €20000.00 + maintenance plus all the complications of installation, for heating in France, be justified when other forms of heating systems are less expensive. It's not as if when you have installed it that you wont have to replace systems after so many years of operation.

When we sold our last house in the UK. The purchaser asked if we were leaving the glued laminate flooring down. I thought it a strange question and asked him why he thought we might not be. He told me that apparently people do remove it sometimes, so that they can refit it at their new address. How weird.

I also keep my CT with me. I know there is a vignette on the screen but you may be asked to produce the actual report document. You have to sign it anyway so it may be a good idea to carry it.

That was very well done. I used to do some dressage but nowhere at all near that standard. However I was very surprised when one day I saw a stallion strutting around a field, on its own, showing off and doing some very fancy steps.

[quote user="Mpprh"] Got to go and find the washing [/quote] Your post looks so funny with the flamingo at the bottom. I can imagine a flamingo flying around in search of the washing [:D]

I read the original post and knew my insurance was signed because my insurance agent made me sign it when I went in to renew it. However, yesterday I went to look in my documents that I carry with me and was surprised that it wasn't there. Somehow I had filed it with the insurance paperwork in the house. So signed or not I guess I could have been in deep do do if I had been stopped.  [:(]

There is actually a law that prohibits water from car washing being allowed to flow onto neighbours property. So maybe this has something to do with the first of your items. With regard to bonfires. I don't know of any laws but I'm sure there are some.

Thanks for reminding me Tresco. My mum is very old now and will appreciate a bunch of flowers.

If he knows that he was speeding at the times and dates specified on the tickets then he should definately pay up.

Yes. I saw it. Very convincing and at least the participants sounded rational. But that is the first time I've heard that cosmic rays are responsible for most cloud formations. What about industrial particle emmissions. Don't they also play a big part in cloud formations?

[quote user="Kalyn Computers"] Unless the rules have changed recently, so long as you log in to your Wanadoo/Orange account every 90 days, your email address should remain active UNLESS it was issued when you had ADSL from them. Collectinng emails with an email program or using webmail counts as logging in. [/quote]   Tim Just a small but important point. In order to keep your UK account active you actually have to dial in to the account within 90 days, via your modem from France. It is not sufficient to just "login". I know this because that's what I've had to do for the last five years.   Edit: I forgot to mention that you only have to do this once near the end of the ninety day period.      

I have recently chaged my shower boiler over to Propane from Butane because of storing bottles outside and it works much better. So go for it, but do get the correct Propane regulator.

SD Are all those scooters that sound like they have the muffler/silencer removed classed as non-type approved motorised two wheeled vehicles.  [;-)]      

I think there needs to be a forum sticky about possible bad fosse concealment when buying a property in France. It is a major issue because I know of other people who have had something similar happen to them. Under the current law I believe that the state of the fosse has to be declared to buyers. But buyer beware as there are obviously ways of concealing the truth.   Edit: Here is the text from my final contract. ASSAINISSEMENT - EAUX USEES Le vendeur déclare que l'immeuble présentement vendu est raccorde au tout-a- l'égout. En outre, il résulte d'un courrier de la Générale des Eaux en date du 28 mars 2006, dont l'original est demeure annexe aux présentes, que la rue de Verdun est desservie par Ie réseau d'eau potable et assainissement et que Ie contrôle du branchement par une visite sur les lieux est une prestation facturable. Le vendeur et l'acquéreur déclarent ne pas vouloir faire effectuer ce contrôle, l'acquéreur déclarent se satisfaire de la déclaration du vendeur. We didn't of course get to see the all important letter at the time.    

[quote user="Miss Babs"]Quillan, we had check the property before we went to sign and there was still an problem with drain smells, there were a lot of other issues but we could see what they were and set a budget to fix them, its really hard when your put on the spot, if there had been no report at all we wouldn't have signed but there was this half report and we thought because of that we have some redress when the other half arrives, but I thought it would have been more straight forward than it has been, as we had mentioned the issue from the start and had in the compromis and final act, the Notaire had witnessed all the discussions but as they were between all English speaking parties some on the finer detail may have been lost on her. As it turned out the house had a fosse and was condemed by the SPANC people we thought they would have to pay up straight away, it just seems to be taking longer than expected and I'm sure that they are hoping that as we still live in the UK we are too frightened or think its not worth the hassle, but how wrong they are! Sometimes you just have to stand up for what is right.[/quote]   What happened to you is exactly what happened to me. Here is my original post. http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/694128/ShowPost.aspx We discovered a letter in our deeds from the water company saying that an inspection was chargeable (€63) and that we (buyers) didn't want it done. My notaire was never told this even though the letter was received by the sellers notaire well before the final contract was signed. There was also no mention at the signing when my notaire attended. She would have deffinately told me as she was very strict about sewer connections. So it seems that things can be very easily covered up here in France. Even when you think you are doing everything correctly. I have not bothered pursuing the sellers even though my notaire pointed out to the sellers notaire that they (the sellers) were lying. I felt that any litigation against the sellers may prove to be expensive and stressful so I let it go and put it down to a bad French experience.   Edit: There is one good side effect. The sellers have never pursued me for my half of the Taxes Fonciere that I would have owed them [:)] .

I don't know how many watched this speech but it was a very impressive delivery. It's a pity GWB isn't able to articulate English in such an eloquent way.

  I couldn't get onto the moneyexperts.com main page of their site but could get to their forum. [:)] http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/         

[quote user="Russethouse"] More here : http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1170081918,22653, [/quote] Russethouse I can't get that link to work. I've tried other sites and all OK but not that one.

[quote user="nicktrollope"] If you don't or never have owned the car on the "tickets", I'd just ditch the letters - it simply isn't your responsibility. You will get no thanks trying to do some half-wit functionaries job for them. [/quote] I would imagine that there are possibly serious consequences for ditching (destroying) mail that is not yours. I would think it better to take them to the local La Poste to have them returned to whoever is sending them.