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A devis (or quote) is a legal requirement in the building sector and for breakdown/ repair/ maintenance work in the electrical goods sector where the cost of the work is to exceed €150 (including taxes).
Generally speaking, a devis will be free, but the law does allow for it to be billed. If this is the case, the professional must inform the client of this cost beforehand.
The devis must legally carry a certain number of components:
* The date on which the devis was made.
* The name and address of the professional.
* The name and address of the client.
* The location where the work will be carried out.
* A detailed breakdown of the work to be carried out and the products necessary to do this work.
* The amount due with taxes included (prix TTC - Toutes Taxes Comprises), as well as the pre-tax price (prix HT - Hors Taxes) and VAT (TVA) charged.
A devis is only valid for certain period of time, meaning that the offer (for both the work covered and the price) is no longer valid after this date. If the deadline has expired, you must ask for a new devis.
When a client signs a devis, it becomes a binding document. It represents an agreement between the two parties to perform the work specified at the agreed price. As a result, a client who subsequently refuses to have the work carried out runs the risk of being asked for compensation by the professional. If the professional, on the other hand, asks for more money and does not have a signed devis to that effect, he runs the risk of the client refusing to pay.
If, during the process of the work, the professional realises that the nature of the work or the overall price may vary (for example, in a building project when walls hidden beneath panelling are found to be in a worse state than anticipated), he must inform the client and get their agreement before carrying out any extra work. Similarly, if a client asks for further work not specified on the original devis, it is again preferable to sign a second devis to that effect.
Vous avez acheté une propriété en Creuse car vous êtes tombés amoureux des arbres du jardin. Ils sont imposants, magnifiques mais..plantés très près du jardin voisin. Attention il y a des règles à respecter
La distance avec le voisin :
La loi française distingue selon que l'arbre ou arbuste a une hauteur de plus ou de moins de 2 mètres :
- S'il a plus de 2 mètres de haut il doit être planté au moins à 2 mètres de la propriété du voisin
- S'il a moins de 2 mètres de haut la distance avec le voisin doit être d'au moins 50 cm
Mais il peut y avoir des règlements particuliers (par exemple le maire de votre commune peut avoir décidé, par voie d'arrêté, une autre distance- renseignez vous à la mairie) ou des usages locaux qui diffèrent.
Comment calculer cette distance ?
La distance se calcule à partir du milieu de l'arbre jusqu'à la limite des deux propriétés.
Si la limite est un mur il faut déterminer à qui appartient le mur :
- Si le mur est mitoyen la distance se calcule jusqu'au milieu du mur
- Si le mur appartient au voisin la distance se calcule jusqu'au mur
Pour savoir si un mur est mitoyen au non les anciens avaient un « truc » : les tuiles posées au sommet du mur. Si les tuiles penchent d'un seul côté le mur appartient à celui vers qui les tuiles penchent. Si les tuiles sont posées en chapeau de chaque côté du mur, le mur est mitoyen. Cela permet de savoir à qui est le mur, des années après sa construction !.
La mesure se fait au niveau du sol même si l'arbre penche d'un côté.
La hauteur se calcule du pied de l'arbre jusqu'à son sommet même si le terrain est plus haut dans une propriété que dans la propriété voisine.
Que faire si la distance n'a pas été respectée ?
Le voisin peut exiger soit l'élagage de l'arbre soit son arrachage. Le choix entre les deux appartient au propriétaire de l'arbre sauf si l'arbre a été planté à moins de 50 cm de la propriété voisine. Dans ce cas l'arrachage de l'arbre est obligatoire.
Le propriétaire peut s'opposer à l'arrachage :
- Si l'arbre a dépassé la hauteur autorisée depuis plus de trente ans sans que le voisin s'y soit opposé
- Si l'arbre a été planté lorsque les deux terrains constituaient une seule et même propriété
- Si le propriétaire de l'arbre possède un titre l'autorisant à planter à une distance plus réduite
Que faire si les racines de l'arbre de mon voisin empiètent sur mon terrain ?
La loi permet de les couper même si l'arbre a été planté à une distance réglementaire. Il n'est pas obligatoire d'avertir le propriétaire de l'arbre avant de le faire.
Que faire si les branches de l'arbre de mon voisin empiètent sur mon terrain ?
Cette fois-ci il n'est pas possible de les couper soi-même. Il faut exiger du propriétaire de l'arbre/ arbuste qu'il élague. S'il ne le fait pas il faut s'adresser au tribunal d'instance dont on dépend. Cet élagage peut être demandé même si les arbres/arbustes ont été plantés depuis plus de trente ans et même si cette opération conduit à la mort des arbres/arbustes.
Les fruits de l'arbre de mon voisin tombent chez moi : dois je les lui rendre ?
Non il n'y a aucune obligation. Si les fruits tombent naturellement chez vous car les branches qui les portent sont chez vous, vous pouvez les ramasser et en faire ce que vous voulez.
So, you have bought a property in the Limousin after falling in love with the beautiful trees in the garden. They are statuesque and imposing... but planted very close to your neighbour's garden! Be aware, there are certain rules and regulations to consider.
The distance from your neighbour:
The law differentiates between trees or shrubs that have a height of more or less than 2 metres:
- If the tree or shrub is more than 2 metres tall, it must be planted at least 2 metres from your neighbour's property.
- If it is less than 2 metres tall, it must be planted at least 50cm from your neighbour's property.
There may, however, be individual rules and agreements in place locally (for example, the mayor of the commune may have decreed a different distance in a local by-law - check with your local mairie for more information).
How is the distance calculated?
The distance is calculated from the centre of the tree trunk to the edge of the neighbouring property. If the boundary is a wall, you must first establish to whom the wall belongs:
- If the wall is shared, then you should measure to the centre of the wall.
- If the wall belongs to your neighbour, then you should measure to the closest edge of the wall.
In order to establish whether or not the wall is shared, there is a traditional method that often works: the orientation of the tiles placed on top of the wall. If these tiles slant one way or the other, the property towards which they slant is the owner of the wall. If the tiles slant both ways, i.e. they form an inverted ‘V', then the wall is shared.
The distance is always measured at ground level, even if the tree leans to one side or the other.
The height of a tree is calculated from the base of the trunk to the top, even if the ground is higher in one property than the other.
What should you do if these distances have not been respected?
The neighbour can demand that the tree be either pruned or uprooted. The owner of the tree can choose between these options, unless the tree is planted less than 50cm from the property boundary, in which case it must be uprooted.
The owner can contest uprooting the tree under certain conditions:
- If the tree has exceeded the authorised height for more than thirty years without complaint.
- If the tree was planted at a time when the two properties formed one single property.
- If the owner possesses a ruling allowing him to plant it at a reduced distance.
What should you do if the roots of your neighbour's tree encroach on your property?
The law allows you to cut them, even if the tree has been planted at a distance within the regulations. You do not need to forewarn the owner of the tree before doing this.
What should you do if the branches of your neighbour's tree encroach on your property?
In this case, you do not have the right to cut the branches. You must request that the owner of the tree or shrub trims the offending branches. If he refuses, then you must take your case to a magistrates' court (tribunal d'instance). The pruning of the branches can be requested even if the tree or shrub was planted more than 30 years ago and even if in doing so the tree or shrub will die.
The fruit from my neighbour's tree falls in my garden - do I have to give it back to them?
No, there is absolutely no requirement to do this. If the fruit has fallen on your property naturally because the branches overhang your property, you can collect it and do whatever you like with it.
If you've recently bought a property with a plot of land, whether large or small, more often than not the boundaries of that property will be marked out either by a fence or a hedgerow.
In order to avoid potential problems and disputes further down the line, it is highly recommended to officially define the borders of your property (borner le terrain).
One common occurrence is that a neighbour will contest ownership of a certain part of a boundary area by, for example, removing or trimming a hedge or tree that they believe is on their land. If a large tree is involved, for example, which infringes on a neighbour's property and you cannot prove that the tree is on your land, you cannot contest it being pulled down.
What is bornage'?
Bornage is the French term for establishing the borders of a plot of land and refers to definitively establishing the border between two or more private properties. If your property borders publicly owned land, i.e. a public footpath or forest, then the rules are different: you would then need to ask the local authority concerned to perform the bornage and establish the exact boundary area.
Is it compulsory to legally establish the borders of your property?
No, bornage is not compulsory, but is strongly advised because the exact borders rarely feature in the deeds of the property, which will usually just refer to individual parcels in the cadastral plan and what they contain. Furthermore, the cadastral plan is not proof of ownership. In the case of a dispute, you cannot use the images on the cadastral plan to contest ownership with a neighbour.
Who can request bornage?
Only the owner may make a request to establish the borders of a property. A tenant, for example a farmer who rents a field for agricultural purposes, cannot instigate a request.
All parties concerned must be in agreement in order to establish the borders of two properties. If a property has joint owners, for example, both must be in agreement.
Two types of bornage: amicable and judicial
Amicable bornage:
If you acquire a property and are not 100% sure of the exact boundaries, it is strongly advised that you draw up an amicable bornage with your neighbour. You must first ask your neighbour or neighbours if they are happy to do so. A document is then written detailing the agreement reached by the property owners involved. The law does not require this document to have a specific format. In reality, this will usually involve the visit of a land surveyor who will examine the deeds of the various properties and the cadastral plan. The surveyor will then establish a verbal agreement between the parties and place boundary markers into the ground.
This agreement is then signed by all parties and sent to a notaire who will register the document with the relevant authorities i.e. the conservation des hypothèques.
Judicial bornage:
If one party refuses to enter into an amicable bornage or refuses to sign, then the only remaining option is a judicial bornage. In short, the law allows for all property owners to request their neighbours to legally establish the borders of their properties. The judge will assign a land surveyor to the case, and if one neighbour still refuses to sign the subsequent agreement, then the judge will make an independent and binding ruling. The agreement is again sent to the relevant authorities.
Who pays what?
The costs come in 2 parts: the fees of the land surveyor (who is independent) and those of the notaire (who is regulated). In the case of an amicable bornage, the charges are shared. In practice, the costs are usually shared, either 50:50 or proportional to the size of the parcels of land.
In the case of a judicial bornage, the judge is free to allocate the costs, for example he/she can assign all the costs to the neighbour who refused to sign the agreement.
Vous venez d'acheter une maison avec un terrain, grand ou petit. Le plus souvent il est clôturé par des piquets ou une haie (appelée bouchure) voire pas clôturé du tout s'il s'agit de la division d'une propriété plus grande.
Afin d'éviter beaucoup de difficultés ultérieures quant aux limites de propriété, il est vivement recommandé de borner son terrain.
Ce qui arrive le plus souvent est que l'un des voisins conteste à l'autre la propriété d'une partie du terrain par exemple en détruisant une haie située en limite de propriété en indiquant qu'elle lui appartient. Si cette haie est composée de grands arbres par exemple qui cachent bien la propriété voisine et si rien ne prouve qu'elle était sur votre terrain vous ne pourrez pas vous opposez à ce que les arbres soient abattus.
Qu'est ce que le bornage ?
Il s'agit de fixer de manière définitive la limite séparant deux propriétés privées ( si votre terrain borde une propriété appartenant au domaine public exemple : chemin communal, forêt domaniale... la règle est différente : vous devez demander à l'administration propriétaire de ce terrain de procéder au bornage)
Est il obligatoire de faire borner son terrain ?
Non le bornage n'est pas obligatoire mais vivement conseillé car les limites figurent rarement dans le titre de propriété qui précise seulement les références cadastrales des parcelles vendues et leur contenance. En outre le cadastre n'est pas une preuve de propriété. S'il y a un litige ultérieur vous ne pourrez donc pas utiliser les indications portées sur le cadastre pour vous opposer à votre voisin.
Qui peut demander le bornage ?
Seul le propriétaire peut demander le bornage. Un locataire (par exemple un agriculteur louant les terres d'autrui) ne peut pas faire procéder au bornage.
Tous les propriétaires doivent agir ensemble pour demander le bornage. Si une propriété est en indivision par exemple un co-indivisaire ne peut agir seul.
Deux types de bornage : amiable et judiciaire :
Le bornage amiable
Lorsque l'on acquière un terrain et que l'on est pas certain des limites de celui-ci il est vivement conseillé de faire procéder un bornage amiable. Pour cela il faut demander à son ou ses voisins s'ils sont d'accord. Un écrit est alors rédigé qui reprend les termes de l'accord conclu entre les propriétaires voisins. La loi n'impose pas de forme particulière à cet acte. Toutefois en pratique on a recours à un géomètre-expert qui se rend sur place, examine les titres de propriété de chaque partie et le plan cadastral, rédige un procès-verbal de bornage et pose les bornes sur le terrain.
Ensuite ce procès-verbal est signé par chaque partie concernée puis remis à un notaire qui l'enregistre à la conservation de hypothèques. Ainsi les erreurs sont corrigées pour l'avenir et aucune contestation ne sera plus possible sur les limites de propriété.
Le bornage judiciaire
Si l'une des parties refuse de signer le procès-verbal de bornage ou refuse un bornage amiable il faut s'adresser au juge. En effet la loi prévoit que tout propriétaire peut contraindre son voisin à effectuer le bornage de leurs propriétés contigües. Le juge désigne alors un géomètre-expert qui procède au bornage. Si l'un des propriétaires refuse de signer le procès-verbal de bornage ainsi établi, le juge rend un jugement qui rend ce procès-verbal opposable à ce propriétaire. Ce bornage judiciaire doit également être publié à la conservation des hypothèques compétente.
Qui paie les frais de bornage ?
Les frais de bornage sont de deux ordres : les frais du géomètre-expert (qui sont libres) et ceux du notaire (qui sont réglementés).
En cas de bornage amiable la loi prévoit que le bornage se fait à frais communs. En pratique le procès-verbal de bornage prévoit la répartition des frais ( exemple : par moitié ou en fonction de la superficie des terrains concernés)
En cas de bornage judiciaire c'est le juge qui décide librement, il peut par exemple imputer tous les frais à celui qui a refusé de borner son terrain.
'Gazumping' is the term used to refer to when a house seller accepts an offer from one potential buyer, but then accepts a higher offer from someone else. The first buyer is left in the lurch, and either has to offer a higher price or accept that they have lost that home and continue looking. This practice tends to occur in a market when house prices are rising as there are more buyers around than sellers.
The problem in much of the UK, for example, is that until contracts have been exchanged the sale agreement is not legally binding. Once an offer has been accepted, either the buyer or the seller can pull out at any time until the exchange of contracts. Unfortunately agents are legally obliged to inform sellers of all offers made on their property, even after one offer has been accepted. But during this period between the acceptance of the offer and exchange, the buyer spends a considerable amount of money on surveys, solicitor's fees, and confirmation of the mortgage offer.
There is very little you can do to repel a determined bidder.
With the ever-rising cost of housing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gazumping became commonplace in England and Wales because a buyer's offer is not legally binding even after acceptance of the offer by the vendor. The Scottish system of ‘conveyancing' has effectively eradicated most cases of gazumping. In Scotland a seller must provide written acceptance of a successful bid.
When property prices are in decline the practice of gazumping becomes rare. The term gazundering has been coined for the opposite practice whereby the buyer waits until everybody is poised to exchange contracts before lowering the offer on the property.
In France gazumping cannot occur since it is not allowed.
When the seller and the buyer have agreed on a reasonable price they sign a reservation agreement at the notaire or real estate agent's office. This will be in the form of an agreement to purchase (compromis de vente). This is a binding agreement and the seller is not allowed to accept a better offer. As soon as the reservation agreement is signed, the property is automatically taken off the market even if the buyer does not ask the notaire/ real estate agent to do so.
As soon as the reservation agreement is signed, the final deed of sale will be prepared. The notaire may ask the buyer for certain documents and he will make various checks with the administrative authorities, which usually take several weeks. Later the final deed of sale (acte de vente) is signed and the sale is complete.
The approach in France is a simple one. When the vendor and purchaser agree on what it is that is to be sold/purchased, that is to say the estate including any furniture, outbuildings, land, etc and have settled upon a price a sale/purchase contract is deemed to have been made. The initial purchase contract referred to below is simply therefore a written confirmation of an existing agreement. It follows that in contrast to the UK, the searches are carried out after exchange of contracts. This being the case, it is advisable to gain as much information as possible prior to signing the initial contract and to ensure that the contract is made subject to conditions as regards information that can only be obtained from the searches. The vendor is obliged to provide the purchaser with certain information, for example with respect to asbestos, lead, termites, electricity, sanitation, and risks. However, the level of protection afforded to the purchaser depends largely upon the correct drafting of the initial contract and it is therefore important to have specialist advice before signing the compromis.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC's ) have been in effect since 1st August 2007 in England and Wales for domestic properties with four or more bedrooms. The scheme was extended to encompass three bedroom homes from 10 September 2007.
In France this new obligation came into force for property sales from 1st November 2006.
This is a result of European Union Directive 2002/91/EC relating to the energy performance of buildings. This Directive itself was inspired by the Kyoto Protocol which commits the EU to reduce CO2 by 8% by 2010, to 5.2% below 1990 levels.
The aim of this certificate is merely informative : the purchaser is advised of the energy consumption levels of the property as well as its greenhouse gas emissions.
The EPC also includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency and reduce emissions in order to save money and help the environment.
It is obligatory for most property sales ( houses, shops, offices, factories, retail premises...).
The energy survey needed to produce an EPC is performed by an inspector (see above the list of inspectors in the Creuse ) who visits the property, examines key items such as loft insulation, domestic boiler, hot water tank, radiators, windows for double glazing, and so on.
He then inputs the observations into a software programme which actually performs the calculation of energy efficiency, and a recommended value of the potential for improvement. There are similar figures for environmental impact.
The seller will have to pay for the survey.
The maximum validity of the EPC is ten years but it is necessary to draw up a new one should the energy characteristics have changed.
The EPC should be annexed to the first contract, the reservation agreement ( compromis de vente ) or to the deed of sale (acte authentique de vente; drafted only by a Notaire) should the EPC has not been furnished at the time of the first contract.
The inspectors who do the survey are fully qualified and independant .
They are registered under an approved certification scheme.
You can find useful informations on an official website www.ademe.fr
The French land registry plans are known as the « cadastre ».The French Cadastre derives from the napoleonian Cadastre and applies to all urban and rural properties (built or not). The literal information is strictly linked to the geographical one.
A plot is defined as an entity linked to an owner and to a fiscal division, following the napoleonian concept. Basically, the cadastre has a fiscal function evoluting to an informative function and having, additionally, a certain probative function. The "Conservation des Hypothèques" Bureau keeps and manages the Land Register. In the Creuse it is located in Guéret (centre des impots fonciers).
The Cadastre is homogeneous on the whole French metropolitan territory with some small discrepancies for the Alsace-Moselle cadastre. From the outset users have had access to the cadastral documents. Anybody can consult these documents and obtain copies at the cadastre offices.
A copy of the local cadastre will be held in the local mairie, or the local land registry office, called the Centre des Impôts Fonciers- conservation des Hypothèques. You are entitled to visit their offices and freely inspect it.
Copies and extracts from the register and the plan are given for various purposes :
- people seeking fiscal information (basis of assessment of local taxes ...) or property information (situation and contents of property ...),
- accomplishment of real estate registration formalities for property transfers.
The French tax authorities have now made available online the land registry plans for large areas in France and there is an English version : http://www.cadastre.gouv.fr/scpc/changeLangue.do?lang=en&cty=EN
It provides a very useful source of propert information for international French property buyers. Unlike the UK land registry site, there is no details available either as to personal ownership nor the price paid by the present owner
The main missions of the cadastre are :
- fiscal (evaluation of real estate, determination of the bases for property taxes, identification of the taxable owners),
- legal and property related (identification and physical description of properties),
- technical (establishment of the cadastral plan and keeping it up-to-date, topographical pictures essential for the identification and physical description of the property if question).
But the plan cadastral is not proof of ownership. It is merely an administrative document. Moreover, the cadastre does not show the precise boundaries between properties and, as a result, they are not a definitive statement of the legal boundaries of a property, which can only be established by a land survey.
The cadastre plans literally tell you what you are about to purchase, so it's very important to study them carefully before making an offer.
The information on the plan cadastral may not be completely up to date, as it can take up to three years for new developments or other changes to be entered on to the plan.
When visiting a property for sale, make sure that you clearly identify the important aspects of the property (i.e. is there a septic tank, is the property connected to water and electricity?) If necessary, visit the local Mayor and ask for additional information. You may also consult the cadastral plan at the local Mayor's office.
The seller of a property is required by law to provide documentation of certain checks which must be performed by accredited organizations: checks for asbestos, lead, gas, termites etc. Not all checks are compulsory in all areas of France, but you can ask your Notaire to outline what is required, or visit the local Prefecture for more information.
The sale of a house has two distinct stages: the signature of the compromis de vente/promesse de vente (reservation agreement); followed several months later by the acte de vente (final deed of sale). Only the Notaire has the legal power to draw up this deed of sale.
Never pay any money directly to the seller - even it is accompanied by a receipt counter-signed by witnesses. All money in house sale transactions passes through the Notaire. Not only do you risk never becoming the owner if the vendor decides not to sign the acte de vente, but you also risk not being refunded your money.
For the seven days following the signing of the compromis de vente, the buyer may pull out of the agreement with no loss of deposit. If you are going to withdraw from a sale during this seven-day ‘cooling off' period, it is wise to do so by letter by recorded delivery. No money may change hands during this period.
Buying a property is a serious business: you must know exactly what you are buying and fully understand all the obligations that come as your part of the deal. If you are in any doubt, employ the services of a translator as all dealings with the Notaire are required to be in French and your Notaire is not required to translate for you.