giantpanda

Hi! The basic figure is the "valeur locative" of you house. The reckoning of that is rather old, and was supposed to be reformed ( since over 20 years ). In fact the matter is quite complex, if the local Commune os to cash the same financing. It depends on your land, the surface of the house, all the amenities ( such as taps, baths, showers, wc , etc. etc.). In practice there is no way to check this - they even pretend, that 2 local tax people, will come to different results, with the same data. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! You can pay with a cheque. You can register to pay over internet: http://www.servicepubliclocal.com/spl/accueil.spl?c=547706&f=N0/N13/N206/N239/ But you will have to send a RIB ( Relevé d'Identité Bancaire) in any case. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Here the regulations and documents you have to bring. http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1758.xhtml?&n=Papiers&l=N21&n=Papiers%20du%20v%C3%A9hicule%20et%20permis%20de%20conduire&l=N368&n=Permis%20de%20conduire&l=N530&n=International&l=N19126 You will get the same licences as on your British permit. In France there are no age limits. Once you get it, check immediately if all have been transcribed. Competent is the special office for licences at the Sous-Préfecture, or the Préfecture. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! It is the owner per 1.January who is liable to the Taxe d'Habitation and Taxe Foncière. Not you. You will only get the " impôts locaux " tax bills next year in Autimn. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! See: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F160.xhtml This concerns public rooms: Attention : Depuis le 1er janvier 2008, il est également interdit de fumer dans les cafés, les casinos, les cercles de jeu, les débits de tabac, les discothèques, les hôtels et les restaurants. It is possible under strict conditions to install special smokers rooms . But: Le décret ne s'applique pas aux ponts à l'air libre des bateaux, quais de gare découverts, abribus, tribunes non couvertes des stades, chambres d'hôtel ou de maisons de retraite. Mais les règlements intérieurs peuvent interdire de fumer. So does not apply basically to hotel rooms, unless house rulings forbid it. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Basically you will be covered till January 2011,under the condition that you are not liable to a different system. Qualité d'ayant droit  La qualité d'ayant droit permet de bénéficier des prestations de sécurité sociale non à titre personnel, mais du fait de liens particuliers avec un assuré social, sous réserve de résider en France de façon stable et régulière.  En matière de couverture santé, la qualité d'ayant droit ouvre droit au remboursement des soins maladie et maternité (prestations en nature de l'assurance maladie - maternité).  Cette qualité ne peut pas être reconnue à une personne qui peut relever d'un régime obligatoire, en qualité d'assuré.  You need to proceed with the registration of your wife, and you as "ayant droit." Yours, giantpanda

Hi! To pay online, see here ( and link on the right  to register ) http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1203.xhtml For monthly payments and the details, see here: [url=http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F3121.xhtml?&n=Imp%C3%B4t,%20taxe%20et%20douane&l=N13&n=Imp%C3%B4ts%20locaux&l=N206&n=Paiement%20des%20imp%C3%B4ts%20locaux&l=N239&n=Paiement%20mensuel%20des%20imp%C3%B4ts%20locaux&l=N240] All about monthly payments - in French[/url] For link to register ( both types of payments see here: https://www.telepaiement.cp.finances.gouv.fr/satelit/web.forte?ServiceName=satelit&TemplateName=AccueilCharpente.htm&contexteinitial=2 The problem, you would have to have already registered. Therefore in your case, you would best go to the local Trésorie, and this before the payment is due,  and talk over the matter. You would need to make concrete suggestions, you can stick to. This can be done in writing, but there is no obligation for the Trésorie to give you a positive advice. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! In order to tell you what to do, it would be interesting to know, how long they have owned the house? Many Expats seem to think that because they do not get tax forms, and when they pay taxes in their home land, that they do not need to declare in France. The French system is strange in as much as the " registering process " is done by making your first income tax return, where this is an obligation, and there are fines, and late tax payment increases. Unfortunately there have been cases, where tax people have told ex-pats that they need not make a income tax return ( however nothing in writing ), whereby that showed how poor their professional knowledge was. Yours, pomhorn

Hi! You can hardly compare English and French pensions. These are based on quite different contribution levels ... etc. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! For what purpose do you need this? Has it got to be portable? No program is really reliable, unless you grasp  the final language. They can be help ( the more elaborate professional ones , so not cheap ) to give you after checking, a raw translation , which then you need to rewrite the text . Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Not quite clear , where you are heading for. It belongs to the class called "infections nosocomiales", which you can catch by just frequenting a hospital. In France they are trying to reduced these, by better hygiene regulations ( not only, more wahsing of hands of the staff). Otherwise there are a lot of references, but this is really specialists matter. http://www.google.fr/search?source=ig&hl=fr&rlz=&=&q=MRSA&btnG=Recherche+Google&meta= Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Basically the CPAM has to check that your insurance gives you a coverage similar to the CMU. But in practice, there are no feedback of such checks - and there are apparently no texts available on how they do the check. Basically you havee to ask the insurance companies who you ask for quotes, if they have any experience here. They would be 1st concerned. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! As regards window security, many will be quite surprised when they look at their Multirisques Habitation. In quite some cases, you are only insured if the shutters are shut.* And that applies also when the house is empty for a set number of hours... So will will be better off with a permanent grille - your cats will hardly have problems. Yours giantpanda * I quite appreciate that when you are on holiday, with shutters constantly closed, it can be considered as an invitation to thieves.But that is how the insurances work.

HI! It would be fair to quote for what this tax will be levied. It is for the RSA ( Revenu de Solidarité Active ) which should have been introduced 1.1.2008;, but had been postponed, because lack of cash - there had been test in 34 départements. Basically the idea is to incite people who do not have work to accept one, without losing all the compensations they were getting. In the past in many cases, they were better off not working). To now the system will be extended to whole of France probably in the middle of 2009. This contribution was paid by the départments, with a part contribution from the State. The financing will hit interest, dividends, rental income and also added value taxation of life insurances - probably other items. To simply it will be on the so-called CSG bill - not 11% but 12%) Details will be treated in the special Parliament session called from 22nd Sptember onwards. So as always in France, you need to await law, and décrêts to start talking in detail of the matter -as always, there are bound to be exceptions. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! After having talked to the Mairie, contact ( see Pages Jaunes ) any near-by "scierie "and get a quote of what they will pay for the wood. They may not do it themselves, but can certainly suggest somebody ( if the Mairie has not recommended anybody to you ).ours, giantpanda

Hi! I know nothing about electrical branchings. But this could help: "Number of the terminal to which connection is to be made." Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Because of the new Health regulations, the number of Expats coming to live in France has probably drastically gone down. Mainly because many come on so-called pre- pension. Further the selling of British houses is getting more difficult. And of course, generally in France for the French, there is a a sales drop because: - of general business climate - increase of bank lending rates - increased difficulties to get mortgages. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Then you are an employee - you do not have to register - but normally you would have to inform your Heath Provider of the temporary change of situation. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Try the Station newsagent. But for books, you really shop try Amazon - You can get English books on the French site. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Suggest you contact a local association ( add the area in your search ) eg. http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=dyslexie+associations&spell=1 Yours, giantpanda

Hi! To give you an appreciation is difficult, because there are too many unclear points: 1. Are you French fiscal resident? 2. If not then you have a French maison secondaire? 3. Where were the wills made? 4. What will be your marriage status? There is a justified doubt that as you put it:We have made provision for all assets to go to he spouse in the event of first death...and were advised this would stand up in a French Court...... Yours, giantpanda

Hi! Try here. http://www.lesechos.fr/patrimoine/calcul/cac/appletcac.html However best is to start talking to your bank, so you can get the feel of the situation. The new " conditions" practised by the banks since this year are hardly transparent. Afterwards you can talk to others too, to compare. Yours, giantpanda

[quote user="BIG MAC"] We bought our French home as individuals albeit living as husband and wife. We are both second time around me never married..my other half married but divorced. We both have kids..3 each from before we met and two in common! We have recently had our wills made professionally and in contemplation of marriage (Sept 13th) [/quote] Hi! Could you let us know where you made the wills? Namely if you are French fiscal residents, and the wills have been made in  GB, they are practically worth nothing, unless you still have property in GB, and limited to the property. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! You ( Albert the InfoGipsy ) have not mentioned to which regime. If it was Communauté Universelle avec attribution intégrale, there has be a notable change of regulations 1.1.2007, which makes the consent ( or more precisely the lack of objection ) a must. Yours, giantpanda

Hi! You have not mentioned to which regime. If it was Communauté Universelle avec attribution intégrale, there has be a notable change of regulations 1.1.2007, which makes the consent ( or more precisely the lack of objection ) a must. Yours, giantpanda