SAFER and agricultural land purchase

[Catalpa]

We're thinking of making an offer for a 1 hectare field which is designated agricultural land. Which is fine because we want part of it for a couple of pigs and also for other agriculture-related things.

SAFER has to be consulted of course but what I wanted to know is if anyone has actually had their purchase of land refused / blocked by SAFER. If so, was the area for more than an hectare?

[Will]

We have heard of it happening, but it is rare. With various new European rules calling for investment in improvements to small farms, and the comparatively meagre amounts of money to be made from farming, most of the offspring of the current generation of farmers are looking for other work in the cities so, with nobody to pass the business to on retirement, there is generally a surfeit of farms and agricultural land. On the other hand, thanks to French succession law, most farms are rather fragmented, so if the field in question was wanted by an adjoining farmer to replace another, isolated, field elsewhere, he would get the opportunity to purchase it.

[Deimos]

If you are concerned (and I have no idea of the “risks” as my purchase of 4Ha with house went through without problems), I believe the vendor can pay for a “high speed” approval/procedure by SAFER.  I know that when I purchased I and the vendors were keen to move quickly and I subsequently found out they had paid for a “fast track” procedure from SAFER.

Whilst I don’t know what is involved in the procedures, I would expect that a “fast approval” might be less risky as it would give anybody potentially interested less time to think, arrange finance, etc.

However, I don’t know what is involved in the SAFER stuff, just you might want to check up on the “fast route”.  Maybe when they said they paid for a “fast approval” this is a tactful was of saying “money changed hands” (under the table).

 

Ian

[Deimos]

[quote user="Will "]… most farms are rather fragmented, …[/quote]

Slight side track but that is something that has really surprised me over here.  When I first met one neighbouring farmer and he said he lived a couple of Km away (where a lot of his fields are).  Twice a year he ferries his cows out to the remote fields, then back again for winter.  I see loads of these heavy trailers behind tractors transporting cattle farmyard to fields and back again (spring and autumn).

Also, ownership of land seems even more fragmented.  All of the fields surrounding me are not owned by the farmer who actually uses them.  Fields surrounding me are owned by 3 different people and farmed/used/rented by a further 3 different people (2 farmers and one horse owner).

 

Ian

[Anton Redman]

<< However, I don’t know what is involved in the SAFER stuff, just you might want to check up on the “fast route”.  Maybe when they said they paid for a “fast approval” this is a tactful was of saying “money changed hands” (under the table). >>

The fast route would have cost us all of 28 Euros and shifts the process forward a month it cuts out one commitee meeting, that is all it does for you . When we first moved to France I explained primogenacy ( oldest son cops the lot )  to French neighbour as the main reason UK had an empire and France had loads of very small farms.

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Deimos"]

If you are concerned (and I have no idea of the “risks” as my purchase of 4Ha with house went through without problems), I believe the vendor can pay for a “high speed” approval/procedure by SAFER.  I know that when I purchased I and the vendors were keen to move quickly and I subsequently found out they had paid for a “fast track” procedure from SAFER.

[/quote]

It's not so much we are concerned - we've put a bid in for the field today - but we're curious as to how often non-agriculture-related people are blocked in a purchase by SAFER. If SAFER do raise an objection (or whatever it is they do) then tant pis for us; I just wanted to get an idea as to whether anyone had direct experience. Fast approval sounds interesting.

[quote user="Deimos"]

However, I don’t know what is involved in the SAFER stuff, just you might want to check up on the “fast route”.  Maybe when they said they paid for a “fast approval” this is a tactful was of saying “money changed hands” (under the table).[/quote]

I don't think that can be the case - as I understand it, SAFER notification is a step in the purchase process initiated by the Notaire so no under table shuffling would have any effect... would it?

 

Anyway, thanks to everyone for your advice and experience. [:D] We'll see what happens.