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David

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Everything posted by David

  1. Danny, a great idea to borrow someone's box, but unfortunately we cannot do this as this is a very rural area and all our friends have given up and gone back to the UK. Quillan, thanks very much for the offer. During the summer we were quite close to you being in Leucate, but we did not know we had a problem then. Now we are in North Deux-Sevres, about a 7.5 hour drive from you. I think we will just have to buy a cheap box with scart connectors, and see what happens. If that does not work then we will have to find a satellite installer and check the dish, LNB, etc. Thanks again for all the help.
  2. Thank you all very much for your kind help. At the moment I am looking for a very cheap box as a diagnostic tool, as I still do not know that it is the box that is faulty. If I find out that the cheap box works, then I can consider whether to buy an expensive Humax or not. I do not want to buy an expensive box and find that it does not work. Thank you Lehaut and Suein56, I had not realised that there were so many boxes available, or at such a cheap price. I have never used ebay, so I think that I will combine your advices, while being careful to make sure that the box has a scart connection. Thanks again.
  3. Thank you very much for your reply. That makes a lot of sense, and gives me a place to start. I would prefer that, than call in a local professional due to cost. Unfortunately I cannot check the dish or LNB box myself as I am in a wheelchair. Would it be possible for you the tell me which Amstrad box you bought, whether you can use your old viewing card, and what connecting leads are supplied with it. We have an old cathode ray tube TV, which does not have any new-fangled connections such as hdmi, usb, etc, just a good old fashioned scart connector. I have been checking the Amstrad boxes on Amazon UK, and there seem to be several, they also do not say what cables come with the box. Once decided on the right box, I will order from Amazon France. Thank you again for your help.
  4. We bought a Pace Sky Digibox in 2003 for use in Bressuire, northern Deux-Sevres, through a 60 cm dish, and it has been working perfectly since then. Last June the 10th, 2014, we disconnected it in order to take it on holiday with us in Leucate, near Perpignan. At that time in Bressuire it was receiving all channels, despite the main channels having been moved to the new satellite. On arrival in Leucate it again worked perfectly, but gave a much reduced channel selection with none of the main channels which had moved satellite. About a week later, that is about the 20th June 2014, the Pace box received no channels at all, but it was still working and showing the time, and channel list. However, the channel list was empty. We did not worry, and assumed that this was because the old satellite had been shut down, and we could not receive the new satellite in Leucate. We therefore unplugged the Pace box, and stored it safely ready for return to Bressuire. We duly returned yesterday, the 28th September, and the Pace box does not work now. When switched on it reports that it is searching for channels, then it reports "No Satellite Signal". There is no clock, program table or anything. The Services will show, but I do not seem to be able to get it to reboot. Now we do not know whether something happened to the dish over the summer - unlikely, whether the Pace box has broken down, whether the Pace box needs rebooting after such a long shutdown, or whether it is because the satellite has changed. We feel that if it were the satellite, then the box should pick up the new satellite as it was showing the main channels, which had already moved, when we were last here in early June. We do hope that you can help, as the Mrs was looking forward to curling up in the evenings to catch up on her programs. A winter here without UK TV would be rather depressing, and we cannot change to internet TV as we are at the end of a 5 kilometre above ground telephone cable, and internet reception is very slow indeed. Many thanks in anticipation, David.
  5. Thanks elamessa, makes sense. Unfortunately as most of our journeys are down the west side of France from Niort to Perpignan, and we only go once or twice a year to UK via Alencon/Rouen, we will not be taking up the Alis offer. We will stay with Vinci Autoroutes. A pity as Alis seem to value their clients, and even have an English option on their website.  
  6. Do Alis mean 15 transits of the full Alis route, or 15 sections of the Alis route? There are six sections on the Alis route, so if it is 15 sections, does that means three trips over the full route in the first year? Fifteen trips over the full route is an awful lot of travelling, and surely locals will not travel the full route? David  
  7. We originally planned to spend the winter in France, but have you tried a winter in Port Leucate in a house with only electric panel heating?  Very, very cold and impossible (for us) to go out when the Tramontane blows, which is the majority of the time.  Not an enjoyable experience!
  8. We are French residents subject to French tax, and were thinking of buying a maison secondaire in UK, to spend the winters in UK and the summers in France.  For the moment we want to maintain our French tax residency, and only visit the UK. We would plan to spend some four or five months in UK over the winter, and the rest of the year in France. Thus when we are in France, for perhaps seven months continuously, the UK house would be unattended and have no inspections. I think that we have to think again. Many thanks for your valuable advices. David
  9. Thank you everyone for your helpful replies.  Sorry for such a delay, but I have not been too well. After your cautions about insurance, and looking on the laymyhat forum, it is certainly difficult to get insurance for a house left empty and unattended for up to six months a year.  We had not thought of this, only the tax resident problem. Since your warnings, we have thought about the practical problems of leaving a house empty in UK, brochures left in the letter box, people seeing the house unused, etc., and are now rethinking our plans.  The house we had in mind was quite prominent and it would be obvious that the house was empty. We have now shelved the project for further consideration, and we must thank you for your warnings. It can be a funny old life, we posted as we were worried about one thing, and then another quite different matter, which we had not thought of, scuppers the project.  That can be the value of this forum, and we are grateful for your warnings. David
  10. Thanks for that Idun and Euro Trash.  Much helpful information. We had not even considered the problem of house insurance, as it is so easy to get maison secondaire insurance in France.  The house would be empty for 6 months of the year, and we had thought to class it as a holiday home.  We had assumed that, as there are so many holiday homes in the UK, insurance would be easy. We do pay all our tax in France, and that would continue until we are ready to move back to UK full time. Many thanks for your help, we will have to have another think. David
  11. As we get older we are thinking of gradually moving back to UK.  We are French tax payers, and live in France, but we are thinking of buying a small house in UK to live in for up to six months a year, while still keeping our main house in France. Eventually when we are ready we will sell our French house, and revert to UK tax. While we have both houses, probably for two or three years, it is important to maintain French residency and French tax status so that our French house is our main residence, thus avoiding capital gains tax when we come to sell it. We would be very grateful for any advice as to tax liability in both countries while we have both houses, and live about six months in each.  All income comes from UK in the form of old age pension, and savings.  Presently all income is paid into our French bank. Many thanks in anticipation, David
  12. We live in North Deux-Sevres and until now we have had no reception problems. However, today when turning on the sky box, it seems to have been reprogrammed overnight and we no longer have BBC1, ITV1, Ch4, Ch5 or CH4 plus 1. Is this just us? We have a pace sky box about 9 years old but working well.  All other channels coming in very well. Worried. David Edit Note - It seems that it was just us.  We rebooted the box by disconnecting the electric supply from the wall for two minutes, then restarting, and we now have all channels back.  Very relieved, but do not understand why this should happen - this is the first time in nine years.
  13. Hi Norman, Well, as you live about 60 km north of Perpignan you probably have researched all facilities in that area. I have looked at the Mobility Dynamic web site that Betoulle kindly provided but they are expensive.  They sell the Paris scooter for €2200, but you can buy it in UK for £660.  Why such a huge difference, and why not sell at a more reasonable price to expand their business?  Service charges also seem expensive, and seem to rely on a technician coming to your house.  I am a bit suspicious of this as he may not have the diagnostic equipment sometimes needed, and he may not be able to carry all the spares needed in his van.  What happens if he does not have the replacement parts?  Does that mean another full price call out?  On the web site there is no indication as to whether they would service scooters which they have not sold.  Nor is there any indication as to whether they have a repair workshop on site, or whether you can take the scooter there and browse new scooters and other aids while waiting for the repair, which is what we do in UK.  For you with a category three scooter, and living in the south, if they will service scooters that they have not sold, then this may be the way forward for you, and for me also as these days we are having difficulty in lifting the scooter into the estate car. I was stunned to read that you were having difficulty in being recognised as disabled in France because you have passed 65.  What does age have to do with it?  Surely you are disabled or not!  I now cannot walk, even with crutches, and must use a wheelchair.  I am recognised as 50% to 79% and had been putting off applying to be recognised as over 80% disabled while my shoulders were examined.  I now wish that I had applied sooner, but I have now turned 65, and the condition of my shoulders now mean that I cannot use crutches, so wheelchair only.  Good luck with your application, and I will give it a try forewarned by your post - thank you. Coops - unfortunately after your accident, you have become the fount of all disabled knowledge - do you know if MDPH and APPAMH (what is APPAMH?) will assist those who are in difficulty but are not recognised as 80% plus disabled, or any sort of disability?  Do you know why the rules change once you have passed 65? Just John - you are correct, there is certainly a huge gap in the market in France for someone selling mobility scooters at reasonable prices and witth full service facilities.  Do you know anyone who might be interested?  If I was younger and fitter I would give this a try.  
  14. Norman, I would be delighted to keep in touch.  If I find a solution I will let you know. In the summer I am going down to the Perpignan area, so I will investigate there.
  15. I have finally found, and managed to log into, this forum after the change. I have used mobility scooters in France for several years now, all of which were purchased in UK as they were much cheaper there. It is possible to buy them in France but they are very expensive, and difficult to find.  There is nowhere to buy them anywhere near where we live. However, buying in UK has one major drawback in respect of servicing and breakdown.  For annual servicing, and also for repair, I have had to take the scooters back to UK.  I did find one shop in France which advertised servicing and repair, but they would not service or repair my scooter as A) It was bought in UK and B) They had not sold it.  A local disability shop offered to service and repair, but after some expensive fiddling about obviously not knowing what they were doing, they had to send it away.  I tried this only to be charged 250 euros for carriage charges to and from the repair depot, which then said they could not repair the scooter. So buy in UK, but beware.  If anyone can recommend a scooter shop in France I would be grateful as I will need a replacement scooter soon. David  
  16. Many thanks to both of you for your very kind and rapid replies. Thanks also to SD for the explanation of how to get the correct form. As always this forum is of wonderful assistance. David
  17. [quote user="Sunday Driver"] I think you'll find that the procedures regarding these modifications apply to all foreign registered vehicles that are being imported into the UK, regardless of whether they are LHD or RHD or whether they were previously registered there. David's 12 year old car is a VW Passat that is currently registered in France.  That makes it a foreign import that his daughter wishes to register in the UK.  If it is not currently configured for driving in the UK, then it will have to be modified as per the earlier link and verified through an MOT inspection. As he originally owned the car in the UK before bringing it to France, then all that needs to be done to satisfy the MOT is to refit the original RHD headlamps and reconfigure the position of the rear fog lamp.  The speedo will still be the original - dual mph/kph - so there'll be no requirement to change it. Once his daughter has the MOT certificate, she can then visit her local DVLA office to register it and obtain a V5C.  [/quote] SD, I do hope that you are keeping well, and that you and your wife are fully recovered. Many thanks for your assistance on this thread. We are now back north and Daughter has finally decided to come across to collect the passat, arriving Friday the 21st October - at last ! The UK insurance and MOT is sorted out, as is the fitting of the UK headlights. I have been checking the forms needed and have downloaded form V62, which seems to be needed to obtain a form V5C. I have one problem with form V62, in that in question 1, there are only seven boxes for the vehicle registration number, whereas the French registration has eight numbers.  Do you think I should insert the French number with the last digit outside the boxes, and the UK number in section 3?  Or should I enter the original UK number here, and enter the French number in section 3? Many thanks for your help. David
  18. Regretably a further question arises.  Reading the FAQ's above, it seems that there is a limit of Euros 16,000 per couple for claiming tax rebates. Last year we raided our savings and had a new boiler, new shutters, and roof insulation fitted.  In total we exceed the Euros 16,000 total for all three.  However, each item is less than Euros 16,000. Can we claim up to Euros 16, 000 for each item, or as a total for all three? If it is based on the total for all three, then we would plan to claim the maximum for the wood boiler and roof insulation at forty percent, making up the total with the shutters at fifteen percent.  Would this be acceptable to the tax people?  Or could the outstanding amount be deferred to next year? Many thanks in advance, David
  19. While completing the tax forms, and with regard to replacing our old oil fired boiler with a wood chip boiler, I realised that I may have misunderstood the terms "cost of the boiler" and "cost of installation". When the new boiler was installed, much new plumbing was required such as circulating pumps, expansion tanks, purgers, etc.  I had understood that these formed part of  "the cost of the boiler", and that labour charges comprised "costs of installation". I now wonder if the "cost of the boiler" merely refers to the boiler itself, and if the new plumbing counts as "cost of installation" in addition to labour costs. I would be grateful for your clarification. With thanks in advance, David
  20. Again, many thanks indeed for a very helpful and informative post.  All sorted, now I nly have to complete the forms and get them into the tax office next week. Maybe then I can start to cut the grass! Thanks again, David
  21. Many thanks for your very helpful reply, as always. I have found the schedule of my last year's avis de contributions sociales which I had not understood, and just filed.  With the help of google I think I now understand what it is, and why the amount has gone down. I will now just enter the recommended amount, which was as shown on the avis.  I still have to find out how the avis arrives at the numbers, but that is for another time. Thanks again, David
  22. Last year we had a new woodchip boiler and new insulated shutters fitted, which the local tradesmen assured me qualified for tax rebates. I would be grateful if anyone could advise me where to enter these items on tax form 2042k. Many thanks in anticipation, David
  23. I would be grateful for some advice on form 2042K, box 6DE, CSG deductible connue, calculee sur les revenues du patrimoine. I had thought that this was a standard deduction for having a valid E121, and that the amount was constant.  Last year this box was alongside a printed figure of 936.  Thinking this was a standard figure for having an E121, I entered 936 into box 6DE and thought no more about it. This year the printer figure is 455, so I am apparently wrong to think that this is a standard deduction.  I also wonder why the figure is so much less than last year. I would be grateful if anyone could advise what this figure is, or what it represents, and how to check that it is correct. Many thanks in anticipation. David
  24. [quote user="crazyfrog"]leboncoin.fr for the french interest. Ebay for the English[/quote]   Presumably that is Ebay France? David
  25. Apologies sweet17 for my typo of Maire which I have now corrected.  Thought your comments about ubiquitous French ladies was a bit harsh for a simple typo. So can the Maire countersign the forms? David
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