EmilyA

Well so far we have had one attempt by one provider which cost 300€ for an electrician to run a wire through the gaine for the existing telephone line which goes across the garden and under the house before emerging the other side. The technicians who came to install fibre broke the wire and could not install the new line. Some months later we are now trying again with Orange. Line under house impossible so terrassier needed to dig up courtyard and run gaine underground from opposite direction. Cost 700€. Cheap it isn't.

YCCMB I said nothing about compensation for an adverse exchange rate. That would be ridiculous. I was talking about the anomaly of the way the tax has traditionally been calculated in France, on an occupational pension taxed at source in the UK. The subject of this thread, in fact.

Not sure I understand that YCCMB? We pay French tax on our income every year and obviously the amount goes up and down depending on the strength of the pound. Only my occupational pension is taxed in the UK.

Would be nice if it could be backdated. It might make up for the plunging pound. ? Still at least we will pay less tax next year.

Thanks Norman, we didn't have any choice about payment, it was cheque or virement. I have however asked for the return of the cleaning fee. I was a bit surprised by how quickly the agent said, "no none of your policies (health, house, car) cover that", but OH has checked the small print and I think it is the case. Just bad luck really and thanks all for the good wishes. I am (just about) adapting to life in a full leg cast.

Tried the insurance agent and nothing in our policies covers us and they don't do travel insurance either. It was only the accommodation cost we lost so could have been worse. I have a lovely wheelchair, walking frame and crutches from the pharmacie though. ?

Thanks all. I have tried the bank and our debit card is just an ordinary one and only covers accidents when away. We have one agent who has our health, car and household policies so will try them. I think we have asked about travel insurance in the past and they looked a bit blank so I went with the European insurance at that stage. I would have renewed it apart from (expletive deleted) Brexit. Grrrr....

We are permanent residents in France with CV and mutuelle. We had rented an apartment from a private owner for a holiday this week; it is a French registered business with a Swiss owner. The day before leaving I fell down the stairs and broke my leg. We have obviously cancelled the booking, but wondered if anyone has any idea about any avenue by which we might reclaim some of the cost of the apartment. We paid by virement from our French bank account. We had European travel insurance, but I did not renew it this year because the company could only deal with EU / EEA citizens and obviously that might not work after next March. (?) One of my neighbours suggested protection civile, but I don't see that ours will work, she thought maybe theirs? We realise we have probably lost the money and tant pis for us, but just thought it was worth asking.