Coral

I would have edited that if I could but the Preview doesn't work with this computer - nor does the control panel.

Blackadder, isn't that ****ney rhyming slang? Years ago I h eard my grandfather refer to my granma's rather large knickers as passion killers.

Regarding domicile I was told by a solicitor that UK Govt classifies you as having 'domicile of birth' - usually inherited from your father. To change that you have to make a written declaration of 'domicile of choice' which has to be witnessed and notarized. Is this what they consider you are doing when you inform Newcastle 'goodbye' ..........???? no idea!

Searching the super market wine shelves yesterday for something palatable to go with dinner and the weather I found a white wine with 'sell by' date. --- Californian.

I have a second email address with virgin.net (dial-up account)but I have had no probs with not using it for 3-4 months at a time as I am on the other side of the world at the moment. They quite happily take the charge from my credit card. The only time I had any noise from them was when I had my card nicked and changed the number without letting them know. Mail2web.com is quite a good means of access. Coral

I have been training people for the stock exchange licencing exams for USA and UK but not for France.  However, in a discussion I was told  that any one who buys/sells a total of  15000 euros of shares in one year in France is taxed whether a profit or a loss is made. Needs to be checked up on.

May I add my warning. Don't just depend on the 65% as the balance can be quite horrendous. We were covered up to 60% but my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumour and the cost of the brain surgery, although unsuccessful, was astronomical. I am still paying off the 40% balance. So GET TOP=UP INSURANCE ! You may be really healthy and think 'I'll wait until I am heading for a wheelchair' But don't. Coral

As a long time owner of a Suzuki 4x4 I wouldn't be without it. I am five foot and a fagpaper and the driving seat being just that bit higher than in a saloon car gives me a great view to see where I am going and what the other idiots on the road are up to - especially that Merc that's trying to climb up the exhaust pipe while I am trundling along!!. I live in an area of roads about the width of the car and when I have to pull off to let people passed I know I can get out of the snow, mud or bushes with no problem. So maybe I am one of the 5%. BTW not all 4x4s are Jeeps some Japanese saloon cars are full-time 4x4. Coral

I'm worried!! With the keys when I signed the acte de v i received the architect:s plans (approved) of the changes made in '78. Although externally the building conforms, internally it does not, nor do the rooms that were constructed within the atelier. I want to put a door out of the back of the atelier and I believe I have to get permission - so as I am looking at 26 years should I be bothered? Comments would be welcome Coral

I believe I read somewhere about being able to set up a trust where the property is donated to the trust. Both husband and wife are made beneficiaries of the trust with the charity being named as the beneficiary in the event of the death of the survivor. The property does not form part of the estate so the children would have no claim. How this would be accepted in France I do not know. I have also heard of elderly French couples selling the ownership of the house to the bank and retaining the right to remain in the property for their lifetime. Whether this is done because they are *****d off with their off-spring or they are in need of money --- that:s your guess Any comments? Coral

I will be bringing 2 cats from Japan and I dog from UK.  the information I have obtained from defra is that the rabies shots have to be given by a registered vet, the blood serum taken 30 days later and sent to a laboratory in UK .  (I used BioBest and they responded very quickly - I hope this isn't considered advertising but I managed to get all the forms needed off their website!)  After the report comes back confirming an over 0.5 something or other reading you have to wait 6 months before entering Europe/UK. I know this  isn' t relevant for those of you in UK but possibly if you will be returning to UK with your dog or cat that 6 months wait may be a consideration. Coral  

When I signed the acte de vente I got a copy of the architect's plans showing the extension the sellers had had approved (there seem to be considerable differences! :confused the  keys (but not to all the doors :unsure and a sheet of paper signed by the notaire stating what I had bought.  He said that in 4 to 6 months I would be getting the proper papers but in the meanwhile I should keep the purchase paper very safely. FYI I was told by the UK solicitor that the old fashioned house deeds no longer exist - it's all on computer and computer printouts.  So, if you have the old deeds hang on to them - they could be worth more than the house Coral

Hi everyone, I've been renting cars to drive around La Belle over the past 4 years in my house hunting and I never noticed that there was a log book or carte gris in the car. I always had the rental documents which I imagine should be sufficient for any gendarme. Regarding the insurance I got a yearly car rental insurance - GBP49.90 far cheaper than the insurance the rental companies try to hang on your bill/credit card. Another thing, can someone let me have Alec Day's phone number. It was in my inbox which got emptied in the change over. Thanks Coral - soon to be in Ariege

I think a lot of us kept the messages in our message boxes - I was also keeping contact numbers and addresses. I hadn:t worked out how to save to my 'France ' file and it was convenient. Remembering the contents I guess will be a matter of fighting those senior moments. One point, I don't know if others hve had the same problem but this system is taking my computer much longer to access the LFForum and I have the Control Panel looking at me but will it open? Nah!! Coral - soon to be in the Ariege

They still have them in station and other public loos in Japan.And it:s only recently that the 'western' toilet has been installed in public housing. Coral

I am in a similar situation due to an inheritance situation and I managed to get some advice from an investment/financial advisor. New client so first hour free of charge! My understanding/thoughts are: 1)being a non-resident you can avoid paying tax on income from rental in UK but tax would be payable in France. 2) if you have ever had the secondary home as your primary home then there is an allowable CGT deduction, even if you come back and live in it while it is up for sale. I forget the minimum total length of time. There may also be other deductions. 3) if you use GBPs for paying off a Euro mortgage there is the possibility of currency risk. 4) your UK mortgage rate is higher than your French rate, but you could check on the possibility of offsetting it against the tax payable in France. 5) if the amount you get from selling your primary residence is invested off-shore the return you get would probably be higher than your French mortgage rate and could be used for the repayments, also retaining a valuable asset for any future disaster. You really should talk to a professional who would be able to assess you situation as I am just applying what I have picked up from my long discussions with bank, solicitor, accountant and financial advisor. The smaller companies will often give you a free first interview. Good Luck Coral

This sounds a little bit like something that happened to me. About 10-11pm and they were conducting drinking/driving checks. Looked at my driving licence and decided to speak to me in English. Ok by me. Alcohol. Do you like alcohol? Huh? Do you like alcohol? (At this point I realized that the question he was asking was not what he meant. So...) Thank you very much for your invitation but it's a little late and I have to go home. (Confusion!) Please go. and I wasn't wearing my miniskirt either! Coral

Message in your Inbox Thanks Coral

The motorway going south through Carcassonne to Perpignan and on across the border to Girona is really easy. I have only had to wave my passport on crossing the border and continued without having to stop. I recommend you leave the motorway asap as the motorway south of the border to Girona costs 13 Euros but to the first 'off' it's only 1.65 . In early July I was driving a very small car (read 'slow and unstable') and it only took me 3 hours from Toulouse to Figueras. The non-motorway road gets really crowded with French and Spanish drivers. FYI At Toulouse I was told that the tunnel south of Foix - maybe to Andorra - was closed. Now? I don't know. Hope this helps. Have a great trip! Coral

My beautiful gorgeous Trumpet vine (Campsis??) got ripped off the pegola and half of it broken off by the typhoon that raged through here (Tokyo)last night. I am thinking of making a couple of cuttings from it to take with me to France at the end of this month when I go to sign the Acte de vente. Has anyone any suggestions or advice ?

I think you will get an NHS widows pension based on your husband's payments on top of the pension from your own contributions. Unless of course the rules have changed in the past one year. You can check with the DS. I understand that you can get advice about the amount you might get. In my case, we both paid in for about 13 years until we moved to Japan (husband's job). We became non-residents and at 60 I got a small pension from UK based on my contributions but was informed that living in Japan I would not get the periodic increases. At 65 my husband also got a pension based on his contributions and they increased mine with a wife's share. In June last year at 66 my husband passed away and my pension was then reassessed and had a "widow's mite" added. Whether someone gets the periodic increases living in France as I will be doing later this year, I don't know. Hope this helps.

Is there a list of the E forms anywhere showing what they are for ? A kind of who-needs-what info. Thanks

I agree - a bit of a rip off. I bought a flat in France 1 year ago but could not be there for signing of the Acte. I arranged for the Notaire (probably his clerk) to have a power of attorney to sign on my behalf. I got the documents required notarized by a local solicitor (Surrey, UK) for the grand sum of SEVEN POUNDS. Everything went through perfectly.

I have had a GE top loading washing machine for nearly 20 years. It has a central agitator that swishes the clothes around parallel to the floor. It uses more water but is more gentle on clothes. I have towels that I have had for more than 10 years and they are still thick and fluffy. The ones I have in UK using mama's front loader have got faded, thin and a bit hard. I will be looking for something similar when I get to France later this year. Hope this helps Coral

May 1 is tomorrow. Is anything fixed yet? Does anyone know if these pool regulations cover streams going through, boundary ditches around and fish ponds within property?Also what about spas and jacouzzies (spelling?). And how about if one end of a pool is at ground level while the rest is 1 meter above. What about a diving board? Are we looking at possible total chaos? Departments interpreting the regulations in their own way? Coral