lacote0_0

Where does that leave those of us who receive the French channels in analogue on Atlantic Bird?

Yes it is a PCV. The list at the front of the pages blanches directory shows that you can, at a price (E6.73 plus the cost of the call), call PCV from the USA to France, so I imagine the same is true in the other direction. You have to go through an operator. Call 08 36 59 31 23.

I don't think you will find a bus from Chambery or Lyon to Tignes at this time of year. See www.altibus.com. There appears to be a service from Bourg St. Maurice (SNCF/ Gare Routiere).

I changed to Freebox about a year ago. There was a long delay between their cutting off the FT line and reconnecting to Free, but since then all has been fine, except for an echo on the line. No interruptions to service, touch wood. Broadband service through Freebox is an improvement on previous Free through Sagem modem. No TV (just outside the area). Free suggest that faxes will not work, but mine seems to, at least outgoing. Only extra charges have been UK and French mobiles, and "numeros speciaux", in particular azur and indigo (08). It appears to stop you ringing UK premium rate UK numbers.

I sent a CD Colissimo, basic rate, which in the words of the addressee arrived "explose". There was some difficulty because the damage hadn't been noted at the time of delivery (it couldn't have been because the postman just put it in the box without asking for a signature), but the addressee was eventually able to make a claim, for which I received the flat rate of 16 Euros. The postage was not reimbursed.

May be interested. We live in Croydon and Grenoble. Whereabouts are you?

Our Super U does online shopping, but I think that is only the local branch. Carrefour does it in Paris and Lyon, and I understand Leclerc does something similar. Picard seems to do it from all shops, but limited to frozen goods.

How do you manage to call UK 0870 numbers? My Freebox connection won't allow me to do so.

They may not allow a one way van rental even in France. I was charged double mileage to leave a van hired in Annemasse in Dieppe, although that is some time ago.

We have had excellent service in both directions, and at prices well below what you quote, with part loads (they are already going from/ to your area) from Bishops Move and Britannia.

Think it may have been Kenneth Horne: "They toasted her all over Europe. Lucky she was a nice bit of crumpet." Returning to the original question, we have HP sauce in our nearest Casino.

Does anyone have experience of parking at Avignon airport? It looks very small on the airport site.

As far as I am aware, and goodness knows I've tried, there are no "minicabs" in France. You have to use a licensed taxi, and they are entitled to charge what is shown on the meter.

The answer to the original question is that yes there are rights, but no the commercants don't respect them. Why else do they have all those consumers' associations, which are recognised by the State? Did you know that manufacturers' warranties are typically parts only, labour and deplacement excluded?

Extremely expensive in my experience. 100 km/ 1 hour = £120

With respect, there were reservations, see http://www.justice.org.uk/images/pdfs/reservations.pdf

But go to 4.2 Compléments d’Information here: http://www.eurotunnel.com/NR/rdonlyres/77F46409-9966-4E7E-BD1C-906ED1D14F89/0/French_Note_Op1113970_17015T12_CNB.pdf and you now get a different story. 4.2.1  Précisions sur les avantages tarifaires   « En complément du paragraphe 22.1.4 du Document de Base il est précisé que les avantages tarifaires relatifs aux programmes mis en place par Eurotunnel en 1987 et 1990 ne seront pas annulés du fait de l’Offre Publique ou dans les mois suivant celle-ci. Ils sont cependant susceptibles d’évoluer ou d’être résiliés conformément aux conditions contractuelles qui les régissent. Un descriptif des modalités contractuelles applicables à ce titre sera mis à la disposition du public sur le site d’Eurotunnel au plus tard à la date d’ouverture de l’Offre Publique.   « Les titulaires d’Unités apportant celles-ci à l’Offre Publique ne seront plus en droit de bénéficier des avantages tarifaires relatifs aux programmes mis en place par Eurotunnel en 1987 et 1990. »   You ignore the offer from the new Groupe Eurotunnel SA, keep your shares in Eurotunnel Plc, and keep your privileges.

You may be amused by this link to the French shareholders forum on Boursorama. Not quite as gentlemanly as this place! http://www.boursorama.com/forum/file_messages.phtml?symbole=1rPTNU

What else but Eurotunnel. If the advisers were paid by the page they must have made a fortune (in two languages)! Doesn't mean to say they are right!

Many thanks for your helpful reply. It's an SA quoted on the Bourse. The company claims that there is some (unidentified) overriding principle of equality which means all shareholders must be treated the same, to the exclusion of the particular interests of the minority class. I agree that I need legal advice!

Can anyone point me to authority in the Codes or elsewhere for the proposition that all shareholders must be treated equally?

If you receive a gift in France you will normally pay tax at 60%, subject to various allowances. I don't think a donation from daughter to parent has any allowance. Why don't you simply enter into a contract or deed of settlement with your partner, before you leave the UK, so that the (later) payment is an obligation, not a gift?  

I am sorry to raise them at such a time, but I think a number of questions arise: 1. Did you live in France or UK straight after the wedding? If not, then I should have thought your regime matrimonial was one of communaute. 2. Was your husband French? 3. Is the property in joint names, or just your husband's? 4. Have you registered the death in France or at the consulate?

On the other hand, it used to be possible to go to court to have a child declared prodigue (as in the parable) and cut him out of the succession, but I can't seem to find this in the code.

My knowledge of tontines is based largely on the exploits of Peter Cooke, Dudley Moore, Tony Hancock and others in the film The Wrong Box, but is not the essence of the tontine that the underlying asset passes directly to the survivor, rather like  a life insurance policy with a  named beneficiary? According to the fisc, "....le bénéficiaire de la clause de tontine est réputé propriétaire de la totalité de l'immeuble depuis la date d'acquisition effectuée en commun..." The asset will therefore pass by operation of law outside the succession (although droits de succession are still payable), and will not normally be available to creditors. However, there would no doubt be circumstances in which the creation of the tontine could be set aside. English creditors could then enforce their claims on the French asset.