Well soon find out fund wise. I have a feeling we’ll come off worse but we worked on the original estimate.
I assume a competent company will know exactly what we need to do to conform.
Not sure about original spanc dossier but I happen to know(vaguely) the Englishwoman who had the original installation done so I will contact her. If I take the report that spanc did themselves 3 and a half years ago then that may help as that’s what he wanted to see today.
Hi Teresa… yes, he would probably have asked for the old SPANC report, to use as a starting point for his current visit…as he could have identified the existing Dossier and correlated his findings with those of the previous inspector… (hopefully)
It is SPANC who provide details to you as the Proprietor and you pass this info onto the Company… Whichever Company you choose, should be one with experience/rapport with SPANC… to ensure a smooth transition…
We’ve decided were going to pop in the spanc office to ask for a list of recommended installers and take the old report with us plus the form he gave us and point to the bit where it says modification and hope he understands.
I had practised many useful questions in French but we assumed he would have the original report with him so it threw us. We have no WiFi either so have to rely on my phone and that doesn’t have our documents.
Well get there. It’s all part of the learning curve.
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Go for it Teresa… just take your time and ask them to repeat anything you are unsure of.
Often, I would turn the conversation around and say … so this means blah blah blah…( using words/phrases I know well). They either nod in agreement (phew) or else they look horrified, realizing that I have obviously completely misunderstood them… 
It helps if they write clearly what they want done… that way, the Company which is doing the work will clearly understand (even if you don’t).
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Visited the commune de communautés but the receptionist can only give a card for spanc and says they are in another building in Brantome. So we visited the Mairie and asked for a list of installers. The receptionist consulted with another and the word spanc was used several times and she wrote down the names of four builders. Is that normal?
Surprisingly they didn’t mention Perigord Assainesments near Agonac which seem to specialise.
We are going to ask our neighbours tonight se what they say.
Brilliant… you now have 4 companies to contact for a Devis… mind you, you need to see what SPANC want done first… but… excellent progress.
It’s probably worth phoning SPANC before going, to ensure that the person you want to see will be there… or else that there will be someone who can actually help you, if not the person who visited your site…
Hi all.
Today I had 2 builders round to quote for my modifications. The first read the old report, looked carefully at the existing system. He told us that he would liaise with spanc then he would send a devis and was so busy he would not be able to do the work until December.
The 2nd builder glanced at the report, declared that most of it was not necessary, he saw no problem with the filtered water continuing to access the farmers land behind.
Both men correctly pointed out we don’t have the correct height ventilation pipe.
So I am hoping that we get a fair price from the first builder and we are allowed to wait for him. As our helpful French neighbour said there’s no point having work done if it still doesn’t conform.
Hi Teresa
Do you now understand exactly what SPANC is saying needs to be done? I agree, there is no point in doing anything that does not conform…
The man from spanc didn’t bring the old report with him and literally wrote down a few lines on a piece of paper and said give this to your builder. The builder has seen the report from 2014 and the piece of paper and is going to speak to spanc himself. He seems a very thorough sort of guy and our neighbours have used him and he is local.
We have a long form to fill in so I’m pretty sure nothing can go ahead until spanc have read and approved the proposals so I think with the right builder we will be fine if a bit poorer.
In a way if we can wait for this builder I think it will give us chance to double chk all the proposals.
Thanks
Hi Teresa (I thought you were going to take the old report in to the SPANC offices.)
Anyway, the first guy seems to have his head screwed on … once he does contact SPANC they will know you are serious and there should be no problem with the delay.
We were but haven’t been able to find the actual office. I now have an email address so will probably double check that we can work from the old report. Apparently our spanc official is very proper so the builder was surprised about the bit of paper.
Mmm… yes, I am sure he was surprised. When I have done SPANC liaison stuff, the Official has always provided a document/plan to the Homeowner, outlining what we have all discussed and the way forward.
It may well be that SPANC will provide said document at a later date… maybe after the Builder has contacted them. It might also be that SPANC will come and do another site visit… whatever, it will all come right in the end…
We had a recommended builder to quote for the work in June based on the fact that the spanc man said we needed a sand filter.
We were waiting for another devis as we wanted at least two.
Finally yesterday a highly recommended English business managed to come out. They assured us that we have a proper filtration bed already and just need a reservoir digging for the clean water as it currently drains into the farmer’s field. We also need a tall vent and our inspection tank exposing. The last owner had a brick outhouse built and whoever did it concreted over cover and lowered vent.
We actually understand our system now which is actually a very good fosse and that makes sense as it’s only 14 years old.
Both firms are busy for 6 months so it will be new year before it’s done but as it doesn’t pose any sanitation issues we think it will be ok to wait.
The English business are going to talk to spanc and hopefully we can fix a date for work soon.
Either company would do a good job but we may have spent more on an unnecessary filter with the first business.
We will know once the second devis arrives.
I feel more relaxed now as I’m sure spanc will be fine as long as we are pursuing a solution. I’m glad we didn’t panic and accept the first devis.
We are friends with the lady who had the original fosse put in and she assured us it was expensive and done by a reputable company!
Also just to tag another question on here.
As Brexit seems to be even more shambolic we are seriously thinking of becoming resident and wondered if January 1st would make sense from a tax form point of view or should we just go for it straight away and how does tax work if you’re part way through the year.
Thanks as well for deleting my wobbly mistake. 
Teresa… we did a tax return in the month of May, here in France, after about 6 months full-time… as I wanted us “in” the system asap… so, I know it was possible. But, that was a long time ago… and things may be different now…the Tax Office folk are generally helpful and you can have a chat, to put your mind at rest. (The Tax Year itself runs from Jan 1st to Dec 31st)
Re SPANC and your fosse… so long as you have it in hand… and are keeping SPANC up to date/informed… the delay will not be any problem.
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By becoming resident do you mean moving to France full time?
Yes. We have been putting it off because my parent are in their 80’s and my dad especially likes our home in the UK.
My husband no longer has parents so it is easier for him.
If Brexit was progressing with some semblance of organised planning with definite objectives for a reasonable settlement we would wait and see but as it appears to be one disastrous idea after another were think it’s time to bail.
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Thinking the same here!
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It’s a terrible way to have to choose in a rush. I’ve really been trying hard not to panic thinking the UK will get their act together but they just havent and i think the EU will definitely make an example of the UK to stop others thinking it’s easy.
Both my children have told us to go for it and although I know my dad will be upset he went to live in Eire for 15 years when my children were young and never asked my opinion.
At least with a British passport I will have 6 months access to UK if I need it.