Scooby

[quote user="Tressy"]Oooh and while we're at it, why not exclude the children of the unemployed from education. I can't see either proposal working out too well. [/quote] No point doing that - most exclude themselves!!  PS I agree with Richard re his healthcare proposals - in fact I would wholly support a move to an insurance based system for the UK. As an aside I have paid for my own education from the age of 16, I have worked full-time and at age 46 have completed 30 years fulltime employment (and so made 30 years of NI contributions) and, despite having a chronic health condition and three children, I have never claimed benefits and have paid privately (hence twice!) for most of my healthcare needs. If there was a greater correlation between use of the system and cost people (i.e. UK citizens) would maybe think twice before they abused the facilities.  Viz - not go to GP for common cough / cold, not turn up at A&E with minor injuries, use their local pharmacist more.

We have always booked online with www.arguscarhire.com.  We have used the various trawlers - but Argus always comes out cheapest.

We got a doofer two years ago and have never used it.  In fact, I can't even remember where it is!

Neither of us can afford to buy the other out of our UK home so that has to be sold.  The monthly repayments on the french mortgage, whilst within our combined salaries, will exceed the monthly income cap if one or other of us takes on the French mortgage as is.  TBH I don't think there is much to choose between UK equity and French equity at the moment - both are sliding fast.  Our bank are working on an estimated 10% fall in the average value of UK property by the end of the year.  In fact 75% of those borrowers who have fixed rate deals via our subsidiary lender will not qualify for a new mortgage (with either ourselves or any other bank) and are expected to go into repossession very quickly.

I think we can make a lump sum repayment but, depending on the circumstances, we will incur a 3% penalty charge.  I wasn't sure about being able to transfer the mortgage to a single name from joint names or if, in a divorce, you have to renegotiate a new mortgage.  If it's the latter then we would probably have to consider selling up.  I will contact our mortgage lender as you suggest Tony as I guess every bank etc is different.

Damn - too old to figure again!

My husband and I live in the UK but have a second home in France. We are in the process of getting divorced but have agreed, in principal, that I will have the french house.  The UK house will be sold and the proceeds split - subject to the equity that I will have in the french house. The french house is subject to a french mortage and, whilst the monthly mortgage repayments were within the required limits for our joint salary, I think they will be too high for my single income.  I don't want to change the term of the loan as we have a good rate (3.8% fixed for the term of the mortgage - 15 years).  So as I will also be getting a capital sum, I was planning to make a lump sum capital payment to reduce the monthly repayments.  Hopefully, this will keep the mortgage within my means whilst retaining the favourable rate.  Is this possible and are there any other issues I should be aware of?  

Frenchie I agree with you completely.  Many of these patients want an end to their suffering but, because of the ravages of their illness, no longer have the physical capacity to do it themselves.  I hope and pray (and have told my close family) that if ever I am in that situation someone would compassionate and brave enough to help me.  It's about quality of life not quantity and the only person capable of judging whether there is sufficient quality of life to persevere is the suffering individual - all these people are asking is that someone respects their right to choose.

We have one in our front garden (SW France) and it's on a mission to take over.  Took the hacksaw to it last year to 'restrain' it.  Would concur with the 'in the ground' v 'in a pot' - no point creating work [:D].

[quote user="Gastines"] My wife and I moved 10 times before we got out of the woods and mortgage racket but the effort was worth it and we only have ourselves to thank. The problem now seems to be a result of the greed of the Lenders and their Agents into basically kidding the general public that they can borrow what they like with very little of a cost evaluation to the borrower. I expect the latest scam to be revealed will be the Equity buy out schemes so that the banks etc. can get their hands on your property for a fraction of it's worth.  A good example of todays lenders is the double-glazing ad on TV. Windows cost £3200, nothing to pay first year then pay over 3 years, repayable sum £8400. Not bad interest!! Regards. [/quote] Last attempt - tried to post this five times now - with server application error each time! First of all, unsecured credit offered on double glazing is not the same as secured lending by a high street bank.  Secondly, I work for a high street bank and, believe it or not, I spent three hours at a high level, strategic planning meeting last week discussing the current crisis, the increasing level of repossessions, and our position as a bank going forwards.  Quite a significant amount of time was spent discussing this issue - with the primary objective of ensuring we treated our customers fairly.

I seem to be getting this error more frequently recently, plus crashing when I try to post and the web page 'hanging'.  Is there a bandwith issue  issue??

[quote user="Gluestick"][quote user="Russethouse"] I think there is another reason for either buy to let's being on the market or them not being so popoular and thats something to do with 'taper relief' being abolished I think. I can't remember the details. Our first mortgage was based on 3.5 times our joint income I think or 3 times Mr RH plus half of mine. I found the letter Mr RHs employer at the time wrote the other day, a work of pure fiction [:-))][:-))] [/quote] CGT: yes you are correct. If the portfolio was treated by the Revenue as a Business Asset, then  after Four Years with Taper Relief then the gain was principally tax free. (Excepting when the gain, taken out as profit, would be taxed either under Corporation Tax or Schedule D Case IV, self employment income tax). The new CGT regime takes away Taper Relief (which itself replaced Indexation for inflation) and increases the effective gain on liquidation of the asset/s. [/quote] Just a correction - taper relief has never been available to corporates.  Corporates retained the old rules (with indexation allowances).  Similarly, the change to 18% flat rate CGT only applies to individuals, partnerships, trusts etc - not to corporates.  In any case Schedule A let property (buy to let) does not qualify as business property for the purpose of taper relief.  The only let properties that were eligible for taper relief were furnished holiday lettings which qualify as a Sched D (VI) trade.

Absolutely, cut them back or they will end up even more leggy and straggly.  You can be quite brutal with them - just so long as you cut above a little 'joint'.  Use the pieces you cut off for cuttings.  Just push them (the right way up) into slighlty moist (not wet) compost and leave for a few weeks until they have rooted.  If the pieces you cut off are very long you can cut them into sections to make more plants.

[quote user="LEO"]The prudent application for the expensive silver "bubble wrap " insulation is when headroom is limited,or you are constructing a new roof otherwise , use glass wool . [/quote] That was the advice we had

This was about two seconds before the scream - 12,000 ft and better than any roller coaster [:D]

[quote user="WJT"]Scooby, we also have an old pigeonniere (tower) that is used for our stairs. There is no insulation above the ceiling so is also very draughty. We don't need a new roof there but want to have the ceiling taken out and put very good insulation in. Unfortunately, we do need a new roof (we were told the roof was fine by a French architect we paid to survey the house before we bought [:(]). We are located in S.E. Dordogne. If your roofer is near our area, I would love to have his name please. [:)][/quote] Sent you a pm with his details WJT!

Just ask your bank to issue you with an electron card - no charge if you use one of those.

My gran had her first baby at 40 and her second at 43 - and that was in the late 30's / early 40's - after she had a long successful career!! PS - Her hubby was also ten years her junior - I reckon he must have been one of the first 'toy boys' [;-)] - I had  lot of time for my gran....a lady ahead of her time [:D] PPS She outlived her 'toy boy' by 20 years....living to the grand old age of 93.

My mum swears by glucosamine tablets..

[quote user="WJT"][quote user="billy10"]WJT, you either live in a Chateau or are in serious need of some insulation , your usage seems very high, having said that i still need to insulate tyo a higher standard to bring my consumption down a bit[/quote] No, unfortunately not a chateau. [:(] It sounds as if Clair and I live in the same house. [:D] We are in the process of "trying" to get devis for our roof. Hopefully, if we can ever find a good artisan for this we will be putting in very good insulation at the same time. [/quote] We just got our new roof and insulation completed (though still have to have tower re-roofed - planned for this September).  The newer part of the house (which wasn't re-roofed as tiles were ok) has had insulation on the flat part of the roof but the mansarded (sloped) sides are being double boarded from the inside (with 7cms of insulation).  It has made a massive difference to the temperature in the upstairs bedrooms which are now really, really cosy.  It wasn't cheap (just over 16,000 euro) but well worth it.  Before we had the roof / insulation done we got through 2000 litres of oil in 4 months - and that was leaving heating on a setting of minimum!   P.s Not sure where you are but we can recommend our (local, french) roofer who was fab. Pps our floor area is 250 sq m and we had virtually no insulation.  We also had a very aesthetically pleasing house - tower, large arched door, immense fire place opening - which looks fab but feels like a draughty medieval castle!

[quote user="ErnieY"][quote user="Russethouse"]there is no history of men having to fight for equality[/quote]We gave up the fight centuries ago when we realised we could never be your equals [:-))] [/quote] Well you know the expression: 'All men are created equal.....equally useless.' [;-)]

Try telephoning the consultant's secretary - s/he should be able to tell you.  The need to do the tests within a narrow time frame of the surgery is unavoidable - it is just unfortunate that the tests are rather unpleasant and invasive so if there is a delay (for whatever reason) it may mean having the tests twice. Contacting the GP may not give many answers as hospitals are notoriously slow in updating GP's.

[quote user="Yorkshire Lad"]Outgoings once the UK house is sold will be about £900 - most of which is a personal loan. [/quote] Why not repay the personal loan from the proceeds of your house sale?  You will be paying much higher interest rates for a personal loan than on a euro denominated mortgage.

Sorry - resurrecting an old thread but I'm thinking of getting a bike to keep and use in France.  I am (sadly) of the age where when I last rode a bike in the UK you could do so on a full (motor car) driving licence.  Accordingly, to ride in the UK I would need to take the new bike test.  Is this a requirement in France too?

[quote user="Frenchie"]Oui, j'adore cette expression !! J'aime aussi " chill down" .. and " running around like a blue arse fly "  [:D][:D][:D]  Do blue arse flies really do that? [:D] [/quote] or running around 'like a whippet on whizz...'