registering a death?

[gloria]

Hello, my husband died a few months ago in the UK. Does anyone know how, and who, to notify? We've hardly used our French property over the years but some bills come in his name, some in mine. How to proceed?

thanks

[Loiseau]

Hi Gloria,

Sorry to hear about your husband's death.

Regarding the bills, you can write to each of the companies that still sends them in his name and ask them to alter it to yours. Maybe send them a photocopy of the UK death certificate, though not sure they will need this.

Your French bank will need to know, of course. Hopefully you have a joint account as Monseur OU Madame Xyz (rather than Monsieur ET Madame Xyz, in which case you will probably not have access to any money in the account till the change is officially noted).

But you do need to get onto a notaire to organise the "succession". The hard-and-fast French inheritance rules mean that you and any of your husband's children will inherit pre-determined shares, and the property will have to be reregistered in your or your/their names. In fact you might even want to buy the children (if any) out of their shares in order to keep control of the property and whether you keep it or sell it etc.

Bon courage.

Angela

[nomoss]

Hello Gloria,

So sorry to hear of your loss.

You may find some useful information here http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/inheritance/rights/

I believe it is reasonably well up-to-date, so hope it is some help.

If you contact the French Embassy in UK they should be able to tell you what documents/translations will be required by your Notaire in France to deal with the succession.