English-speaking notaire near Uzes

[Gardengirl]

Hope someone can help with this. We are buying an apartment in Uzes, and won't understand the French contract. We thought if we could find one who speaks English, we'd do a lot better; the one already working on the contract doesn't. We've heard that it doesn't cost any more to have 2 notaires involved, as they share the fee. Is that right?

We will also want to have a community marriage contract, and assume he/she would sort this out for us as well.

This is all very new to us, so feeling very much at sea.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Jo

[fulcrum]

[quote user="Gardengirl"]

Hope someone can help with this. We are buying an apartment in Uzes, and won't understand the French contract. We thought if we could find one who speaks English, we'd do a lot better; the one already working on the contract doesn't. We've heard that it doesn't cost any more to have 2 notaires involved, as they share the fee. Is that right?

We will also want to have a community marriage contract, and assume he/she would sort this out for us as well.

This is all very new to us, so feeling very much at sea.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Jo

[/quote]

A French estate agent told me recently that as an EU citizen you are entitled to have the contract translated to your language. I believe that you have to pay but at least it's there. Of course the actual contract is still processed in French.

[Gardian]

Jo ..........

You're perfectly entitled to expect / require your Notaire to supply a professional translator for your transaction.  Uzes (as you will doubtless know) is very 'cosmopololitan', so it shouldn't be hard for your legal bod to sort something out.

If you continue to experience difficulty, pm me & I'll make some enquiries locally for you. 

We were there for a 'spot of lunch' today - v pleasant in the Spring sunshine!

Ian 

[P]

If you go to the notaires website - www.notaires.fr - you can search for a notaire that speaks english.

We have just completed on a house and opted to use a different notaire to the vendors as we wanted one who spoke english.

The various documents were sent to me in French and I used some translation software to translate them - which seemed fairly successful.

The signing of the Acte was conducted all in english (the vendors were english) with our notaire sometimes talking to the vendors notaire in french.

I would certainly do it this way again.

Paul 

[fulcrum]

[quote user="P"]

I used some translation software to translate them - which seemed fairly successful.

[/quote]

Paul

I would recommend that the

original poster uses a professional certified translator. I have found, first hand, that translation software really does make a

mess of any meaningful translation of a legal document. The terms and words

used in legal documents don't translate well.

[Will]

Although using two notaires won't cost any more, as long as they can share the work, it does have the disadvantage that involving another official in what is already a long-winded process can cause further delays. However, if the first notaire is known to be slow / incompetent / anti-British (or worse - some are) then a second can definitely help things along. It's just one of those things you need to play by ear rather than.go by any firm rule.

If you buy through an agent then you should be able to expect translations as part of the service. Notaires are supposed to provide translations where non-native French speakers are involved, though some insist on using only official translators at the buyer's expense.

[Gardengirl]

Many thanks for such helpful replies.

Jo