English speaking notaire in Dept 11

[Judith]

Can anyone recommend an English speaking notaire in the eastern end of Dept 11 (Between Carcassonne and Narbonne, but preferably not in Narbonne itself!). I need to decide about a will, but as its a little complicated, with two French properties involved, two English families and an existing English will (and an English property still) whilst I can speak French well enough, I quake a little at trying to explain it all in French! If needed, I'll have to go for a local French speaking notaire - but I'd prefer not to use the one we used for our house purchase, efficient though they were, as I found them not quite "sympathetique".

Thanks

[Quillan]

Why not look up local notaires in Yellow Pages and give them a call and see if they speak English?

Don't forget the French hiredatory laws are very strict in France. We could not leave anything  to friends (money or objects) and we wanted money put aside specific to look after our pets (to find them a good home and if required to feed them and pay vet bills) and you can't put that in a French will either.

[Fionah]

Have a look at the notaire's site www.notaires.fr.  We used a Maitre Besancenot in Carcassonne.  He speaks reasonably good English and they can also provide a translator.  Good luck

[Judith]

Quillan and Fiona

Thanks - both useful, though I had hoped not to have to go as far as Carcassonne! The notaire's site is not playing ball at the moment, but my memory is that they don't always say if they speak English. I asked for recommendations as my experience of most French who speak some English is that when it comes to the crunch of understanding technical and other "jargon" type words is where it fails - as my French does when it gets very complicated - hence the idea that some who had used an English speaker would know the level of English spoken, which is what Fionah has just done.

I am normally quite happy to get by in French, but this is rather more important than most things to get right - hence the query.

[Quillan]

Ah well if Carcassonne is OK for you then I would sugest you use the one one there. I say this although we did not use him but the one in Quillan, to be honest is as much use as a chocolate teapot. We were not the only people who had problems with the Quillan office so many of the agents here now use the guy in Carcassonne who I am reliably informed speaks some English. We also know a very good translator (he does npt gossip either) who charges around 25€ per hour. His mother is French and his father English, even has a Devonish accent. If you want to contact him send me a PM and I will forward his phone number. Those that have used him rate him highly.

[Piprob]

Don't know how he got his rotten reputation as far as Chris is concerned, but we have been very pleased with the services we have received from  SCP Olivier Bernard, a notaire at Quillan. He has a female colleague whose English is perfect. But of course she doesn't let on until you show her you're not too shy to practice your French!!

[Quillan]

You must be the one in a hundred or perhaps it was the lady that you dealt with. We had a bad time with him not answering emails and we had to sit for two hours while the contract was re-typed but this was nothing compaired to others. I gues if you do a simple transaction it's not so bad.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="Fionah"]Have a look at the notaire's site www.notaires.fr.  We used a Maitre Besancenot in Carcassonne.  He speaks reasonably good English and they can also provide a translator.  Good luck[/quote]

The reason that there is a translator for Maitre Besancenot is that he works in the Notaire group in Carcassone and they have their own immobiler setup in Carcassonne and one of the people who works for them is an English lady. He is a superb notaire, very thorough and precise and will not use his English for transactions incase there are any misunderstandings. The English lady is totally bi-lingual and does the translation. Our house purchase was made easy and clear through them. The notaire groupe immobilia set up is only one of about 1/2 dozen in France so we were very lucky, you pay notaire prices for very good immo. service.

John.

P.S. We finished up with a lovely house tooooooo!