This is difficult to describe but this morning, when I opened the curtains, I was confronted by a huge heap of stones - the wall dividing my house from the community centre had collapsed into my garden. My house is on a slope and the community centre is behind it but not attached although its south wall borders my garden. The wall, however, is attached to both buildings running between the two. Directly behind my house is a small building used by the community centre for storage and beyond that a car park. There was once a building on my side that may have been attached to the wall - or the wall may have been a later addition. The wall on the CC side is a short wall whereas on my side what remains is almost a storey high. I can find nothing on the cadastral maps or in the deeds with reference to who is responsible for the wall. The buildings were once part of a farm sold to the municipality in 1851, the main building/CC converted to a school with my house providing accommodation for two teachers, allegedly. The car park came much later. I’m wondering about responsibility and insurance and yes, I’ve read the French government’s pages on walls but I’m none the wiser. I am not in a financial position to have the wall rebuilt and my age and a recent health issue mean that it’s impossible for me to do anything physical - I can barely lift the stones. Has anyone come up against a similar situation? Advice and thoughts appreciated. TIA.
Off to see the Maire or get them to call round if you can, may not be your problem or they may pay some or all of the clearing up re building costs.
We had a similar problem last year. As far as we could tell the garden wall wasn’t covered by the insurance, but if it’s a boundary wall there should be joint responsibility, though in our case this was problematic. The wall was a boundary between two adjacent plots, with different owners. One of them is penniless and the other has let us store stuff above his workshop for free for the past six years, so we owed him a big favour. By chance we were able to get a mason straight away, so we decided to pay for the whole job.
However, you may be more fortunate with your insurance and, if the adjoining plot is owned by the commune and the mairie will hopefully probably be able to arrange the repairs. I’d contact them ASAP.
Good luck
In the UK boundary walls and fences are usually the responsibility of the owner of one side or the other i.e the wall or fence is fully within one property and marked as so on deeds. Is this not the case in France?
…and also not often covered by homeowner’s insurance if damaged by storms or floods, bizarrely - I did some casual research on this the other day with Storm Isha incoming - fortunately the only casualty of that storm on our premises was a council garden waste wheelie bin blown over. 
Not as far as I’m aware - as I indicated above, I had a similar problem last year.
Thank you. I’ll visit the mairie as soon as I’m able. Basically, the wall will have to be shored up to prevent whatever lays behind the remaining stones falling into my garden. I anticipate that more of it will fall over night as the mortar is just soil. There’s nothing I can do as I simply don’t have the funds … .
Your situation seems similar to ours - the garden wall is on a steep slope and it was originally two outer walls of a mediaeval house with just earth between the stones. I hope the mairie will be very helpful.
Yes, it’s simple in the UK but this is a very different situation as the wall isn’t a typical wall and the top third is physically part of the community centre and the bottom two thirds less of a wall and more of a shoring.