Its been a pretty complicated couple of months. Work pressure, setting up a new company in France, and the general apathy of the French system makes a simple task last months.
If you’ve been reading my posts, you’ll know I’ve been waiting on a set of responses from various bodies – more pointedly, the notaire and the Town Hall in the village.

I want to ‘name and shame’ these two, because quite frankly both are useless.

The Notaire (conveyance solicitor) is one of the very best in Narbonne. I’ve used her before on several occasions, but now I realise she simply doesn’t care for small minnows. Big contracts, big money customers light her fire, and it seems like small scale customers are tossed aside in preference. She asked me for sketches of my proposals for this contentious land, which she was duly given, and since then…… nothing. Not an email, not a call, nada. Chasing up calls get nowhere, so you end end losing faith in the system that you seem to be constantly battling with.
Then there’s the Town Hall in the village. The Lady Mayoress assured me everything was fine, and that I should go ahead with the purchase. Then after several months of waiting, I get a letter from them stating that they’ve discussed the sale at the Council Meeting, and there are now two problems. Firstly, they want to know why I want to buy the land – she knows of course, I’ve explained everything to her at length. Can she have drawings and pictures of my proposals? All have been submitted and 8 weeks later no reply. Secondly, and more worryingly, is that the strip of land in front of the house is classed as being communal roadway. So after that was explained to me (the mayoress knew nothing of the correct procedure) they now state that they can’t sell it until it has been ‘declassified’. In other words, the Town Hall can’t sell me the land until a change-of-use has been applied. That takes 5-6 months if you’re lucky.

So the dilemma hasn’t been resolved. Everything was just ‘hanging’ – one person waiting for another who was waiting for another. So toss in a bit of Gallic shoulder-shrugging and you’re on a hiding to nothing.

Of course, the estate agent has been wanting news, the seller wants news, and I am eager to continue with the purchase.
Last week I decided enough was enough, and have made an appointment for the sale to be concluded on Monday 18th July at 5pm in Narbonne.

This is quite a calculated risk that I’m taking, and I’m hoping it won’t backfire. We’ll see in the coming months if I made the right decision, and I’ll keep you informed when I eventually get news from the Town Hall.