Discussions

Hi     We are moving to France before 31st December.  Our house purchase is underway as is the sale of our UK home.  We are going to convert a barn into gites which will provide our income.  We understand that to prove residency we will also need medical insurance but have also seen that we can apply for French cover if we have a business which we will have once we have converted the barn.  Do we need full medical insurance for the first few months or is travel insurance enough please or do we need insurance at all if we are starting a business?  What do we need to do to start a business and get the state health cover please?  If we have to get private medical cover which companies are best please based on cost?  Any advice would be very much appreciated.  Many thanks

Hello. There is a risk that I will be made redundant. I have a permanent french contract CDI, pay tax in France, but I have a dormant UK contract. This means I pay UK national insurance and not French. Because of this I have no idea what rights I have. Has anyone had any experience of this before? 

I am 64, living in Ariege since January 2001 and working here since 2004. My husband same age but he is an artist with minimal income.  I have a little over the minimum salary with a mutuelle from my work, he has no mutuelle.  I have done nothing about acquiring the necessary papers that we need to live here after Brexit, and I don't know where to start. Now that a no-deal Brexit looks likely I am starting to panic.  Can anybody help me with some free advice?  I'm sorry to ask but I am getting old, have increasing mental health issues, and no money, and I really don't know what I should be doing to protect myself and my husband against the potential loss of rights to which this Brexit catastrophe has exposed us.  

What are the rules in France regarding the advertising of a product at a price in the Publi that comes to the house weekly, and the selling price for the same article in the shop detailed by the Publi? Our local Publi for Bricomarche has a product advertised at 75 Euros. In the shop, they are trying to tell me it is a different product - it isn't - and trying to separate me from 105 Euros. They refuse to acknowledge any issue and I wonder how far one can push them? Or is there something one can threaten them with? 

Hi all,Does anyone have recommendations for an English speaking financial adviser (Occitanie if possible). Kindly include in your answer why you recommend this person/company.Have  a great day.Sander

Has anyone transfered a private UK pension into an Overseas company  (Quorps ) ? If so would you recommend the company or share your good / bad expériences with me ? Thankyou

I would like to post a warning to anyone who has been as stupid as myself. We all take out our house insurance etc. I know we had the insurance agent at the house and he went all over the property and anyway he knew us personally as he lived in the same village. He gave us his advice on how to insure the property, responsibility civil etc. and we took it at face value. His wasn't the cheapest quote by a long way, however, we thought we were being well looked after and decided to go with the person we knew anyway. We have paid out insurance ever since for over 10 years. We did have one claim after the big storm some years back when we had minor roof and shutter damage and it all went pretty well but it was only a pretty small amount. We had the misfortune to suffer a house fire this year which has devastated us. 15 years of restoration gone up in smoke in 35 minutes. Obviously we were pretty seriously in shock and stupor following this and were pretty grateful when the insurance turned up a few days later to "sort it out" We got all the promises. We had had a firm turn up at the house the day after the fire asking us to take them as our personal expert to protect out interests. We were assured this was normal and was included in our insurance policy and would not cost us anything so we thought why not have our own advice. Our insurance company went ballistic. They said we had no right to do this we were not in dispute with them, they would look after us and anyway we would have to pay the fees. They convinced us to cancel with the other firm and assured us all would be okay. I was quite up in the air about it all as almost everyone we met said we should have our own representation.To cut a long story short and this is what I would like to warn people. Most insurance companies include this personal expert representation in the policy although some don't so you must check. I have now been led a dance for six months. I still have holes in my windows and doors, no hot water system and cannot use about 70% of my house.I am suffering now severely from stress and things have descended to a level of me receiving threatening letters from the insurance firm. I have now taken on a firm of my own insurance experts to protect my interests. Although they say there will be problems because they were not brought in straight away this can and will be rectified. They have gonethrough the paperwork I have to date and told me I have seriously underestimated the costs even though the insurance is attempting to cut this further. They have spent an preliminary four hours with me going through and explaining clearly exactly what they do and what the policy means and what the french law states. And here is my point. They maintain that french people find it hard to understand handling sinistres and for a foreigner even one who speaks pretty fluent French it is almost undoable.Apparently it is French law that in the case of a house fire the insurance company has its Expert and the client must have his own Expert and in the case they do not agree a third Expert will be called to mediate. The insurance company are responsible in my case for their Expert and mine and should a third be required half the cost would be theirs and half mine. In bullying me into not using an Expert they have in theory broken the law and they know it.So please if you are unfortunate enough to suffer a fire in your house DO get your own Expert. Do check your policy any expert firm will tell you if you will have to pay or if it is the insurance company and do ask around - for instance I have now found there are only two agree firms in the midi pyrenees who are used by the authorities in the case of public buildings i.e. schools and this would indicate their professionalism - I hope. Don't let your insurance company make you feel you are being greedy and aggressive by doing the right thing. I just hope that this will now be sorted and I was still squirming a bit about it until I received this very nasty letter from the insurance company this morning which has done me a favour in fact as I now know I have done the right thing at last.

Does anyone know if La Banque Postale has an English help contact? Thank you

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced, responsible solicitor in the UK? My husband died here in France last year and Phoenix Life requires a Grant of Probate t release pension funds. I have not any problems with others UK firms but they are standing tough on company policy. Location in the SW is preferred as our friends and family tend to live there. A small firm would be preferable since I like to deal with the person not a corporate place where I am paying big bucks for a student to fill out the forms and having somebody else sign them off. Thanks 

Hello,I hope someone can point me in the right direction, I am looking for a bank with an english speaking mortgage adviser. In the Gers or Haute Pyrenees would be ideal. After renting in France for a few years I'm now interested in getting a mortgage but doing it all in french is quite daunting, I would prefer to speak to someone with at least a little english to give me some advice/options.Many thanks

He said he would buy it and give us 250 Euro a month, we have seen nothing so we asked for it back  and he say it is in Spain and he can not fetch it back because when he was driving the French Police pulled him over and gave him a warning, which would result in a fine of 500-600 euro's can anyone help us with this the trailer it is a box trailer.

Hi, my wife and I moved to France (she is French), with out children and we are buying a house. my work has allowed me to work reduced shift pattern back in the UK.I travel to work for ten shifts a month over two weeks and spend the rest of the time at home. (I do not do any work from home and my job only occurs in the UK)what is the process(es) for me to pay the contribution to the French N.I.? as I will be residing primarily in France and only travelling to the UK for work.is it long and complex or straight forwarddo I need to change any tax code or anything in the UK?any advice is appreciated 

I am trying to find how to report a person who I believe may be in Europe illegally and is a con man.Can any-one tell me how to do this or do I simply go to the local Gendarmerie?

Would any readers please get in contact if they have had any dealings with Jeffrey Quirk, or know how to get in contact with him.

Has anyone any experience with having a will drawn up in Franc?

Hi, i know this subject has been dicussed here before but i cannot find it. Which banks will let you open an ordinary account while living in France ( is a British house address required ? ) Thanks 

Is there anywhere in St Gaudens that will exchange sterling cash for euros cash at a better rate than the local banks would charge?

Hello, Sorry if post already covered. Have been in France for over a year and have only applied for Caf as was unaware we would be entitled to it. I have just received a allocation number/ membership number. Will CAF automatically back pay me for the year already spent in France or do I need to alert them to this. How long will it take for them to start paying the amounts into our account. Thank you 

Hi AllCan anyone advise/suggest a good place in Toulouse where you can find a reasonable exchange rate form USD to Euros? Blagnac seems to be a rip off.thanks

I bought a coffee machine to make espressos and it only produces black coffee - no creme on top. Can I return it to the supermarket for a full refund or do I have to accept a credit or replacement? I bought it on Friday 4th so only had it 5 days. I'm not sure what the supermarket has to legally offer.