Vices cachés

[SaligoBay]

Another idle wondering.... what counts as a vice caché?  

There are all these people coming to view this house we're in, and it has so much wrong with it that the estate agent knows about but doesn't tell them (obviously!).

BobCollins says it's a "latent defect", and I suppose none of the defects are that serious.

Is it just major things like dangerous foundations, or lying about termites and asbestos?

 

[Patf]

Our vendor signed that there were no vices cachees, but we eventually found ( from the Maire ) that the long barn had been built too close to the lane and should be moved!  However as it had been built nearly 20 years ago we were let off. Perhaps this is an example of a vice cachee. In uk the solicitor would perhaps check out this kind of thing, but it's not part of the notaire's job. Pat. 

[Butchx5]

Hi

Wouldnt worry about your vice cache situation: we bought last year and ten weeks later a large section of our barn roof fell down due to the failure of a bad repair - carried out by the owner we bought from (i.e. he must have known about it) and once we discovered we were not covered by our insurance (it wasnt an act of nature!) we tried the vice cache route - to no avail!

Assuming you have an older property it is not a route French lawyers waste a lot of time on - takes ages and a lot is based on proof of knowledge. The only time you may have a problem is if you are a registered professional in a property-related industry (builder/surveyor, etc) - i.e. you have professional knowledge that should mean you know about the problem in the first place! I suspect even then a claim would be long-winded and difficult.

Rest a bit easier and hope you find a buyer soon - are you finding your viewings are mainly British? Three sets of our friends who are selling are finding all theirs are and their properties are very different and different price ranges too - barn conversion with land, small farm and a chateau with land!

Helen

[Butchx5]

Hi

Wouldnt worry about your vice cache situation: we bought last year and ten weeks later a large section of our barn roof fell down due to the failure of a bad repair - carried out by the owner we bought from (i.e. he must have known about it) and once we discovered we were not covered by our insurance (it wasnt an act of nature!) we tried the vice cache route - to no avail!

Assuming you have an older property it is not a route French lawyers waste a lot of time on - takes ages and a lot is based on proof of knowledge. The only time you may have a problem is if you are a registered professional in a property-related industry (builder/surveyor, etc) - i.e. you have professional knowledge that should mean you know about the problem in the first place! I suspect even then a claim would be long-winded and difficult.

Rest a bit easier and hope you find a buyer soon - are you finding your viewings are mainly British? Three sets of our friends who are selling are finding all theirs are and their properties are very different and different price ranges too - barn conversion with land, small farm and a chateau with land!

Helen

[SaligoBay]

Hello Helen,

The British have been conspicuous by their absence.

Can't think why, it's a delightful 1970s grey concrete blockhaus (that's my new French word for this week, it's pronounced block-ooss if anyone would like to share it with me) set in pine-needle strewn 1500m² terrain.  A snip at 384 000 euros.

We've been renting it for - ahem- quite a while now, so know ALL its faults, and it's interesting to see the agents whizzing people round it, cunningly avoiding potential difficult questions.  It's only been on the market for a month, and the people who signed the compromis for it last Saturday (yes really!) have only visited it twice, each time for 10 or 15 minutes at most.

Just feeble imaginings of the landlord getting into hot water because of the damp problem, the dangerous chimney, the....... hey Admin, I need a Wicked Devil smiley!!!

Very soon, it'll all be an SEP, yahoo!!

 

[SaligoBay]

You're not going to believe this, all you LFers from parts of France where a 25-bedroom house in 5000 hectares of viable vineyard still goes for 5 euros.......

...... not only has someone snapped this 384 000 euro mess up, but since then he's had, not one, but TWO more offers. Woot.

I am astounded.  I thought that nobody in their right minds would buy it at that kind of price.  

That's Montpellier Agglo for you! 

 

[Iceni]

Perhaps this reflects a premium thanks to the current occupants ? 

John

[SaligoBay]

Ah, if only

It'll just be nice to get our 2-month-rent deposit of 2600 euros back - if he takes money off for ANYTHING, I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll, oh darn it, I'll make him eat my cooking. 

Will the auto-censor allow me to type salopard?  

[Teamedup]

SB if  your deposit was done as a proper bail, then you might not get the full amount back.

Also did you rent directly from the landlord or via an agent they employed. Whichever, then watch out and check all your bills. Make sure that you get and know all the meter readings including water. I have helped several people out in the past (LOL even french friends) when they have found themselves being ripped off for various things.......... when moving.

[SaligoBay]

Thank you TU.

Yes, I'll be watching it all VERY carefully!

Some friends had a landlord who was nice as ninepence for the 5 years they were in the house, then when they moved out it all turned very nasty.  Among other things, he tried to charge them 1000 euros for redecorating a small room, got picky about tiny holes in the wall, queried bills, etc.  And how much work did he put into the house over the 5 years?   I'll leave you all to guess!

Our landlord has already been demoted in my head from "tu" to "vous".