TextualHealing

He does (I do) but only to a certain level. Your suggestion about getting a notaire to explain the contract sounds a good one- but I've also read that notaires are reluctant to do this as their poor English or misunderstandings may leave them open to later liabilities....

EuroTrash

That's exactly why an intepreter would be a good idea

Chatter Static

All Notaires should explain the contract albeit in French but finding someone competent to give you an hour of their time shouldn't work out too expensive for both the signing dates. It will give you piece of mind and save on nasty surprises like being responsibly for repairing something and having to foot the whole bill.

Translators Pages Jaunes local to Hendaye Here and Here

EuroTrash

I believe the correct procedure is, you all sit down round a desk, the notaire reads the contract out page by page and gives you and the seller chance to ask for clarification, then at the end you both initial the bottom corner of every single page to confirm that it has been read out to you and you accept it ('lu et approuvé'). If during the reading-out something comes up for discussion and you and the seller agree it needs altering, that page is taken out, his secretary makes the change it and prints off an amended page.
My contract had about 40 pages and I had writer's cramp by the time I got the keys.

dmu

+1
This is just about it. If TH wants to read through the Compromis before the signature date, he can ask the Notaire for an appointment beforehand, with an interpreter, and iron out any queries then. The good thing nowadays, when it comes to the final signature of the Acte, is that the initialled and signed Compromis comes up on a screen, the Notaire reads it through again and makes sure that all parties are in agreement, and everyone signs "electronically".
Just as important are the "Copropriété" clauses which the Notaire can check. TH should go to all the AGMs organised by the Syndic for his building, esp. to have his say on any maintenance and/or renovation works.

EuroTrash

Also a good notaire will make sure in advance that both parties are going to understand, so unless the notaire is happy to explain things in English he'll either want to satisfy himself that your French is up to it, or he'll expect you to bring sombody competent along with you. My seller (English) brought his teenage daughter and the notaire officially expressed doubts and made the seller state in so many words that he was confident in her abilities and didn't want an interpreter. In fact her French seemed fine but she was too young, you could see that she understood the words but not the legal concepts she was trying to translate. But there was nothing dodgy in the contract apart from DIY work with no guarantees, which was all covered in a special clause to protect him.

Novocastrian

^ Interestingly, in Germany,a translator must be present at the contract signing meeting if either party to the transaction doesn't have German as their first language.

When I sold our house there after 8 years in the country I had to cough up 200 DM to pay for the Dolmetscher who never spoke a word during the meeting (because my German was fluent by then).

TextualHealing

I'm moving in that direction...

Tweedpipe

I agree with what you're saying here DMU.
However, sitting in on official Copropriété meetings, and participating, is easier said than done - especially for anyone who is not fluent in French, or who has difficulty in following a conversation conducted at a normal French pace i.e. fast! And unless there were several English owners there, and the Syndic were used to slowing the pace, and repeating particular issues, I can't see that in general they would be too cooperative.
This is an interesting issue, and should perhaps be carefully considered by prospective property purchasers who may be having difficulty in choosing between an apartment or a house.

dmu

... true, especially if the meeting takes place in a hall with awful acoustics!
.... We own an appartment that we rent out, and paid out a fortune last year, participating pro rata in a new façade, voted by a majority of owners (who admittedly do live on the spot).

Chatter Static

Nothing electronically signed at our last house purchase good ol on paper and a good dose of hand cramp at the end.

It all gets stored electronically at the end because the Impots "Taxman" have all the contracts for house sales scanned and stored within their system. As we had to query something and they showed us the acte final and how they had based the bill we had.

SuzieB

Thanks chatter that was a sobering read from SuzieB about her neighbours from hell and the other guy with the (I guess) 'Pikeys' on the adjacent land. But bad neighbours aren't a specifically French problem, nor are they something you can defend yourself against in a contract.


Hi Textualhealing


Thought I'd add to your post to help you! please check the cadastre, something my partner didn't do. Also, if you're buying a flat in a 'coproprieté, keep a close eye on the accounts. That said, it's hard as you only have access to the accounts once a year. Managing agencies take the money and do nothing! Read my post again to avoid all the pitfalls. You can't check out the neighbours from the contract but you can ask locally about the neighbours. Bad neighbours are as you say not specifically a French problem but it's impossible to resolve the problems here. At least in UK the Environmental Health would have resolved our problem of the smoking van, dead rabbits, patio resembling a rubbish tip etc.
Hope your flat will be a happy home and problem free. Good Luck

TextualHealing

tweed. It's not a choice. hendaye is a des res - population growth around 14% in 10 years. I want to be in walking distance of amenities and the beach. Ergo house (or even rez de chausse) are unaffordable. I'm getting quite good at tactfully telling French people when they are taking too fast for me to understand them.

dmu

We sold a piece of land last month, so maybe it's a recent innovation.
The hand cramp was for the Compromis de Vente several months beforehand!

SuzieB

Another thought, ask to see the dossier for the coproprieté. The present owner should have this and I read that you can ask to see this. If there are any problems you will find in the minutes of meetings or other docs.