Tweedpipe

DMU,
I've been travelling, returned last night and just read of your loss.
I hasten to add my own heartfelt condolences, and the least I can offer is a most comforting virtual hug and big bisou.
You've been a light of inspiration to many on this forum - and I'm sure will continue to be, and it pleases me to see that others like myself are sharing their sorrows with you.
I know only too well with a fairly recent family loss that the administration/paperwork can be overwhelming, and a trusted notaire in these troubled times becomes a friend in need. Hopefully you have comforting support from your daughters, but please let me know if there is anything that Mme TP or myself can remotely assist with, translation or otherwise.

Not to unduly burden you, but a timely reminder to any reading this who may not have made direct debit provisions for the following:
Tax foncier/property ownership tax demands were sent out in Sep, and payments now due (Oct).
Tax d'habitation/property residence tax demands get sent out this month, with payments due next month (Nov).

Smiling at the final comment of your post, I can assure you that mise en bier - ou rosé, whenever I drink either from now on will provoke an additional humorous thought.
Once again, be assured that our thoughts are with you during this sad period.
Un calin d'ours et bisous reconfortants sur les deux joues. Bon courage! - TP

dmu

Thanks for that!
(I read the last sentence too quickly and saw Bisounours!)

dmu

Update:
Tp said once that Assurances-Vie might now be included in the Succession and taxed, but OH's A-Vs were taken out last century and are apparently old enough not to be included.
Consultation with the Notaire this morning. Despite a complex situation (3 older children from the quaint French expression "premier lit"), OH's Succession is relatively straightforward, as both our properties had been "donated" to our daughters over the years, and savings were put away in Assurances-Vie. The contents of his various Bank accounts and Shares Portfolio are the only assets included in the Succession and the sum is only a fraction of the Allowance for the Taxe de Succession, so no Taxe for any one on their share of the Inheritance.
I can't emphasize enough the importance for property owners to get advice from the Notaire as to the best way of protecting every one's interests. And for spare cash: Assurances-Vie, Donations to children over the years, etc... - there are plenty of ways out there for legally avoiding Taxe de Succession!
And I can't emphasize enough the importance of being able to communicate in French (written and spoken) when dealing with all the Bureaucracy. I'm comfortable with French legalese and can cope with the Succession side, but I'm allergic to French Administrations and apprehend their responses....
A propos, I would advise those of you who are working in France and contributing to French Pension Funds to keep a special file handy with all the current addresses and references, to avoid unnecessary hassle for the surviving spouse.
I'll be back if there's anything interesting to relate.
Meanwhile thanks once again to all you guys for your sympathy. Bises to you all xx

Rosemary

You have already had my sincere condolences but I wanted to thank you for being courageous enough to tell the France forum and for sharing your new found knowledge as this will be very helpful for other people unfortunate to share your experience.

Rosemary

spouse of scouse

DMU - have just read of your loss. I'm so sorry that you've lost someone who you obviously loved very much. He must have been a very special person to be the soul mate of a lovely person like you. My deepest sympathy and lots of love to you xx

Tweedpipe

DMU, you are of course correct. Whether the French Assurance Vie is included in the succession and taxed or not, depends on the number of years they have been held.
One of my previous comments referred to a plan by Bruno Le Maire earlier this year, where it was stated that in the context of the Pact Act, savers were no longer encouraged to place the bulk of their savings on euro funds life assurance or on the Livret A, but to invest more in long-term equity investments. Ourselves having taken out two separate Assurances-Vie policies 14 years ago, it's our understanding that these could well be taxed under changes to succession regulations.
Once again, true to form, the government having for years encouraged the placement of savings in Assurances-Vie's, have narrowed the goalposts, just like they did with strongly encouraging people to purchase diesel vehicles (with tax incentives) some 15 or so years ago because they were far better for the environment!
Fwiw, in the case of the late m-i-l here, the notaire wasn't interested to know about the Insurance Vie held, not even the amount, and advised Mme TP to contact the Assurance company directly for payment, which she did and it was promptly made.
And you are also right that careful succession planning should be made well in advance by donations etc, for as witnessed recently the notaire's fees came to peanuts (for a great deal of work) compared to the huge chunk taken by the government in tax - for doing sweet f-all.
I've always thought, and am now convinced that death duties and many misc taxes are nothing short of robbery, and consequently hold Robin Hood high in esteem for his courageous acts.

Annetje

And my bank (SG) was trying to sell me an assurance vie just last week, saying it would not fall under succession ...
Thanks to Brexit () I decided to wait.

.

Chatter Static

Been miles away, Hope your OK Diane.....! ;-( I have been in Urgencies every Sunday for the last month which is becoming a tad boring now although I think they find it amusing I'm also sick of sunday tv on TF1and next time I go to Urgencies will be taking my own Samsung TV remote, I prefer rosé these days as well it's the best of both vines and I don't have to share it......... Having been through the rigmarole here I hope you and your family are ok and my condolences to you.

All my best.......

dmu

Thanks for that, the TF1 comment made me chuckle...
So sorry to hear of your own health problems....
P.S. to all you virtual friends - the Forum has been a great help, not only your sympathy, but also by letting me get it off my chest. French Bureaucracy is a good butt for my out-of-place humour, and I'm sure there's more to come...

Rosemary

Not out of place at all but a helpful and healthy way of coping with all of the paperwork and problematic people that you have to deal with.

Rosemary

TandD2017

Not sure it helps, it is very different in many ways, but I lost my dad at Easter who lived in France. I happen to live in the Caribbean, jeez . . . the paperwork still drags on now. It is a sad sad time to lose a loved one and you have my deepest sympathies but stay strong (you have to). For me my Dad died in a country he loved, he was truly happy there so all the hassle is worth it.

jjmb

Being an infrequent guest on this forum as neither of my parents live in France anymore, I had missed this thread. So sorry to hear about your loss and the subsequent difficulties with the bureaucracy, you have my upmost sympathies.

dmu

Not really an update, but I received the 5 copies of my Birth Certificate today, 5 weeks after ordering them on-line. I'm sending one off to the one and only Caisse de Retraite which has actually replied to my LRARs, providing a home-made translation and explaining that British BCs don't have "mentions marginales". I'm now apprehending their reaction to something out of the ordinary in the dossier....
All of OH's Assurances-Vie were transferred into my name quite quickly.
No news on the Succession front, but I'm not expecting anything to happen before Christmas. At least the Notaire would have told me by now if some documents were lacking.

dmu

As an update, the Succession is still pending! The Notaire has dragged it on so long that OH's Birth Certificate became invalid and he had to obtain another one. His Clerc also forgot to send Procurations to all of OH's children, which is cutting it fine for the final Signature by all the direct heirs before mid-March, since two are abroad and will have to sign them at their respective French Consulates and send them to the Notaire before the deadline. Things may have changed in the last few years, but UK heirs to French property used to be able to sign Procurations before a Commissioner for Oaths if they're unable to attend the Signature in France.
As for the Pensions de Réversion, relatively small percentages are gradually trickling into my coffers, the State Pension CNAV being the only one still pending. For them, it's a case of don't ring us, we'll ring you, and no news is in fact bad news.... (No Pension de Réversion if your personal income exceeds a certain threshold).
When the Succession is settled, I'll then look forward to making two separate Déclarations des Revenus this year. I mention this, because divorced couples must also make before-and-after Déclarations - tax-rates differ depending on your marital status.

Tweedpipe

DMU, Sorry to hear you appear to have a Notaire who has dragged his heels on something that one always hopes would be finalized in a professional manner and asap.
Not so long back we dealt with a Notaire in the Aude department. He was a total waste of space dealing with a succession, and after leaving him a generous amount of time to complete things we heard nothing, even after several phone calls to his office.
Then at around the same time we had the succession of the m.i.l. to deal with, and contacted a notaire local to us who was first class. Mme TP mentioned the problems still being encountered in the Aude, and she was advised that it wasn't normal if a succession is relatively straight forward (which is was), and to send a very harsh letter by registered mail. That letter made ref to advise given from her own Notaire, and it worked! 10 days latter we heard that the overdue succession affair had just been completed.
Hope you get things sorted soon.