TRESPASS

[Montcigoux]

Yes the attitude in France is very different. The local chateau which was next to my house had an annual event and people attending it parked on any convenient bit of my land they could get to including the forecourt directly outside my barn and all my verges especially if there was parking in the shade.

[Chancer]

If there are events like the above you should peg out stakes along the grass verge and string marker tape across them, it doesnt really matter if you own the grass verge just do it if you are concerned about potential damage.

I see these and other makeshift barriers outside peoples properties every Sunday when I go to réderies or fêtes and they always seem to be respected by people parking, which is more can be said for the unprotected neighbouring properties.

[PaulT]

Why not arrive, with friends, on a day when you know that cars will be parked there. Decide to have a cricket match with the added bonus of an extra run for each car hit.

Paul

[tracteurtom]

The problem with holiday homes.  If you were to move into the house on a permanent basis, you would have far more control of the situation, also I think the Maire would be more helpful.  As it is, its just another empty house thats ruining village life, so you can understand why its being used as a car park.  So 1st off move in !!

[NormanH]

I wonder if you can win on this.

Think about it like this:

A foreigner arrives, buys a property which is not for living in permanently, only as a Holiday home, and then starts to put everybody's backs up by trying to change arrangements which have gone on happily for ages.

I can see that it is irritating for you, but have you thought about how you appear to the locals?

I don't know about France, but I know it wouldn't have gone down well in rural parts of the UK

[belu]

I really must object to your post NormanH.  We have lived in a very rural property "hot spot" in the UK for more than 30 years where many of the village houses are owned by outsiders (mainly Londoners) as second homes.  Although there is some resentment (especially because of the lack of property for young families and the hike in prices) the people in our village would not be so ill mannered as to park their vehicles on someone elses garden whether they were resident or not.  And they would be fully within their rights to call the police should they do so, especially if criminal damage had been caused to property/gates or fences - as in our case in France.  In addition, because of the additional business generated by these "outsiders" and the fact that some let out their properties, our post office and village stores have recently been saved from certain closure.

We we purchased the property in France it was derelict and an eyesore in what is otherwise a beautiful village and had been unoccupied for over 50 years; because of its proximity to the village, the large area of land around our property was offered to local farmers and to the commune at a pittance we gather and a lot less than we paid for it - ALL PARTIES DECLINED. 

Personally we don't care how we "appear" to the locals; they didn't want the property but from what you are saying they'd rather we buy it, make it look nice and then take full advantage of the parking facilites for free - however, most of the people parking on our land are not local anyway, just visitors.  Why is it that we Brits have to make so many allowances for the French and their "ways"?  We have done absolutely everything legally, been friendly to everyone, employed local artisans to carry out ALL the work. Spend our money locally, pay tax etc. etc.  Of course we understand that we are the foreigners here but there must come a point when you say enough is enough. Its a pity foreigners coming to the UK don't respect us and our laws/customs!  Who are the mugs here?  We certainly won't be putting up with this nonsense.  In fact to back my point up further; the previous owners of our property had a right of way over a neighbour's boundary.  As soon as the property was sold to us this boundary was effectively closed off.  So much for "changing the arrangements that have gone on happily for years".

I'm beginning to think that British suspicion of the French is justified. 

[NormanH]

You are of course completely right.

Good luck in the battle you will obviously win.

Let's hope it doesn't become a "Pyrrhic victory"

Just one question.

What exactly do you suspect 'the French' of?

[woolybananasbrother]

Being French, ennit.

[bigears]

hi

Belu, some people have, in my opinion, given you good advice.  France is France, just accept it, I know sometimes it gets very frustrating and it doesn't seem fair.  Avoid conflict, try to reach an accomodation, otherwise there will be tears. 

[Russethouse]

If you are a keen gardener it should be fairly easy to gradually sort this problem out by good planting, but  I think you have to try and escape the 'us and them' mind set otherwise you may not enjoy your hoilday home the way you had hoped.

You are assuming an awful lot - you say that no one else wanted the property, there may well reasons that people were not able to take it on at that time, but may have liked to.

For the visitors to your events its probably what we call 'custom and practice' to park on what is now your property,  they are not and will not be interested in your views of immigrants in the UK. A give and take attitude and a smile go an awful lot further than pent up rage in these situations.

I know a couple who alienated the locals where they lived and ended up having there carefully constructed French Parterre thrown in their swimming pool - you'll be pleased to hear it wasn't in France !

[Benjamin]

[quote user="belu"]

I'm beginning to think that British suspicion of the French is justified. 

[/quote]

THEY'RE BEHIND YOU.

[BJSLIV]

I think it was Bil Bryson who remarked upon the British habit of putting up signs saying "No Turning" at the entrance to their properties.

He just couldn't understand why anyone could object to such a minor thing.

I think that the French have a similar attitude to Bill's. They can't see what the big deal is about using some-one's bit of grass to park. After all it's only grass, what harm is there?, and it all contributes to the general atmosphere of fraternite,  community spirit etc etc.

[NormanH]

Do any of the legal experts on here know if there is a law of Trespass in France?

[bigears]

hi

No expert in anything, I suspect the law on trespass is weaker than in england.  Might be like in scotland.

 

........  I am early retired, unemployed and unemployable

[NormanH]

Like you I am not an expert, but I have seen references, and heard it said, that there is no law against Trespass. Perhaps it goes back to the Revolution?

[Val_2]

Tresspass in France - aren't you in your rights to shoot em first and ask questions later? Seem to remember reading about that somewhere if persons come onto your property uninvited and you have a nice gun handy here which many folks do in the countryside.

[5-element]

That may be the case, as long as you shoot the person facing you, and never in the back. If you shoot them in the back, you cannot claim it was "légitime défense" - people go to court and face stiff sentences if they do that, there was a case recently of a man who shot one of the burglars in his house, unfortunately the burglar was shot as he was running away (allegedly) and the houseowner had a very hard time of it. So if you must shoot, make sure you call them first, and that they are turned around facing you. Then you might just get away with it.[blink]

[Patf]

Norman - one of my husband's favourite sayings is "there's no law of trespass in France." I don't know what proof he has. It's usually when we're out for a walk and he wants to take a short cut through a field or farmyard. I say "we can't go through there, it's private" and he replies "there's no ........" Up to now we haven't been shot at but I keep an eye open.  [blink]