alcahols

We have a small cottage in France and have paid our Tax d'habitation etc, etc.. Now the local council is asking us to pay a further "Ordures Menageres". I wonder if anyone can give us some advice on a bill that arrived this morning on our doormat in the UK. Is this the Tax presuming we let the cottage and receive an income? We do not let the property. How do we prove this and avoid paying this tax? Although not a huge amount....it's the principal ! Any help on this matter will be much appreciated.

I can recommend the good old fashioned manual fly swat things, if not for their effectiveness but for the great fun I had chasing the little bu**ers this year. The fun of sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in one hand a fly swatter in the other gets very interesting after the 3rd glass of wine - you have to remember which hand to put to your face and which one to lash out with!! [Www] They should make it an Olympic sport, I'm sure I'd win a gold medal if they did!!

Thank you everyone for your postings, we will be going to the Pont d'Ouilly one for sure, so hope to see Jane and her red van there! For those who noticed it, sincere apologies for the dual posting within this forum and I'm sorry if I caused confusion - it was a genuine mistake. Cheers [B]

Whatever your preferred translation of ‘vide grenier’, does anyone know of one happening on any day from Sunday 29th October through to Friday 3rd November in the Orne (61), Calvados (14) or Manche (50) departments?   We went to one on the summer and it was a great day. I’m taking my father to France next week and he loves these type of things so it would keep it occupied and make his day.   Cheers  [;-)]

Whatever your preferred translation of a 'vide grenier', does anyone know of one happening on any day from Sunday 29th October through to Friday 3rd November in the Orne (61) or Calvados (14), or Manche (50) departments? We went to one in the summer and it was a great day. I'm taking my father to France next week and he loves these type of things so it would keep him occupied and make his day. Cheers    [;-)]

I'm hoping to be able to book him for w/c 30th October but I know that the 1st November is a Bank Holiday so we'll see - you know the French, if it's a Bank Holiday there's no point in working the day before or after a holiday!! Do you have an open chimney or a wood-burning stove thingy? Just one last question - how much did he cost so that I have an idea of how much he will charge?

Dylan Thanks for the number, they are fairly local to us so I will have to get my dictionary out and rehearse the scene ready for a conversation that they probably won't understand but will give them a laugh anyway!! Did you get a certificate or something that would satisfy an insurance company? Also, how far in advance did you have to book them? Carole

Hello everyone In order to comply with the requirements of my house insurance, I need to have my chimney swept (open-style wood fire not an enclosed wood-burning stove) and a certificate from the chimney sweep to prove this has been done. Does anyone know a chimney sweep in the Orne region (61) preferably near the town of Flers? My French is not great so if they happen to speak some English it would be most helpful! Finally, any idea how much it may cost so I know whether I am being charged a fair price? Thanks a lot [:D] Carole

I am in a very similar position to cs (who started this thread) in that neither my husband nor myself have any children. My hubby has a living parent plus brothers & sisters, I have a living parent plus half-brothers & sisters. When we bought our house (used as a second home not our main residence) we didn't include a clause tontine. Can this be done 'after the event' or do we need to make a will with a French solicitor to ensure the house passes to the surviving spouse? Does anyone know if a will drawn up in Britain leaving the property to the surviving spouse (or in the event of the death of both of us, a share to our respective parents) is legally recognised in France? Thanks