Handshake agreement

[margie]

Does anyone know if a handshake agreement is legal in France?

About 2 years ago our neighbour offered us about 3 hectares of land which adjoins our garden on 2 sides. We went with the neighbour to the notaire to make a purchase but the neighbour was told that he couldn't sell the land to us because it was under a rental agreement to a local farmer which had not expired. However we made the handshake agreement that when the land became free we could then purchase it. Now we have just found out that  the neighbour is selling a portion of the land directly in front of our house to be built on.

[mint]

I supppose it's as good as the owner of the hand.  Sorry, I don't mean to be flippant but providing proof is going to be difficult, isn't it?

[M]

As the great American movie mogul Sam Goldwyn said - 'A verbal contract ain't worth the paper it's written on'. I suspect the same is true of a handshake. It's hard to make a 'gentlemen's agreement' - there are so few 'gentlemen' around these days (and to fend off any flack, I say nothing about thier female equivalents!).

M

[Anton Redman II]

To be truely pedantic all agrements are verbal the problem is with oral agreements. However as there was not any consideration (you did not pay him anything) I do not think you have any hope.

[CeeJay]

'Handshake agreement'

Oh dear, I suspect that Dog will be on to this very quickly and sprout his theories on Masonic conspiracies!!!!

[AnOther]

[quote user="Ceejay"]'Handshake agreement'

Oh dear, I suspect that Dog will be on to this very quickly and sprout his theories on Masonic conspiracies!!!! [:D][:D][/quote]And blame it on them being meat eaters too no doubt [Www]

[Polly]

A handshake agreement in this sort of case is worth... zero. Sorry, but that's life!

Unless of course the Notaire wrote it all down, and had it witnessed, and gave you a copy of the document, in which case it wasn't just a handshake, was it?

[LEO]

[quote user="margie"]Does anyone know if a handshake agreement is legal in France?

About 2 years ago our neighbour offered us about 3 hectares of land which adjoins our garden on 2 sides. We went with the neighbour to the notaire to make a purchase but the neighbour was told that he couldn't sell the land to us because it was under a rental agreement to a local farmer which had not expired. However we made the handshake agreement that when the land became free we could then purchase it. Now we have just found out that  the neighbour is selling a portion of the land directly in front of our house to be built on.

[/quote]

Would a handshake agreement be legal in any country?

[Anton Redman II]

[quote user="LEO"][quote user="margie"]Does anyone know if a handshake agreement is legal in France?
About 2 years ago our neighbour offered us about 3 hectares of land which adjoins our garden on 2 sides. We went with the neighbour to the notaire to make a purchase but the neighbour was told that he couldn't sell the land to us because it was under a rental agreement to a local farmer which had not expired. However we made the handshake agreement that when the land became free we could then purchase it. Now we have just found out that  the neighbour is selling a portion of the land directly in front of our house to be built on.
[/quote]

Would a handshake agreement be legal in any country?
[/quote]

Legal - anywhere - enforceable difficult - however I have worked in parts of the world where if you give your word you had better deliver and in broad terms I prefer them to sophism you find in the West these days.