Would you choose to end your days in France?

[Badger]

@oldbutnonthewiser

@Shiba

Just as I discovered too! Who in their right mind would go back there to concrete, poverty,no friends nor decent neighbours and be afraid to speak in case you upset one of these irritating woke people.

Sentiments I also share.

I like to think that @shiba was being ironic about that last bit.

[Stella]

Indeed, there should be no problems whatsoever… whether it’s a body or the ashes… there is an official route to follow but everyone has been very kind and helpful over the years when a death has occurred and family want their relative “home”.

[David_M_Matthews]

The car registration issue is one that should have been put right long before. That is a well known problem that is easy to put straight.

[SuePJ]

As @JaneJones has already asked - this really is not the thread to debate this. There is a lot of very useful discussion going on here about returning to the UK and it would be a shame to have it go off course.

[Stella]

@oldbutnonthewiser

ageing Range Rover which was registered in his name and she could not sell because the transfer of owenership was not allowed.

The Notaire handling the Estate is probably the best person to say
why the ownership was not allowed… and what to do about it.

People can and do inherit vehicles…

[SuePJ]

@JaneJones

Lovey thing over 100 years old that she brought with her from Germany in the 30’s (why?).

We have beautiful wafer thin wine glasses that were buried in the garden in Poland during the war and dug up by OH’s father in the 60s when he went back. Thank you for this. If it’s me who’s left they will come with me. Sadly, I never met OH’s father.

[David_Spardo]

@SuePJ

Partly deafness, but also one of those people who needs to understand every single word someone is saying and then process it. If he doesn’t understand a word in a spoken sentence he gets stuck thinking that through and loses what follows.

This is my problem too. I speak French well (though forget some words I want, as I do in English), but it is the replies that fox me. It wasn’t always the case, has definitely got worse, when I came here to work all my instructions alone in the cab of the lorry came via the telephone and I had very little problem with that, but now there is no way I could handle it. So definitely an ageing brain which is why I could not pass the nationality French test 2nd time around.

I even managed a joke back in those days. I was rung by a woman in the office who wanted to know my shoe size in order to supply me with safety shoes. I knew what she said but asked her to repeat a word that I had missed, her reply was simply ‘combien?’ I deliberately pretended to misunderstand and came back quick as a flash with ‘j’ai deux, comme tous les autres’. They knew I was joking and not being thick or unable to understand and I could hear the laughter in the office. Not sure I could do that without some thought now though.

[Stella]

We gently, but firmly, explained to our Daughter that she can get rid of absolutely anything she wants to, when we pop our clogs.

We felt it important that she knows she has our blessing…

Meanwhile, I’m still using MiL’s old butter knife… and so many other bits and bobs which have special links to family/loved ones…

[David_M_Matthews]

@SuePJ

Partly deafness

I can understand that being a huge problem. Last summer, I temporally damaged the hearing in my right ear and I couldn’t believe how much difference it made to my ability to understand spoken French. It affected that far more than my ability to understand spoken English.

[Shiba]

Yes, I have some pudding dishes that evoke many good memories of mum’s cooking skills plus things of my MIL that I still use.

[ChrisMann]

@Porridge

what language are all these translators translating into?

Moldovan into Swedish, Swedish into Xhosa, Xhosa into Mandarin, then Mandarin back into Moldovan. Simples.

@Porridge

I think it depends on the size of the commune, here and in the UK.

Some of those British communes are pretty dodgy.

Re the original topic - I’m not in France yet so a bit premature to discuss coming back to the UK, but I have thought about it, as I am single.

My siblings would inherit what’s left of my worldly goods but would get caught by French IHT at 35-45% I think. But Plan A is to spend all the money before I pop off. So there would be just a house to sell which would not leave too much tax to pay I suspect.

I might go back if I needed care - again my siblings would be lumbered with me. Anyway it’s something I shall continue to bear in mind; always good to have contingency plans.

[Badger]

@SuePJ

it would be a shame to have it go off course.

I apologise, & agree.

[oldbutnonthewiser]

I am sure you are correct

[Stella]

@oldbutnonthewiser

Her two sons drove out arranged the cremation, put the house on the market and one drove the car back to the UK and the other took his mother, the house was left as is and she left with just her personal belongings, sad, and other expats only found out when all was done and dusted.

ah… that explains a lot.

Sadly, some folk fail to do things properly, albeit through ignorance, and might then complain when a hiccup occurs in what they feel should be a straightforward process…

[Susannah]

@George1

a spreadsheet recently, looking forwards over the next 25 years

Excellent! Any chance of sharing the template (without your details, if course)? It would be so helpful for me, and possibly others as a kick starter.

[oldbutnonthewiser]

@Stella

@oldbutnonthewiser

Her two sons drove out arranged the cremation, put the house on the market and one drove the car back to the UK and the other took his mother, the house was left as is and she left with just her personal belongings, sad, and other expats only found out when all was done and dusted.

ah… that explains a lot.

Sadly, some folk fail to do things properly, albeit through ignorance, and might then complain when a hiccup occurs in what they feel should be a straightforward process…

Sadly those who knew her even if only slightly ( myself included ) were not asked for help/advise.

[oldbutnonthewiser]

Agreed .

[Stella]

I’m wondering if we should start a separate Thread:
What to do when someone dies in France?

[Shiba]

Well some of us have had first hand experience. My shock was that the gendarmes had to go to the mortuary to wax seal the coffin and confirm who was in it being a hospital death.

[Stella]

Yes, indeed… but this thread is about choosing where to Live