Oh goodness, I wouldn’t be rude to the site owner if I were you. That’s not very nice. It is a rather unusual question. As far as I’m aware you don’t usually pay this based on how often or how long you visit for so I doubt it will be reduced just because you can’t get there for a few months. You never know though, the French government may take pity on second-home owners and reduce next year’s bill.
Izzy x
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Second homes are a luxury IMO so it’s a bloody cheek to even ask the question given the circumstances we’re all living in.
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Yes Tim, I was going to try to find a tongue-in-cheek emoji but was a little concerned it could be construed as something else altogether. Oops!!
Izzy x
Agree, hence my comment - when travel for holidays becomes possible it might well prove difficult to find accommodation, between venues that have gone bust and a sudden peak in demand so having somewhere to go will be a distinct advantage.
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Me too. Whew. Still chuckling.
At the end of the day, when the various costs of all this pandemic are added up, there is going to be a lot of paying the bill to be done.
My personal view is that those who can, should.
Not everyone will be able to help stimulate the economy due to their personal circumstances, but perhaps if those of us who can afford to leave a generous tip actually do so, or simply quietly and unobtrusively pay someone else’s bill for them, then hopefully we can do at least something to help the economy of the country that gives us so many benefits.
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Given the government’s policy on taxing second homes more, in general, then it seems unlikely. If anything, in the coming weeks, the government will necessarily be thinking about how to fill its coffers to start covering the debts it has incurred during lockdown paying for the various support measures it introduced. Those debts will take a while to repay, and guess who will be repaying ?
Why should the poster be thankful?
Because the majority do not have such a luxury and (as I pointed out earlier) even when we can travel for holidays it is likely that there will be ongoing difficulties given that the tourism industry has been particularly hard hit by Covid.
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Paul, the fact that the poster has a holiday home shouldn’t mean they should be thankful. You may see it as a luxury, they may not. Perhaps they have worked all their lives and made considerable sacrifices in order to pay for/afford the property? As to their question regarding a refund, well, there are so many reasons the answer should be no.
Perhaps they have but many others have worked hard all their lives and still do not wind up with property abroad, or anything very much to show for their efforts.
I have a 2nd home in France, I have worked for it, I am quite clear it is a privilege and a luxury.
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I’d rather they reduced the bills of those who have been affected by this virus here in France and not UK citizens, who do not normally give a damn about what happens to their fellow citizens living in the EU.
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I think you will have to agree to disagree…many people have a 2nd home - many do not.
Many people will see this as a luxury - many people will not.
Does not matter which camp you fall into.
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OK, I can see why you might think that - but 2nd home owners should, I hope, be more sympathetic to what is happening in France than the average Brit.
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they should, but don’t forget we have had Brits living here in France who voted out, so I don’t really have much sympathy for those who are asking if they might be treated leniently.
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Perhaps but I fail to see how you could not see it as a privilege when we live in a world when 60% of Americans do not have savings equivalent to 3 months income, 30% have no savings at all and (in the UK) house prices are so high it is almost impossible for young peole to buy their first homes.
And let us not forget that even these impoverished Americans are massively more wealthy than the 36% of the world’s population who live on less than $1 per day.
Perhaps if you are wealthy enough that these things are normal you lose sight of the fact that most people cannot manage to own one property, much less two. I am fairly certain if you asked the archetypical “man on the Clapham omnibus” whether a 2nd home was a privilege the majority would agree.
That said I think there IS a misconception that everyone with a 2nd home must be fabulously wealthy which is wrong - many people who have been lucky enough to have had a decent job and salary and have saved would find property abroad - often cheaper than in the UK - within reach. In fact one TV programme demonstrated you could even do something with £10k
But to have a spare £10k available probably puts you in the top 30% of the population, if you have a spare £100k more like the top 5%, maybe less.
So, I don’t really care whether you think a 2nd home is not a privilege - it is.
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Don’t address your post to me, I never said it was or wasn’t a privilege…
couldn’t give a toss to be honest! 
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I agree with everything you say but… In France I know several people who have a mouldering inherited property somewhere that they see as a liability not a luxury. Mind you I don’t think that anyone would describe many of them as a second home.
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A little harsh Jane, some people might fall into your catch all comment. Your comment in my view shows shades of emotional despair. I do agree with you that the French government would be better off showing financial compassion to those living in the country, certainly for the future when votes will be fought for.
Perhaps others have chosen to spend their money on other things?