NEWS
HONESTY PAYS
L
ying or failing to declare an event in a risk report can be costly for a property seller.
Le Figaro reports that the court of appeal in Montpellier recently upheld the annulment of the sale of a house 13 years later, with full restitution of the price, because the vendor had falsely declared that the premises had never flooded. L’État des Risques et Pollution
(ERP report, previously called état des risques naturels, miniers et technologiques) is not to be taken lightly. The matter took
a turn when the house suffered two floods within the space of a week, and the incident was classified as natural disaster (catastrophe naturel). As it turns out, the new owner discovered that this was the 12th such officially classified incident since 1982 in the same town, six of which had been floods and mudslides. To add insult to injury, the
buyers discovered that the seller’s name was on the list of victims for a flood that had taken place eight years before they bought the house, which promoted them to take legal action. Although the contract included a clause waiving the right to annul the
MAKE DO AND MEND T
he government is encouraging the French to mend, repair and reuse, and this
time they are looking at your wardrobe. Along the same lines as the bonus reparation that came into effect last summer in the form of a rate subsidy of between €10 to €45 depending on the type of appliance to be repaired from TV’s to washing machines or lawn mowers, a similar incentive is now offered for recycling your fashion
choices. If you repair what you already own rather than buy new, the scheme will provide grants for textiles. Provided within the
framework of the anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec), the system will provide a range of subsidies depending on the work involved. Le Figaro explains that you can expect to get €7 to repair a heel and up to €25 to replace a lining, as long as you use dressmakers and shoemakers who have joined
NEWS IN BRIEF
Val Thorens has been voted Best Ski Resort in the World for the 8th time in 11 years at the World Ski Awards. The highest ski resort in Europe at 2,300m, Val Thorens is part of Les 3 Vallées, the largest interconnected ski area in the world with 600km of pistes and 162 lifts. Every year, 216 destinations from 26 counties apply for the awards, with over 2.3 million people – consumers and ski industry professionals – voting online.
France suffered the third highest tourism losses worldwide after the pandemic, just behind Spain and the US. The French tourism sector was down by 41% causing a shortfall
in 2022, and has recovered 88% of 2019 passenger traffic levels.
of €61bn. However, tourism in France grew by 12.3% in the first quarter of 2023, with the biggest increase from luxury hotels (occupancy up by 31.4%).
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has been crowned the Overall Winner of the 2023 Routes Awards, as well
12 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: January/February 2024
as taking home the over 20 million passenger award. The airport aims to develop a new airport model geared towards sustainability and performance, along with a a focus on increasing direct connectivity. Paris Charles de Gaule added 71 new routes and 23 new destinations to its map
After maternity and paternity leave, parents may be entitled to family leave in future, which they could take at the same time or one after the other, full or part time. Solidarity Minister Aurore Bergé said in an interview with L’Express that this congé familiale could come into effect in 2024 and is likely to coexist and be “much better paid” than the current level of parental leave compensation. Created in 1977 and amended a number of times since, congé parental allows parents to put their careers on hold until the child is three years old.
the Refashion environmental certification, granted by the organisation that is piloting the project on behalf of the government. These discounts will be applied directly to the repair bill. The aim is to support
the artisans who carry out repairs, not only to the workshops but also the retailers who offer this service, with the hope of creating jobs and promoting conservation habits.
sale after the sellers had been informed of the risks, the court found that the contract was void as the vendor had made a false declaration. The sellers were ordered to reimburse the €400,000 purchase price, plus notary and estate agent fees.
90/180 RULE QUESTIONED An amendment to France’s immigration bill, proposed by Senator Martine Berthet (who represents Savoie in the French Alps), which would grant an automatic right for Brits with second homes in France to stay for longer than three months at a time, was passed by the Senate in November. However, by the end of the month, the proposal had been thrown out by MPs in the National Assembly. It was opposed for various reasons including the fact that France already has a visa system in place, and that the proposal shows favouritism to British second-home owners, potentially causing financial inequality with other groups of travellers. At the time of writing, the full debate has yet to be held, and MPs who support the idea could resubmit it as another amendment.
© FRANÇOIS GOGLINS | WIKICOMMMONS
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