I have just read almost your entire story and I am so sad for you. I've never been in your situation but can imagine what a hell it is. I am so sorry for you and hope you get some justice soon. x

Thank you ConnieW! I posted this thread to seek advice and never imagined it would go on soooooooo long. I hope it all ends this year + I can have some peace of mind

Hi Suzie,
I wasn't criticising you in any way.
My comments were meant as a warning to potential expats who have the "big idea" of "let's move to France - we like France" and don't really research their project beforehand.
CJM is a former journalist in the UK - perhaps he can offer some advice.
Good luck.

Thanks again Cyrian! I'm open to all ideas + views, will help to hopefully not make the same mistakes in the future.

I can't hep at all but I can totally sympathise .

We have bad neighbours on one side and a pub has come to within 44 metres of our property.

We have been fighting anti-social behaviours and noise for a good six years & it is still not solved. I haven't updated my own thread of late. Perhaps I should.

Anyway, not to derail your own thread , just wanted to show some support and know you are not alone.

Hi BEVS

Thanks for your support! There seem to be more + more bods with neighbour problems, it's scary.

This is 2 Brit neighbours in France

British couple walled into French home by 'neighbours from hell' - Telegraph

I have seen + replied on other threads on the French forum, for others battling also. Think maybe we should all contact the Brit Embassy in Paris.
I did talk to someone there recently when changing my passport. She said there is no assistance at present, but maybe if there are several people with these problems they may have to consider helping in the future.

Hope you as we resolve our problems, bon courage!

Hi, while having every sympathy for you in your continuing plight, and others, I have to agree with Cyrian, that potential expats should research carefully regarding servitudes, rights of way, boundary lines, neighbours' trees, animals, etc... before buying property. The Notaire will have everything on paper but isn't expected to know the actual state of affairs.
Good luck in your personal fight!

Thanks DMU! yes I agree, part of our problem was my partner didn't check or question. I was back in the UK, had only visited properties with him for 2 weeks. The estate agent told us the garden was ours, my partner only discovered the truth the day he signed with the avocat.
I try + check everything now!

Servitudes and discrepancies have a tendency of appearing at signing time which always catches folk out but my advice would be if issues like this crop up stall the signing for research into the issue. These days even new builds on lottisments will come with 10 year restrictions on things like parking out the front, cutting foliage hanging unsightly laundry between properties etc etc.

Much that France is a lovely country and I wouldn't change it "Much" the French love to talk and they love to argue even more.

Hi Suzie

If you want to contact the press try this English language paper in France:

The Connexion - The Newspaper for English-Speakers in France

The Telegraph got the story from them. Although it is a monthly publication they post a newsletter on line every week.

Good luck.

Thanks grannybunz, will think carefully about it. I don't want any repercussions! great to have an answer to my question, thanks again.

May I ask the most obvious question....why not just sell up ? Price the flat low and get out. You are not going to win this battle.....well not in France. Walk away and get on with life.

Hi InTours

If you read my thread (sorry very long) you will see we tried to sell. The flat was on the market from July 2011 to Oct 2012. Once we had the agency in place to manage the coproprieté we tried to sell. Running out of time as we were moving to Lyon we switched to renting.
Reasons for non sale, garden issue not resolved and the scutty neighbours below. They live like pigs so we had lots of positive visits but once they saw the surrounding areas, garden, alley + neighbours dump of a terrace then no sale!!
We have been in effect blocked from selling 4X now. First time was discovering the dishonest idiot in charge of the bank account. Took us a year to resolve that prob. Then as above garden + mess. Our tenants initially wanted to buy but again due to the garden they wanted it resolved (even with a low price offered). They now have lost interest and want to move out. They also have had horrendous problems there!
Now we are back to the bank account problem again, so 2 legal cases that we have to declare. Who wants to buy a flat with all these probs? even at a low price! + all the village know about the problems as our tenants have made it public.
Believe me if we could sell we would. We cconsidered an auction but our avocat advised us auctions aren't common as UK and it costs. I have had so many ideas to try + sell but still we're stuck.

any other ideas?

Hi Suzie B

You are having a right nightmare.

If you sell it low enough (I mean low) it will sell. You have the choice of paying a lot of legal costs that will quite possibly get you nowhere vs selling it 50,000 euros below its market value. Why not ebay ?

Or.....just rent it out cheaply/at cost to students and give them permission to play their music as loud as possible.

I feel for you.

P.S...I don't get the bank account issue.

Hi again IT

Our tenants played music loud, the guy (army) threatened the idiot, his partner stood up to the scutty couple (sometimes her tack amazed me! but she's from near Menton so apparently they are tough there).
Bank account is managed by a 'president of the syndic'. This guy was in charge when we arrived. Just 3 flats, 3 invoices but he totally screwed it up!
In 2011 water + electric invoices not paid but more seriously buildings insurance. Lots of bank charges, penalties and even account blocked by Bank of France.
For the second time no buildings insurance and invoices not paid. The first time guy was paying late, this time he's not paid at all. From July 2011 to Oct 2014 they have paid BIG 0 and agency didn't cover.
This guy is again president of the account, we were outvoted. Seems to be no law against this?! now we have to get account taken away.
The electricity is a shared corridor (2 flats), water 3 individual meters but also main meter and insurance for total building.
We could pay to separate the water meter and ask electric co to direct invoice to either ourselves or other owner (not scuttys as they don't use corridor). Just leaves the insurance. I have tried to get my partner to do this, I asked ages ago about changing the water. He has left + left ........
Think when we have a meeting with the avocat I will ask him about all this and then try again to sell. Renting is costing us and who ever lives there will have problems.
Just to say the previous owner was a policeman and he was the 'president of the syndic'. The account was handed over in an up to date state and the property was clean + tidy. We thought we were buying a good investment property!