Do I need to notify French authorities if an English resident dies in uk but has a French property and bank account

[Sailingsally]

Please help - my mother owns a French property and has a foreigners bank account with a French bank.

She recently died in the uk and I'm not sure if I have to register her death in France or just get in touch with the bank - if anyone can give me advice I would appreciate it.

[Loiseau]

Gosh, that's a tricky one...

You would have to tell a notaire so that the value of the house can be assessed and included in your mother's estate for probate and so that the French inheritance rules could be applied and any due inheritance tax collected in France. And for ownership eventually to be transferred or the house sold.

BUT, once the French BANK knows the person is dead I assume that freezes the bank account, and any regular payments going out of it for utilities etc will stop. I have no idea what happens then.

Was the account in her sole name? If it was a joint account with someone else, then the surviving person could still run the account as long as the names on the account were "Madame X OU [or] Madame Y".

Angela

[Patf]

I think you should also inform the Maire of the commune where she owned a property. That person should know the procedure.

[mogs]

So sorry for your loss.

[Sailingsally]

Thank you all - it is just difficult as my French is pretty awful!

[nomoss]

It might be a good idea to phone a French Consulate for advice..

They are in London and Edinborough..

[url]http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Register-a-death-in-UK[/url]

[Loiseau]

Some UK law firms have a French-qualified notaire among their specialists. That would perhaps help you get sorted out - but might be expensive.

Angela