Carol, he has broken the law by neglecting the structure but prosecuting him is another story, confiscation and counteraction through courts would be more than the commune can afford, it is a no win situation. Our maire would like to collar him, call the gendarmerie and threaten him with immediate arrest and detention but he has cleverly avoided that for years.
Like us, it is a home and we do all in our power to keep it. On family form I could 20 or more years too.
Oh dear...maybe because this is a repeating problem, the law needs to be changed...with a view to a house being left to fall apart for a limited time, and maybe they should forfeit the house....
Yes Brian, the article applies to the UK, other articles have referred to property prices in France possibly falling by another 46%! At the end of the day, it's a question of whether your house is a home or an investment, and I suppose your age to a degree, I expect to be around for approximately another twenty years, and I like my HOME!
Carol, he believes he can make a profit on his buying price even now. He consults various agents and developers but nobody wants it. He has been over repeatedly, has friends with pots of money in Tremolat, and showed his face a couple of months ago with a builder in tow. The builder left disinterested, wondering what the hell the man wanted of him - as he told us. The road repair gang has been here to mend the surface after masonry damage just last week. He would not want to donate, a small and relatively poor commune cannot afford to buy and he does not want to know about the falling values because he believes it is just talk from people out to carve him up. None of the rest of the Anglo community want to have anything to do with him and I think his friends are becoming wearied of the whole matter.
Thats a crazy situation Brian...wonder what happens if something falls off and hits someone on the head! would have thought the owners of these would just as soon donate it to the commune or sell it, rather than be lumbered with bills for demoltion...
Where owners are known that is what happens. Our maire made the owner of the ruin opposite have the roofs removed and walls made safe or else a demolition order... The roof was removed but not all safety measures followed and the maire is hopping mad because the owner is in England and has changed address without providing details of the new one so that letters come back and who would foot the bill if he has it pulled down? The commune would simply prefer to get a possession order and sell it off but with the market at present they could still lose money, so nothing being done. The place gets more dangerous by the month.
We have been involved with a property deserted by the owners who have since moved to another part of France. The maire contacted them to say the house was unsafe and they were obliged to make it safe or steps would be taken. About 8 months later the maire has had the house demolished and sent the bill for several thousand euros to the owners as the house deteriorated even more and it appeared nothing was being done about it. So be wary of abandoning a house, it may come back to haunt you!
Chris no need for apology... we intended to move to France for good as well...unfortunately.. weird or not...I miss the rat race! I enjoyed my work, as a nurse working for a charity, campaigning for better services for blind people.. and have found it very difficult to give up...probably as I am 10 years off retirement...and went too soon from my point of view. Thus the desire to sell up...never expected to make a profit..but not sure we expected to lose half the money spent...but hey..swings and roundabouts. Waiting 10 years as Brian suggested not an option if I want to work! I will go back in September...and do as we did last year...my husband stay here and come over to the Uk monthly for a week.. thats do-able.
I don't think I assumed anything Carol, and if I gave that impression I'm sorry. None of us has too much money? However, what I am saying, is that I made a conscious decision to move from the UK and buy a home in France, not an investment, I wanted a home I could live in in a beautiful Country with quiet roads. I have lived all over Britain from the South East to Cornwall and Scotland, and yes I occasionally get homesick and occasionally I get very annoyed about (mainly) the lack of customer service or care in France, but on the other hand I have a comfortable home which I can afford, I have few financial worries and I will live here with my dog and cats until I shuffle off this mortal coil. In short I have left the rat race, and NOTHING on God's earth will get me to return to the UK and all that traffic and people chasing their tails trying to make a buck. Oh, and don't forget about the "changes" to the inheritance law!!!!
Chris, that article applies to the UK. The property market is very depressed in parts of France and selling is actually a mug's game, better to hang on to it and hope that in 10 years or so it has realistically turned round.
You may be interested in this article from "Money Week" May 2012 Carol, Money Week correctly forecast the 2008 crash and also the Property Price crash in America in 2006, (I know I have said some of this before) as a result I do tend to read the magazine quite thoroughly, although it is sent to me by a friend so I always get it a week or two after publication, anyway have a read, you may find it interesting, I have not copied the whole article, but what it finishes up by saying is: "We're not suggesting you sell your family home for any price you can get. Not at all. What we are saying is that now simply isn't the right time to buy... and if you're a property speculator, now is probably the right time to sell.... if you haven't already.
If nobody lives in them and no services are used then no taxes, given the state of many buildings I would guess they are never forfeit. Madness!
At what stage is property forfeit to the state? Who pays the taxes?
One local one has been in limbo 30 plus years, it is falling apart with furniture in place and so on. Pathetic looking, probably woodworm and possibly termite infected so nobody will ever want it.
Well...we dont have investments...other than property....but having worked in the UK all my life...and paid full taxes...not having employed any clever accountants or had off shore savings...I am b******d if I am handing over extra money to the French government....let them look to those that have avoided paying their 20 or 40%. Having just watched Panorama on BBC relating to the problems in Greece...this is what happens when people dont pay their taxes in full....we have certainly paid our share!
Exactly. I'm not giving any details on this site but in general terms the French government is going to tax UK trust fund capital if the lifetime interest is held by a French resident and some (and we don't yet know how much) and possibly quite alot of the income will disappear. It's the reason that many French people are going to live in the UK! Such taxes will do little for French indebtedness but will drive many creative and entrepreneurial people away. It's v short sighted! You are pretty lucky if you get as much as 4% on investments these days anyway. I look forward to squeals from many contributors to this site. If on the other hand you are a former UK government or local government employee then enjoy your pension and buy us a round!
Actually not only relates to money you might inherit...but can affect monies held for your children...and the extra tax they may have to pay.....and interestingly, many people have commented on the following anomaly...if you are left money unexpectedly...and you havent declared this may happen...you can be fined! so a bit of great bit of logic there.
Hmm well thats food for thought!!!
Depends where you live...as in where you pay tax...my husband taxed as a single man in France as I spend more than half the year in the UK and work there and pay PAYE tax....and we dont rent out our UK flat...however...if we did..we would pay French tax on it.....one of the reasons we decided to move back to UK...our tax bills higher now we moved to France....and what we leave the kids will now be taxed higher if we remain in France...