French Justice (part 2 - 2005)

In March 2005, I came to France to visit the property for the first time, and to sign the articles of association relating to the SCI, which had been drawn up by a local notaire chosen and consulted beforehand by my associate (on her own, of course!), who imposed herself as sole “gérante” (administrator) at that time. I was not fully informed of all the implications that this would involve with regard to the SCI's future management and operation, either by the notaire or by my associate. 

I returned to the UK a day or two later, and the final deed of sale on the property was signed on 31st March by my associate as “gérante” of the SCI.

I put my house in England on the market right away, and found a buyer towards the end of summer 2005, leading me to make the decision to leave England completely before the end of the year in order to go and live in what I thought was my house in France as my main home. This move took place at the end of November 2005 (I made two trips back and forth between England and France, with all my belongings) and my associate was at all times kept informed of my intentions in this respect.

Therefore, as of the end of November 2005, I was living in this property which I had purchased 50/50 with my associate (for me as my main home and for her at the time as a second home). I did not have any other living accommodation at that time and continued to live on the premises until I was forced out in May 2011, when the property was liquidated and sold at public auction.

From the very beginning, the SCI's management procedures (planning, budgeting, decision-making, accounting, working capital, etc...) were not carried out in accordance with normal rules (no general meetings, no joint decisions, no book-keeping) with regard to operation of the SCI, occupation of the premises, work to be undertaken, purchasing of materials or services, etc.... Despite my repeated requests, firstly to my associate as administrator and subsequently to the special administrator appointed by the court, the SCI's official paperwork (deeds, supplier invoices, cheque book, etc...) were never held available (as they should have been) and kept on file at the SCI's registered address.

French justice (part 1 - 2004)

This will probably be long (spread over several days), so I hope you are all sitting comfortably!!

I'm a Brit who has split her lifetime (living and working) between France and England since the late Sixties.

During 2004, while living in the UK, I started looking at ads on the web with the idea of buying myself a small property back in France, closer to my daughter. I found a couple of small properties that seemed interesting in the Loches area, south of Tours. Because the agency concerned hadn't met me and therefore wouldn't give me more information on the properties, I asked someone I knew living locally to make contact with the agency on my behalf, so as to have more information on the properties before travelling over to France and visiting them in person.

I had known this person for a couple of years and thought I could trust her, due to our shared interest in dog showing and breeding, our similar age (approaching sixty), our social situation (each of us living alone), as well as her professional status (French civil servant working for the tax authorities).

However, in addition to viewing the properties that interested me, this person also arranged to view other houses for sale with this same agency, in particular the property that was later to be co-owned between us as a French Société Civile Immobilière or SCI (non-trading property company). After her visits, she told me that the properties in which I was interested were not at all suitable and that it would be far better to buy this other property that she had visited in co-ownership with her.

On 12th December I arranged for a power of attorney with an English legal firm authorising her to sign house purchase documents on my behalf, and on 22nd December she signed the pre-sale agreement subject to suspensive conditions.

Since that time, I have come to know that my supposed “friend” (let's call her associate from now on) was in fact expecting an inheritance from her mother who had died a few months earlier. Until she received this inheritance, she would not have the necessary funds for purchasing the property and she therefore needed my financial input as collateral.

New beginning.....

I have just realised that I haven't posted anything on this blog of mine for almost three whole years!!!

Three years to escape from an impossible situation in France (on which I will write more later as a catharsis of my ghastly experiences) and to move to Morocco, where I hope to recover my health and spirit of adventure (already well underway I think, as I will try to show in subsequent posts here on this blog)

Three years in which I did precisely nothing, except try to extricate myself

Three years of misery and depression and loneliness

Now for the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First post of the year

winter has been hard to say the least especially knowing that the legal process is likely to take years rather than months - however this legal process covers both sides of the conflict......

brrrrrr

First ice today on the ponds



with a real white frost on leaves and grass



blessed at the start with a crisp clear dawn and then at the end with a magical sunset

La Bienvenue - morning

Today's photos show some of my favourite outdoor aspects of the property where I am living at the moment - and will hopefully continue to live once the unfortunate legal conflict has been finally (after nearly 3 years now) sorted out

First of all, the house itself (unfortunate about the ugly solar panels! especially as the hot water they produce is not of much use to me since the bathroom washing facilities were removed, leaving the whole house with just one single tap into the kitchen sink)


Some wonderful Oak trees


and the glorious Lime tree (Tilleul)


I love the play of early morning sunlight and this morning it was especially lovely after a slight frost. According to the weather forecast it is supposed to be rainy today - thank goodness they are so often wrong!!

Sloughis under autumn sunshine