I applaud you @Bonzocat. Stella’s absolutely right though. Out of caution, and just because there must be some advantage in being old, I’d play the ‘old’ card for all it’s worth till you are very sure from what they say, what they are up to. And say as little as poss till that point.
I’d also have spoken to the mairie - they’ll either hsve seen this type of request or possibly even this person before and if not, they like to know what is going on in their commune and I suspect they would also like to be kept informed.
I’m all agog to see how this visit goes for you now
I went to the Mairie recently to get my pension provider’s letter, Part A & B, signed by the Maire, and officially stamped, to prove that I’m still alive! I have to do this more often than I like! However, the receptionist was new, a young woman from New Zealand, so next time I am urged to go consult I will feel less restrained in asking away about whatever.
A long while back I received a letter, on more than one occasion, saying that the mains water supply running along the chemin from the tarmac road to my house is my responsiblity and for any costs if that pipe bursts. It was an official looking letter suggesting an insurance policy - insinuating that this was obligatory. I went to ask the Maire himself about this letter and I took photos of the chemin and my house to show him. He metaphorically put the letter in the waste bin and said not to worry - ignore it. And he appeared angered by it!
Not so much a scam as they probably would repair a pipe but as that is unlikely to happen then it’s a really good way to hand over money. Lying about your pipe responsibilities is just marketing. (Lies)
A RESE agent, dressed head to toe in orange, with notebook, a protective helmet, his white van atop with flashing lights, arrived at 9am on the dot, and by 9.05am went away chuckling. He’d come to examine what the RESE considered was my undisclosed private water supply, maybe from a well.
I showed him the deeds to my house, the date of purchase, 1985, and pointed out that the concrete box in the corner of my garden with their water meter came with the house, same date, and that the only alteration I’d made was the addition of a garden tap. I told him I did not have a private water supply and showed him the derelict old well, hidden under dense foliage, just off the chemin leading to my house.
I gave him a brief history of the area, that the well was a ‘village’ well, and was on land owned by ‘who knows’ by now?
I do too, but it’s the persistent annual reminder that I’ve reached a certain age that irks me…that I’m considered at risk of meeting my maker in the not-too-distant future. But it is something I can joke about annually at the Marie!
My recent brush with the RESE has resulted in them telling porkies IMO. RESE originally said…
“It would appear that you have a private water resource”“Therefore, and in accordance with Articles 22 and 24 of the regulations, a water service agent will inspect your private installations on Tuesday”.
I had a short amicable discussion with the RESE engineer on the day, when I said to him that I had no private water supply, whatsoever. And off he went. Two days later I received a letter from RESE saying…
“We are following up on your request to inspect your private installations in order to ensure the protection of the public drinking water network”.
“We confirm receipt of your declaration of lack of private water resources for domestic use and consequently the cancellation of the appointment proposed for Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 09.15”.
I think that letter is on their files to get them off the hook for wasting my time and more importantly the engineer’s time by saying the appointment is cancelled. It wasn’t! Naughty!
Will do, but not sure I’d want to bother the mairie. But I’ll wait to see how RESE respond to my letter. My guess is there’ll be no reply, but we shall see!
I’ve experienced in the past what I call paper tiger bosses who will make up rules that don’t exist, just to counter any argument I may have.
Many years ago, I was advised by a bilingual Englishman who made his living in administrative France, that if you propose to query something by letter, about a TV license for example, to make the letter short and concise. Letters that are too long will simply go straight into the waste bin.
My letter to RESE will be polite, and sent by recorded delivery.
