Hetj

Thanks very much for your helpful ideas and suggestion. We have scoured our insurance and think we will try and push it as contents within boundary of property (n fact ot is surrounded on theree sides by our house and the neighbours. Also damage was caused by a natural catastrophe (as long as I can show it was declared so by President Sarkosy) and this should be covered.  Thanks again.  Het

Hi We have a holiday home in Languedoc near Clermont l'Herault. We need some settees and have looked at some in Ikea and other places and have not yet decided.  Before we go for one of these options does anyone know any companies doing reasonably priced settees (as it is a second home) that will deliver free or at a reasonable price.  We'd like to look on-line to minimise travel so browse on-line.... Could be UK based or French ones. Also another idea would be French websites selling 'good' second hand ones.    Ideeas welcome. Thanks

Has anyone had a problem claiming on their insurance due to damage caused by the tempest early on in the year.  We had an expensive heavy duty winter pool cover put on our pool at our holiday home (near Clermont l'Herault) last November and believed our UK based insurance - which we had researched long and hard - covered this item. Now having had damage - effectively the storm shredded the edges away so it is written off! - we have had several phone calls to the insurers, who first said we should claim for the pool cover although the pool fence wasn't covered (as we knew!), and then got a letter and second call (different person) saying it wasn't.  The policy wording upon scrutiny is VERY open to interpretation although when we read it originally we thought it covered such items.  On appealing to the insurance company they are now saying (bizarrely!) that if we can show others have claimed successfully on their insurance for such damage to pools after the tempest they'll consider paying!  Anyone had damage like this during the tempest, any similar experience, or an offer any help here? Would also welcome ideas on where to go for my renewal???!!!

Has anyone had a problem claiming on their insurance due to damage caused by the tempest early on in the year.  We had an expensive heavy duty winter pool cover put on our pool at our holiday home (near Clermont l'Herault) last November and believed our UK based insurance - which we had researched long and hard - covered this item. Now having had damage - effectively the storm shredded the edges away so it is written off! - we have had several phone calls to the insurers, who first said we should claim for the pool cover although the pool fence wasn't covered (and we knew the latter, anyway!), and then got a letter and second call (different person) saying it wasn't.  The policy wording upon scrutiny is VERY open to interpretation although when we read it originally we thought it covered such items.  On appealing to the insurance company they are now saying (bizarrely!) that if we can show others have claimed successfully on their insurance for such damage to pools after the tempest they'll consider paying!  Anyone had damage like this during the tempest, any similar experience, or an offer any help here? Would also welcome ideas on where to go for my renewal to cover some pool cover at least???!!!

[8-)]Hi Has anyone had a problem claiming on their insurance due to damage caused by the tempest early on in the year.  We had an expensive heavy duty winter pool cover put on our pool at our holiday home (near Clermont l'Herault) last November and believed our UK based insurance - which we had researched long and hard - covered this item. Now having had damage - effectively the storm shredded the edges away so it is written off! - we have had several phone calls to the insurers, who first said we should claim for the pool cover although the pool fence wasn't covered (as we knew!), and then got a letter and second call (different person) saying it wasn't.  The policy wording upon scrutiny is VERY open to interpretation although when we read it originally we thought it covered such items.  On appealing to the insurance company they are now saying (bizarrely!) that if we can show others have claimed successfully on their insurance for such damage to pools after the tempest they'll consider paying!  Anyone had damage like this during the tempest, any similar experience, or an offer any help here? Would also welcome ideas on where to go for my renewal???!!! [:)] Thanks

Yes probably.  Persistency is paying off a bit (although high phone bills) and agent has managed to get hold of someone who is now asking us to fax through completed forms which they have emailed us to arrange an assessment.  However this is not without charge - 280euros for "work done so far" (what is this we ask ourselves- admin, peut etre?). This is without the assessment and reconection being done, all of which also have charges (and in unknown quantity too). 'C'est la vie' - it does mean the possibility of getting connected is ever nearer.  We will still be there camping out without electricity next week! You may be from around this area, Peter - do you know of any builders near Clermont l'Herault/Lac Salagou area who are worth asking for a quote for some work - knocking down ground floor internal walls and putting RSJ in type of stuff to open out an area...? Thanks for your input . Hetj

Yes I agree and the notaire and agent is as perplexed as we are with the whole thing.  It shouldn't be a problem, which is exactly your point.  The notaire said that they have always dealt with the switch from commercal to domestic in previous similar purchases with no problem (and had several examples to hand similar to yours) - it had happened in one day at completion...etc, etc. No-one anticipated this situation, which I think has been compounded by the property being empty for a while, the last tenants doing a bunk, and the owner not being the last person to hold the EDF contract so contract numbers have been lost (in EDF too apparently!) plus some 'political' shinnaningans with changes within EDF.  It is a difficult situation, and we are facing the brunt of it all. 

Any ideas where we can get some help with getting our electricity connected?  We have bought a property near Clermont l'Herault that was once a hotel-restaurant but has been unoccupied for the last three years.  We completed in November 07. For various reasons it cannot operate as a commercial property any more and we bought it in good faith as a domestic property to do up (holidays etc), not anticipating any problems (and nor did our estate agent, or our notaire). It is liveable-in. Its last EDF contract was for its hotel/restaurant status, and the electricity has been disconnected.  To reinstate the electricity on a domestic tariff should in theory be a straightforward affair, however it has not been. For the last three months we have had NO electricity despite the best efforts of our estate agents, and the notaire, who all assure us it should have been able to be switched on the day we completed and moved in (joke!).  Nobody could have foreseen this problem, and it has been a first for our notaire. It should technically be as simple as coming to the property to switch it on, but the domestic tariff side do not want to deal with the commercial side (or vice versa) since there has been a selling off of one bit of EDF (this is my simplistic version of events - so possibly some political internal issues here). When we completed we stayed one night in our property with no electricity and no hot water (an experience but not great for the long haul!). As they did not turn up as they had said and then wanted a contract number to do anything (and there isn't one as the last people were renting the property, and the owner therefore did not hold the EDF contract) we had to cancel our Christmas and New Year trip which was to be to enjoy a break, clean up and get quotes for some work.  It is now coming up to month 3 and nothing has changed. We have hit a brick wall.  We need to go there to clean the property and get some work done and have booked to go out on 2nd Feb. We will have no electricity for that week's stay.    Who can we complainto in EDF?  It is a crazy situation. Are there any complaints procedures or organisations that can help move this forward?  Thanks for reading my rant and all polite and reasonable suggestions welcome. 

We were told there are really only two cold months (around Feb time) so good place to be. Reason we moved here (mainly for hols) from Bergerac area. Very diverse area - mountains and beaches in good supply. Lots of 'history' and 'culture' if you are interested + fantastic food and  reasonably priced restaurants.  Have found we need more 'mastery' of the language than previously needed (and this is probably a good thing to encourage us to learn a bit more than 'present tense' basics, so am all for it.  Just gets a bit hairy if you need to sort something out so dictionary to hand!!)  Suggest you get a good book on your area and around, and do your research to make the most of it. Enjoy...  

Hi We have a propert towards Clermont l'Herault and sometimes fly into Nimes or Montpellier to go there.  I like both Montpellier and Nimes. Don't know Avignon but hear it is lovely. Nimes has the Roman ampitheatre which is worth a look around and you can drive north to Pont du Gard (beautiful roman aquaduct and swimming on the river -  nice to relax on the 'beach' and swim or hire a boat if you like that). I think given where you are going eventually (nearer Carcassone?) and your available time I'd go to the city of Montpellier - it is lovely in the 'old' part, although awful to park at that time of year so drive carefully, park carefully or do a park and ride (tram).  Lovely buildings to browse around, restaurants to get fixed price meal, parks - good use of a day. You can then drive to the beach area if you have time, for a contrast. (If windy watch out as sand gets everywhere)  If in doubt look at the books for the area. Have a lovely time