Open an International Bank Account

[Rina]

Hi out there,

My husband, and I find ourselves in a bit of a tricky situation. His father was a resident of france and passed away in April of this year. We are in Canada and struggling to work through all the red tape.

I’m wary about going into too much detail as there is an ex-wife who co-owns a home with my husband and sister-in-law and it’s a contentious situation at the best of times.

We owe certain monies towards invoices that are to do with the home in france. We also have a life insurance policy coming our way from france. Rather than transfer the insurance payment to Canadian Dollars only to have to transfer it back to Euros each time a bill is due, we wanted to open an international bank account and keep the money in Europe until all loose ends are tied up (at this rate, probably a million years from now)

If anyone has had a similar experience or knows of a bank within the EU that would allow us to open an account without being physically present I would be very grateful.

Thanks very much

[suein56]

Check out TransferWise .. they have a Borderless account which might suit you, though it might depend on what kind of bills you are having to pay.

HSBC is potentially a possibility too.

[idun]

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_banques_canadiennes

This link should be live.

Here is a list of banks in Canada including international ones,  the HSBC is there, as Sue suggested,  but there is also the BNP, which is a french bank.

Or contact your own bank, you never know, they may have a proper international section, with multi currency accounts.

So get in touch with a bank in Canada and get this sorted out.

The inheritance laws in France are what they are, and can seem very unfair, but they are usually quite clear.

edit, why isn't the other beneficiary paying these bills.......???? ie the ex...... they are as liable as the children, in fact, maybe more, as they will get 51%, won't they??? Were they divorced and / or did they own the property together, that is why I mentioned the 51%.

Also remember to get all the bills you have paid and make sure that the notaire has them prior to final payments, every last thing.

[Loiseau]

I read that it was Rina's husband who has an ex-wife; not the deceased.

[idun]

Oh, when I read that there is an ex wife,  I assumed it was the deceased's ex  wife.

[Rina]

Sorry I don’t think I was clear.

It’s the deceased who has the ex-wife.

The property in question is owned 50% by her and 50% by my husband and sister-in-law (25% each).

The deceased (my father in law) had gifted his part of the home to his children several years back but retained “usufruit”

During his divorce he “won” the ability to live in the main part of the home as it was his primary residence and his ex wife had been staying back in her home country. There are two secondary sections of the home.

About a week or two before my FIL passed, she showed up and took over the main part of the home (no one was there to protect it)

Since then we haven’t been able to gain proper access.

The whole situation is difficult and we’re not having much luck getting an legal advice and since the ex-wife is on-site, she seems to have gained the upper hand.

The bills in question are property tax and house insurance, eventually a notary bill and a lawyers bill, potentially an invoice to pack and move some items back here (if there is anything left).

The exwife has her share of the property tax and insurance as well. It’s being split 50/50 at the present moment but she has taken on the utilities.

[Rina]

HSBC doesn’t seem to be an option as they require a hefty balance to be carried and we are not in a position to do that.

Since we technically own a residence there we should be able to open an account but we need to be “feet on ground” to do so