giantpanda

Hi! Here you will find the limit dates for the different still valid Franc notes. http://www.service-public.fr/actualites/00453.html Now there are single shops in some towns who still take old franc notes. I do not know how they do this, but I think they do not check the notes you give them individually. Normally an Office du Tourisme should have that information Yours, giantpanda

Hi! There are rules, since France will not accept EC people who would dependant on the French social Security system. In all cases one will it find it much more simple to claim benefits in the country where one has last worked, that trying to get into a different social system, where there are necessarily hurdles. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Basically there is no limit, unless you start to trade with them, and then can be classed as a dealer. The greater problem is local. As long as you have building to park them, there are probably no problems - however if you have them parked outside, then best contact the Mairie. As you should know, there can be specific regulations to park any caravan on your ground, and you have to ask if you need an authorisation. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! See here the offer: http://www.ciao.fr/Assurances_Animaux_1255_3 Here you have consumer ratings: http://www.ciao.fr/Avis/Assurances_animaux_en_general__210545 Like all insurances , you need to read very closely, what is covered, what not, and the yearly limits. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! I take it this is a French house. Now you can do this! But there may be problems at your succession if you have reserved heirs, unless what you give to your brother is within the limits of the " quotité disponible ", because otherwise, he would have to pay a compensation to them when you die. See here, depending on your family what it represents. http://www.lesechos.fr/patrimoine/guide/TRA61.html Now the question of the donation: The allowance for a brother is 2009 : Euro 15 636 . The rest is subject to : 45% tax. But in special cases see hereunder, there is no donation taxes: 1. Le frère ou la sœur concerné doit être célibataire, veuf, divorcé ou séparé de corps au jour du décès. 2. Il doit être âgé de plus de 50 ans au jour du décès ou atteint d'une infirmité l'empêchant de subvenir à ses besoins. 3. Il doit avoir vécu, de façon continue, avec le défunt pendant les cinq ans précédant le décès.Now you can reduce the tax payable in two ways. 1. You pay the tax yourself, which reduces the donation value, and the donation tax to be paid. ( that is allowed ). 2. It it is possible, you can limit the donation to the nue-propriété of the half house, whilst you keep the "usufruit" - The value of the " usufruit " is worked out according to your age. You can then use that part of the house freely, but not sell it, without hs approuval.   And on your death, then your brother " inherits " the usufruit, without that being part of the succession ( all he would have to do, would be to have the registration at the cadastre changed). Bascially you should talk to a French Notaire. Yours, giantpanda NB. the value of the donation will be made on the value at the time of the donation ( not the purchase value ).

Hi! Do you mean he has not contact with the social security since 20 years?? Or he has not made any pension contributions for the same period. What do you then expect? How do they handle the matter in GB? Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Here France is not the question. Such things are not a balance sheet. You can post those separately. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! That has been introduced in 2008 for 2009, and has been discussed on other Forums; Basically in the beginning it was to reduce the " profits of the top-ups ", and one could then have the impression that that would have no impact on the top-up prices. However now, it has been written tat prices of top-ups could increase from 3% to 8%, and one of the reasons was the tax. In general you have to expect that the State will push over Health Insurance costs to the top-ups to try to reduce the deficits. One of the possible openings which is being considered ( not necessarily in 2009 ) would be to make part of the ALD ( Affection de Longue durée ) coverage ( so called 100%) means tested, because the spending represent 67% of Health Insurance costs, for something like 15% of the total patients. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Basically the law specifies the rate the day the income was received. That is quite clear. And if you use these rates, they can not contest. For practical purposes, they have accepted one rate for the year in past years. It could well be that the local tax office, considering the number of requests they have had, have passed on  this year the question to Head Office, because of the impact. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! check with Switzerland. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! If you want to know the day to day exchange rate in 2008, you can find the information here: http://fxtop.com/en/historates.php3?C1=GBP&C2=EUR&DD1=01&MM1=01&YYYY1=2008&B=1&P=&I=1&DD2=31&MM2=12&YYYY2=2008&btnOK=Go Yours, giantpanda

Hi! With a gastro, you should be aware, that at the time when you want to start vomiting you can pass out ( this is however the exception )  - not only once ,but several times one after another. That can happen with people who have heart problems, arrhythmic beats. Or if you were lying down since some time, and suddenly get up. Of course this can be dangerous, depending on how you fall. Whether it  necessary to call the Samu immediately is difficult to decide. You should in all cases talk to your doctor the same day. Many doctors will recommend a " carotid Doppler ",  ( this can happen if the arteria   should  be slightly clogged up. This examination can be done in a quarter of an hour by a specialist , and is painless ( they just go with feeler on the carotid veins, and get a picture of its state ). Normally when you regain consciousness there are no troubles  ( movement arms , dizzyness, speech ) - If there are toubles, then it can be something much more serious, and you need to reach a hospital within 3 hours. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! If you look you will always find such texts from French extreme parties, galore. To take it up in GB papers without explanation is hardly fair. But unfortunately you have  also Trade unions leaders who estimate they can do anything ( and that means breaking all laws ) which can help to impose their minority views, and that they should not be condemned by the French  justice. One could say that is the argument between considering people as fighters for their countries rights and terrorists, which can hardly be solved. But you are right, there will be quite some social conflicts, and some will be violent -  - unfortunately many on the grounds that the banks have cashed billions ( although in reality no bank, who has not gone broke, has been given a penny, without having to pay a normal rate of interest) and the State can not find a few millions to save a firm, who would have gone bust anyway. The State has not done it job in explaining this fact. Yours, giantpanda  

Hi! It is not necessarily you who has to contact your children, although it would be recommended. It is an obligation for the Notaire to advise the children, and he can only finalise the "communauté universelle", after 3 months, having either an agreement or no reaction. Now if you not can find them, and the Notaire can not find the 2 in USA, the whole contract is pointless. Discuss the question with the Notaire. Now there is something else, which you may not be aware. As French residents, your GB will have only value for housing/flats outside France ( in most EC country, these are ruled by the law of the land ) However all other GB possessions will come into the French ruling. Too many people who are around pension age, just consider the situation when one spouse deceases. You definitely, need to consider the situation at the time of decease of the second spouse, according to if you know where the second one would live after the death of the other. Especially in your situation, not organising the succession because of the French indivision ruling ( If the inheritance is not divided, i.e everybody has to agree to the split) you do your heirs no favor, because if any one opposes it can means years, if no one goes to court to force a solution. The Notaires' fees ( you have to know that he charges you also for taxes and registrations required , he pays for you ) are dependant what they do for you - there are tarifs they have to respect. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! You would need to precise what contract you are considering: Communauté Universelle with a clause " attribution intégrale "? Or one limited to certain items? Now in all case, the contract will only be valid, after each of your children has not opposed the matter ( admitting they are all of age ). The Notaire has the obligation of letting them know by registered letter with answer, your project. They have  3 months to oppose. Basically the children out of precedent marriages are at a disadvantage in all cases, because on the death of a spouse, then the other spuse then owns all the items ( involved ) , as if he has been the owner right from the beginning - there is in fact no effective succession. http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F936.xhtml Normally such a contract will not be suggested to couples who are previously married, unless, a complex share of the estate is planed right from the start, which respect the rights of the reserved heirs. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! You may remember that in the past countries have also had negative interest. The important thing is to try to promote the economy. And here low interest rates are vital, although such conditions do mean that foreign wandering capital will move out. As an individual,  you have to decide, if you want to invest elsewhere, with a risk, or to keep your money under the mattress, with also risks. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Here more on the regulation side: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1692.xhtml Yours, giantpanda

Ho The price of fuel is dependant on taxes which are not simply proportional and can work differently on the different fuel. France has had the project to put gradually the the price of  gazole up to the price of petrol. But that has not really been applied. You have to remember that French car manufacturers here produce more than 50% diesel for the home market, and putting up the diesel price would hit then in 1st line. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! For your French declaration, you can only set off costs relative to the French premises. That applies also to remortgaging, even if the loan is higher than the remaining capital. Losses can be offset for the next 10 years. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! You will find very few, if not no foreign banks at all,  who will for a private person mortgage an object in France. The matter requires a basic organisation specific to the country, which is not worth while the investment. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Is your incapacity still permanent? Then ( what you should have done a long time ago ) you ask ( starting at your médecin traitant ) to have your incapacity recognized. Bring all your records for the doctor - Now that can take time. After advice of a commission you get your French incapacity level  ( in percentages ). With that you can qualify to specific aids, and to an extra 1/2 part on your income tax return. French reference: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/N12.xhtml Yours, giantpanda

Hi! In big towns, you have a French association called AVF ( Association des villes françaises ), whose main objective if to get you to know the ropes locally. Here you can find if there is one one your town: http://www.avf.asso.fr/Website/site/accueil.php NB. There are other associations ( working on a very similar basis, some have separated from the AVF) so best is always to check at the Mairie or the Office du Tourisme, who have a list of local associations and their objectives.. The basic services of the AVF are free - they even go that far in giving you chits for special presents from local shops etc. so that you get to know them. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Sorry bad start for the new Year. Do you mean to say that you have no counter? You can register here. http://www.edf-bleuciel.fr/accueil/j-ai-besoin-d-energies/electricite-141685.html But :if it is the case : 1. You cannot register for a month or so. 2. Since you be needing a new counter - normally one takes over the last person counter - that will mean high costs - Nobody can tell you how much that will cost, because it depends on the location. It can cost over Euro 1000. And that will not necessary done, from one day to another. 3. Further, what you have not counted on, new counter means that your whole electrical installation has to be rechecked by a " consuel", and for old premises, that can mean that much of the wiring may have to be one by a qualified ( best French ) electrician. http://www.consuel.com/ Yours, giantpanda PS. What about water or  and gas?? and possibly telephone/internet?

Hi! Do not give any importance to a marginal person, who is constantly in conflict with the law. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Independant of the tontine clause, you are in indivision. So you can not sell the house, without the consent of the other. You can not even rent or make current repairs, unless you have more than 66%. Who pays the taxes?? So you do need to find a solution to the question? Either one buys, or the house is sold. One wants to sell the other not, then the sales can be forced - but for that the person would have to go to court, and the judge's decision is open.It can last at least 2 years. Youers, giantpanda If one dies, the possible application of the tontine clause ( there are conditions ) would certainly not be what the other would want.