Panda
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Posts posted by Panda
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Hello
It was possible but like many things in the land of mortgages things have got really tight, all mortgages lenders will have supported this scenario in the past so no harm in asking but unlsss your loan to value is pretty good, (like 75% or better) then I think it will be difficult. I was with CIC, they are very good at giving an instant response to this type of question, my experience with UCB was awful, like 6 weeks for a decision but sounds like the poster above faired better so dont discount any!.
Panda
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[quote user="Théière"]
But where did they send the money to the same uk address and bank account or to France?
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Actually just thought this through I told them to send the documents to the address that they had which was not my French address but a mailing address I used in the UK and by chance now live next door to! They also paid the money into my bank account, they did know I was abroad at the time of the call but maybe not that I had permently moved. I always try to answer only the questions that are asked of me it's a life rule that I learnt sometime ago!
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I cashed in an endowment policy about 18 months ago and they just paid up, didn't ask for any identity and not even the policy docs. It was 9.8k so perhaps there is a 10k trip to further investigation.
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[IMG] http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx153/rowan1965/IMG_0016.jpg [/IMG]
Oh how awful for you and him Rowan. I hope someone can help.
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Hello Poppy
Do you speak French (i.e can teach in french) and where will you be?
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[quote user="woolybanana"]So, in France, education is serious and designed to make serious citizens and in UK they spend their time making bouncy custard? Hmmmmmm[/quote]Hello Wools, how are you keeping?Yes well bouncy custard (and coke my son would love that but would do it at home too no doubt) keeps them interested and yes I do think France turns out more 'serious' citizens but lifes too short for a country full of Victor Meldrews! I 've never yet met a happy go lucky french person or one that said, do you know I had a fantastic day to day, everything was great! They seem to enjoy the serious and melancoly and geive them an illness and you would never get away, or was that just when I was around??
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I know what you are saying Norman but having just done the same thing, gone back to the UK that is with a child. The difference for me the depth to which each child is engaged. In France my son was left to his own devices , the horror of one school had him completing different work(sheets mostly) than the others because he was not French, he had been in France for 5 years at this point and was as capable as the next child. I have been to the UK school to have a prearranged (by the school) meeeting on his progress numerous times too, something the French teachers really discouraged to the point of hostility if they were asked to explain in any detail about issues, what was being covdered/not covered etc. They made me feel it was not my place to ask.
The differences are massive between the two systems, it's not all good in one direction obviously but I do feel the breadth of subject is much wider in the UK as per the previous poster. My son has covered more history, geography and science in this last year than he ever did in France and because they make learning more interactive and fun (he recently made bouncing custard for example) the kids seem happier doing it.
I do feel the teachers I've encoutered here in the UK care a great deal more about the outcome for the students, in France his last two teachers just wanted to get through each day and didnt seem bothered who they took with them. I know, I know such a general statement and I could find the same in either country but that's just my expereince of it.
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[quote user="BIG MAC"]
All the very best to the OP.....I suspect that once France is in the blood it may be hard to shake off entirely....is it because I am Scottish?
And now back to the grind......
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Yes, the b-stewards keep sending me bills even now Im living back in the UK so getting France out of your blood is defo not easy! It was a big issue I had whilst Ive lived in France, bills seem to creep up on you and they are always huge! This last bill sugests I should pay more in NI equiv payments than I earnt last year in France, I closed my micro in April 09! So it means another fight to get that sorted.
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Hello
My house in France is the backend of nowhere with very few houses around but I got good speeds as was within a couple of km of the exchange. Here in the UK I get very fast speed but for what I do (work online, so email etc no larger than a few meg dowloads) you wouldn't notice the difference between the two.
What I do notice however is that my connecion has been permenently up, no interruptions, no need to reboot the router, no need to reauthenticate to Orange which occured in France at least once a week and sometimes was out for a couple of hours at a time. There for me is the difference but I did have a dreaded livebox to contend with!
Panda
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What kind of thing our we talking about here? Issues with things like plumbing, roof etc, the fabric of the building are all the owners responsibiity and this is standard both in France and the UK. What items are you expecting the renter to pay for?As for taking it as seen, well yes to an extent they cant demand a brand new kitchen if the old one is functional for example but upkeep of the building is the owners responsibility, if the roof gets damaged for example then that's repaired out of your pocket not theirs.
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Hello
Just a note on Will's point about having a UK address and appearing english. I was very surprised that on a recent visit to A&E with my son dripping blood all over the floor on presenting my name and sons name, was told the computer says you live in France! I've lived back in the UK for nearly a year now and am registered with a GP but my computerised medical records had my move noted so it's not ging to be as easy as it was to turn up and be treated it would seem. For me it was simple to sort out as I can prove residency, I live here, pay NI etc. and either way they would have treated my son, not least to stop him getting the floor dirty! He was in fact cleaned and stiched on on our way in less than 20 minutes so can't be bad.
Panda
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He;loTo answer Rowans question about chasse dogs, my rescue was a failed chasse dog and whilst she was a bit of a trial to teach to come back when off the lead she is now pretty much 100% obedient, she is a Griffon and I would recommend them to anyone.So glad this one turned out well, but if even one has doubts dont turn away from an ex chasse dog just because of the chasse bit, think of the awful life they will have had and give them a chance!Panda x
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What a lovely post Merlin and how lucky your new adoptee is to have found you! My own rescue had some funny issues, she was thrown from a car when abandoned and she hated car travel and would try and get into the foot well and get as flat as possible, she now loves the car 2 years on, she still never wants to get out and you have to coax her. When I first had her if you sat near her she would move, now I cant get away form her, she loves to lounge with humans and pesters for strokes when previously she would shy away if you put your hand up.
On the snapping at flies front my MIL has a rescued collie, he would sit for hours just watching one fly, it is thought he was kept in a small space and all he could see were the flies, he would also snap at nothing, he is fine now but it took a year or so to realax for him, he had lots of demons. He is now a deovted companion though and I'm sure yours will be too, he just needs time.
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Well done you for finding him and caring enough to look after him and rehome him. I want a kitten (or 2) but am in the UK now so I'm off to the rescue homes soon, cant wait.
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I do think he has a point, some people just dont have the brain for language learning and learning when you are 'older' can be really tough. Many people I know in France cant speak the language after living there for 5 years so dont be too harsh on him. Sadly I dont think he will have a chance of work without being near fluent, it's a very tough job market in France even for fluent speakers.
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Hello
I know the feeling having been in the same position this time last year and leaving after 6 years. I am back in the UK now, settled and enjoying it, it's not for everyone but it's right for me and mine right now. My son is 100% more confident and doing really well in school, that's all that matters to me right now and sadly France was not able to offer that.
I still love France, I'll be over for my holidays in a few weeks time and cant wait. As I've said many times, I will likely retire to France but when you need to work and have kids to educate it's a different matter entirley and for me not a risk worth taking.
Good luck to the OP, hope it works out well for you.
Panda
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HelloIve been renting out 4 appartments in France since 2004 and recently rented my house as I now live in the UK. The appartments are becoming increasingly difficult to manage from here, not a week goes by without an issue, tenants have been good in the main but I have a non payer right now, I have non payment insurance which seems to deliver when required. My current non payer looks to be bankrupt so that should be fun! I am going to put the appartments up for sale once this latest issue is resolved (one way or another). I rent my house to brits who have been a dream, no issues (im touching wood) but Im thinking of selling this propoerty too likely next year. It is very difficult to manage from a distance, the smallest problem becomes a big one when you cant get at it, if that makes sense. One set of agents I use are chocolate teapots (ie not useful), I have one good one though so I would try and get some recommendations before commiting.Good luck with it.Panda
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All this talk of pensions had me digging my statement out, I get the princely sum of 763 euros per year so that trumps all of you! I have paid in for 6 years I guess but that seems high in comparison to you others.
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Zara, what they've done is effectively what should happen anyway. When you declare your income (on your DCR) the amount for the calculation of cotisations is reduced by one of the amounts you mentioned (34, 71 and I thnk perhaps there are others). The calculation should only ever be on the reduced amount and yes is around 8% for tranche 1Cipav. Hopefully this year it will be more straight forward for you although it usually takes a couple of years for things to sort themselves out.
Would be interesting to know crazy frog what percentage of your income the 2800 is. I just dug out my old recoirds and can see that I had a similar total figure made up of 1495.00 which was 8.6% for what they refer to as Tranche 1 assurance veillesse and then a second charge of 924.00 euros for retraite complimentaire. The form then allowed me to send back to them if I wished to apply for a reduction of the complimentaire part based on my income. I did this by stating my net income (after the reduction of 34% in my case), they then reduced the 924.00 to 231.00 which is a bit better and this is what I paid in the second payment in October so total was 1772.00.
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This was the bit:
[quote user="chessie"]
the massive sudden increase in numbers has worked to the disadvantage of the ordinary white working class workers for jobs, housing, education and health care.
Chessie
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Apologies Chessie I got my impression of your leanings from your post when you stated that 'the white population' were being badly affected by increased immigration, not the British or other term for the people who live in the UK.
I live in the UK by the way these days so yes I do spend a lot of time here.
I personally never worried about people using British shops in France, it's the double standards that people object to, as in complaining that imigrants dont integrate then turning up in France and doing exactly the same thing and banging on my door when they need a plumber or other emergnecy haivng lived in the country for over a year and not speaking a word of French. That was annoying, otherwise if you like marmite you like marmite why not buy it in an english shop.
The other one that annoyed me were those complaining about something happening in Britain when the same was happening in France if only they would learn the language and read the newspaper or watch the news.
I think your question about the french reciprical health agreement is not really applicable. Although I think they do pay something, the French come to England for work in the main and so are entitled to join the system by means of the NI they pay (as I was when in France by paying cotisations). The French do not retire to the UK not in any numbers as far as I know.
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I'm not convinced your rash is form the catepillars Virginia. Having lived under and around the beasties with 3 dogs, chickens, goats, cats and horses for 6 years I myself nor my animals ever suffered any ill effects and I was under the impression that unless you started to try to handle them etc. they dont just drop their hairs or bother you at all pretty much like any other creature. Maybe I was lucky and you have not been but there are many things that can give a rash in a garden.
I wouldn't fel a tree because of them, perhaps put up some defence, the ring idea seems feasable but to destroy a treee over it seems extreme. Mind you I dont kill the Coypu on my lake either and I know people dont agree with that, I'm a live and let live type and always will be, each to their own.
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From memory there is a portion that is obiligatory and a portion that can be reduced non obligatory (up to 75%) based on your earnings, this info used to be on the back of the letter telling you how much ou had to pay. You had to return it to apply for the reduction. This used to halve my bill and as I was fairly sure that I was not going to be forever in France and therefore unlikely to pay in enough I chose this option.
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I'm horrifed by Chessies post, to think that it's acceptable in this day and age to write such racism ....Thankfully I would guess that Chessie and his fellow bigots can be classifed as 'old', People of my generation (born in the 60's )generally are more accepting of peoples right to live, in fact I have never met anyone with such venom (thank god).I accept the argument that no one should spnge of their adopted country, as Will says there are loads in France that do. It is simply not as easy as the gutter press or BNP would have you beleive to gain access to benefits in the UK, having returned here with my OH unemployed I can tell you he did not get anything from the government apart from help to find a job which he did very quickly. As velcorin says above to suggest a mobile phone etc can be obtained is frankly horse poop peddled by racists.Now Chessie take you own advice and grow up. Open your eyes and accept the world is changing, globalisation is here today and it wont be going backwards.
honest thoughts !!
in Finding/Owning French Property
Posted
Hello
All things taken into account, as the OP has stated an annual income of 18k is this realy considered more than adequate to live on in retirement or is the assumption being made that a good deal of capital will also be used for living expenses or interest on capital (such that it is these days).
It doesnt seem that much to me...
Px