Viager arrangement, anyone have any knowledge of this?

Intriguing! I shall book a ferry ticket. :smiley:

Given the appalling weather due to Storm Darragh, I’m very relieved not to be travelling 3-4 hours across Normandy ahead of the originally scheduled SF meal tomorrow. I think it was very wise to have postponed it, until (hopefully) better weather and longer days in the Spring. My wife said she would have actually banned me from travelling today, if the meal had been tomorrow! Hope everyone in the area is safe and sound.

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I agree. We need to do a short journey today to check on a friend’s empty house, but I’m even considering crying off that, & it’s only 20km away.

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Viager. I’ve recently done it. I think I have much less money than most of you, as I was the victim of financial fraud by a member of my family, which resulted in moving to france 23 years ago, and taking nationality. Finding myself financially precarious now, I am 81 and do not want to move from my smallish stone house in deep countryside with stunning views over agricultral land. The few friends i have are around here and did not want to start again. So. it’s a serious and sometimes heartrending business. You’ll need a knowledgeable agent to be with you when viewers come and I also took on a very savvy man who ran a viager business based in Paris . Knowledgable protection is needed. Notaire as well. So they come, size up how long you will live for, say it’s a coup de coeur, it is, and leave with promises which genererally come to nothing. I wont go on, but mine took 2 and 1/2 years and brought me close to breakdown. Eventually a belgian businessman flew over to view. He had already 2 viagers in Belgium. Made an offer, take it or leave it, I had no choice but to take it, it was not a brilliant deal but will help keep the German Shepherd in bone and vet fees for a decent while. If he dies before me, which i doubt, the viager devolves on his children, so we are all protected. I cried when I had signed, feeling I had sold my liberty, but nothing has changed except I have a bit more money every month. I was in no position to sell up and find somewhere else, i would end up where I started and a one bed village house needed total refurb was not on, too used to bringing in the wood and not caring a toss about neighbours, they are not close enough to be tiresome. But each case is different, close to shops etc will sell better than local town 7 km away, etc… any questions?

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Thanks Kate, very interesting and I hope my question wasnt too upsetting as it sounds very tough on you but well done and hopefully a long and happy life

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Yes I’m sure it is, and well done to you for making a hard decision, negotiating it and giving yourself some peace of mind…

I’m sure you will outlive the Belgian!

thank you Corona and Chris Mann for your kind comments…this need not be as traumatic as mine was, french families use it to avoid inheritance, but i think generally it is because people are in a position not too hot financially, and that is stressful indeed. as for he Belgian…I wish him and his kids well of it I shall not be here for that,…it would make a large beautifully positioned family house with the attached barn and he knew that at once, just wish it had been more! But I’ll be here for a fair bit, looking over the valley and wondering, in the summer, whether to take the dog swimming!

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This is in Luxembourg
An acquaintance of my wife did this with her flat a few years ago. She has no close relatives. The person who ā€œboughtā€ was a Luxembourger and had already done a number of similar deals.
The lady in question appears to be very very happy with the arrangement. She received a large lump sum and every month another amount (bouquet).
Since the deal she has travelled extensively and is having a great time.

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Thats the sort of outcome we would be looking for, obviously quite a few years off yet but good to get an understanding.

In the meantime, amuse yourselves by watching this.

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Going to watch it tonight x

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I’m on the other side. I bought a viager on the secondary market about 15 years ago. The initial buyer of the viager had tired of waiting and wanted to move on. The viager I purchased didn’t have a ā€œbouquetā€ (monthly payment) which made for a more expensive upfront, but less risk.
I wouldn’t buy another one as there is too much risk on a single individual’s lifespan (rather cold I know…but it’s a two-way street). Having a portfolio of several viagers would make more sense.

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I’m sorry, I have to say this - every time I’ve looked at this title I’ve thought it said Viagra! :roll_eyes:

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Good film, enjoyed it!

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I hear with the french accent " vajazzle" :face_with_hand_over_mouth: