Big problem with Notaire, am desperate

[CeeJay]

Please can someone give me some good advice.

My wife passed away April last year in a Montpellier hospital and they collected all her jewellery which was kept until succession could be proved.

I contacted a Notaire and duly started the succession procedure. The Notaire took details of my children and made contact with them.

However one of my sons who lives in New Zealand refused to cooperate and would not send a copy of his passport. This has dragged on until a few weeks ago whereupon he has reluctantly now agreed.

I have tried to make contact with the Notaire as I am now getting very very worried that time is creeping up and things might go horribly pear shaped, especially with the jewellrey which my wife wanted to go to our daughter.

I have emailed and phoned the Notaire on numerous occasions but he for some reason refuses to answer all calls and emails. I just want to know what is happening.

I am now at my wits end to know what else I can do as unfortunately I cannot travel to his office due to the restrictions in place.

Could anyone please advise me as to what I can do before the dead line on the 22nd.April.

[Cathar Tours]

Not what you want to hear but they are all closed across France according to their website since March 16th but they are working remotely. How you get their remote phone and email address I don't know. There is more information on their website in English.

https://www.notaires.fr/en

I think you may find that the deadline may have been changed anyway. I got a letter from the company that used to do the CT test on my dad's car saying that when it runs out in two weeks time he will now have three months extension. Bit difficult for him being dead and all but never mind.

[NormanH]

How about sending a Lettre recommandée en ligne.?

https://www.laposte.fr/lettre-recommandee-en-ligne

There must be some arrangement for these to get to the Notaire..

[CeeJay]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply, I shall be in contact with Notaires France today.

[idun]

I do hope that you get sorted CeeJay.

You have ofcourse highlighted several problems here, including your wife having jewellery in hospital.

Unless one is taken in urgently, then perhaps it would be prudent to leave all valuables at home.

I am a lady who wears her jewellery, and why not, it's there I like it and I should appreciate it. And when my time comes I know who I want to have my jewellery, and would not like the idea that something like this could happen.

The other problem is when one has problems with heirs. Families, including mine can be difficult and I suppose that I should make sure that everything gets sorted out easily.

And the last thing you have highlighted is that IF there is a major crisis in the future that I or OH will know who we can contact and how.

So CeeJay, I hope you have had some luck with this.

[suein56]

Idun wrote : You have of course highlighted several problems here, including your wife having jewellery in hospital.

I didn't read Ceejay's post like that .. I read it that his wife died in hospital last April, after which his wife's jewellery was taken by the notaire to be valued as part of the succession.

I could be wrong ..

[CeeJay]

Idun

Exactly that, all you say.......hindsight is wonderful, I wish I had it.

Sue56

The hospital authorities took the jewellery and then passed on to the Tresoir and I have to prove succession within a year to be able to claim them.

I only hope that the year has been extended due to the crisis

[suein56]

Of gosh Ceejay .. that is worse than I thought .. hopefully matters will start moving soon.

Good luck.

[Cathar Tours]

I was wondering if you can still complete on a property purchase in France given Notaires are working from home and limited movement etc. Here all sales and purchases are frozen till this is over but then if you could complete you could not physically move out or in because it is not essential.

[suein56]

CT wrote : I was wondering if you can still complete on a property purchase in France given Notaires are working from home and limited movement etc.

I feel strongly that it depends on where you live .. and how techy your Notaire is. My close friend completed on her flat purchase last Friday 27/03/20 .. all done via email and Internet. The vendor's daughter (a nurse, on her way home or to work) dropped the flat keys into my friend's letterbox after final approval had been given by the local Notaire for the go ahead.

[idun]

Notaires, well, ours gave our keys away a week before completion! We knew the notaire and they had the power to sort everything out for us.

To say that I went spare is an understatement. As I pointed out, IF the people had decided not to sign then we would have been right in it, and their fault. I am not saying it would not have got sorted out eventually, but french notaires are literally a law unto themselves and I doubt that they would have been much help in sorting their mess out.

Beware of french notaires, we have been let down more times than we have been well served.  And my son's girlfriend, well, took her literally 10 months to sort out her mother's very simple affairs, the notaire was yet another chocolate fire guard.

[Alan Zoff]

Extremely helpful female Notaire in Lurcy-Levis (Allier). Not that that is likely to be of much help to people from elsewhere but, as with most things, it would seem not all Notaires are the same.

As for the UK, my solicitors tell me they are keeping busy still with conveyancing, preparing all the paperwork, searches, etc so that they are ready to complete as soon as they get the go ahead. But they have always been good with email and phone communication.