My French property mgt / realty company and damages from tenants. How to resolve?

Greetings, all. I have an apartment that tenants damaged and the realty company didn’t properly oversee the place. (The tenants painted over my gorgeous pine walls in the living room and the room has all kinds of molding and interesting details - not flat surfaces)



The realtors insist on fixing the damages using their own painters. They are very heels dug in about this – even though I have pointed out the questionable methods these painters originally suggested using (sandblasting)to remedy the problem(s) and the rudimentary quality of sample work (paint remover) they sent me (picture of an area that the painter stripped).



(I live in California at the moment, so this is being handled long distance)



The realtors say they “guarantee” the work and want to bring in a bailiff. I’m afraid I don’t understand the functionality of a Bailiff. Is it a neutral person looking out for my interests and the realtors’ too?



Here’s how they put it:

Merci de nous informer clairement si vous nous donnez l’autorisation de faire intervenir notre peintre sous notre responsabilité afin de pouvoir relouer le logement au plus vite ? Nous préconisons avant l’ exécution des travaux un constat d’huissier.



I’m attaching photos of damage, photos from the painter I would use, and photos from the realtors painter.



Thanks for any help!

Thanks for the links and clarification.

I will see what my next two moves produce. (1) a letter demanding transfer of funds to pay my own painter at the amount he quoted followed, if need be by (2) a threatening letter from the Paris lawyer.

I want to keep the officials close to me – not use those who would be trying to appease a local company in Rouen vs. a one-time client who is far away in California.

here is a definition of a notaire http://www.french-property.com/reference/role_of_notaire.htm although you may be better with a hussier de justice here is the definition of their role. http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/purchase-real-estate/professionals/huissier

The apartment is in Rouen.

I have a very good and helpful friend in Paris, though she has limited time. I have a very nice local contact in Rouen. They are both French

Both of them have provided advice, local artisan referrals, and translation assistance, and the one in Paris has a lawyer who I can pay to write a letter on my behalf (even though that lawyer actually practices Family Law.) The lawyer could write a strong and threatening letter for a small fee to me. Will that be enough? I certainly hope so!

Is a Notaire the equivalent of a lawyer (I am American, so I don’t know the French or British systems)?

Many thanks

No I don’t I’m afraid , perhaps you could contact a Notaire yourself to see if he could work for you? .Do you have a friend in the area where the property is? where is it by the way,.Sorry I can’t help more.

Are you aware of what type of professional I could hire to fight for my interests? I am concerned that anyone I hire in Rouen will be biased towards helping the local Realtors.

I am thinking that my next letter will be to insist they transfer the amount my painter quoted and do that within two weeks or else I will hire a lawyer. (not that I have a French one)

I have been trying to work this out with my realtor since January and it is just dragging on and on.

Thanks!

A hussier is normaly a neutral agent yes.
It sounds to me as if you need some one onside and onsite to get you some quotes for fixing the dammage. A fix of a problem is never going to get you the result as if what had been done had never been done in this case it seems to me.
That’s not probably that reassuring. Can you hire some one trustworthy to fight for your interests?