Another little bit of land.

[Malnoueans]

We would like to make an offer to buy a small piece of land forming a small corner of our own land. It's only about 100 sq metres, but it would be useful to us for various reasons - not least of all to resite the large gas tank which currently sits right outside our back door. The land is currently owned by an elderly widow and our nearest neighbour with whom we are on good terms. She has a small dilapidated garage on one side of the land, which is across the lane from her house. She still drives, and houses her car in the garage but she is becoming more frail and we wonder how long she will be able to continue to drive. There are also a handful of fruit trees and a massive Walnut tree on the land.

I have read elsewhere here that often the Notaire's fees and associated taxes can be well in excessive of the value of the land, but can anybody give me any ballpark idea of what the cost of those might be? We thought we might offer 5 euros per square metre for the land and wonder if we could have an arrangement for Mme B to continue to have rights to the fruit and to keep her garage until such time as she no longer owned her own property across the lane. We then wondered what would happen if we ever wanted to sell our own property and she still had some rights to use this pocket handkerchief of land with the gas tank on it? Could be complicated?

We don't want to broach the subject with her until we have thought it through, particularly as our spoken French isn't marvellous and we don't want to offend or have any misunderstanding. Neither do we want to set her asprirations by saying we are interested in buying only to find the other costs to be prohibitive.

Any advice and/or thoughts welcome.

Malnoueans

 

 

 

 

[Iceni]

Why not ask a notaire for a devis ?

As for buying the land and then allowing Mme to continue using it, I wouldn't. The potential complications of wanting to sell before she shuffles off would be too much for me. Just because you think that she is frail does not mean that she won't live for ever.

At a sale price of only 500€ I cannot see any incentive for her to sell unless she is seriously strapped for cash.

John

not

[Simon]

Hi,

I bought a piece of land last year and the fees and taxes were 1300 euros.

 I would reconsider your valuation of 500 euros for the land, as your neighbour may find it a bit insulting and that you are trying to take advantage of an elder widow. You could also find yourselves no longer on good terms with your nearest neighbour.

[Michael]

I am at the moment dividing up some of my land and the cost of the geomet is1200 euros per division. If he cannot find any boundary markers and all owners of adjacent land are not at hand it will take months to sort out for land register,with the new regs that came in force on 1/10/07the average time taking is 3 months if everything is straight and simple.Here in Eure anyway.Regards Michael.