France in Focus

The Notaire holding the money from my father's estate is ignoring all e-mails to get it transferred to us.

Next step I shall put everything together in a recorded letter and see how that goes.

But if that fails, what is the next step? I wonder if they have ring-fenced the money - if they are even supposed to - or whether there is some other reason.

Strickly legal or Fiscal unsure which one applies but they have some good contributors.

I would ring up the notaire and demand the balance or an explanation of why not. It could be that he/she is awaiting the Fisc's green light on the amount of duty to be collected.

A notaire in our departement was placing property purchase funds in her personal account to be held until the paperwork was complete. It must have been a temptation to drag her heels in order to gain interest on other peoples' money as long as possible. She was eventually found out and lost her qualification.
Last heard of practising in UK where corruption is more acceptable.

Notaires are not always what they are cracked up to be. We have had experience of a couple of totally useless ones.

Slight digression, but I've had to visit Notaires in France on a few occasions for previous clients - when they have sold up. One lot managed to lose a big lever arch file that was full of private information, and precious photos. Another said they couldn't pay proceeds of sale into a non-French account, and we had a devil's own job between them and the French bank (who said it wasn't a problem to pay to a foreign account). Notaire offered to take money back, and resend it. No thanks buddy - we'll sort it ourselves! Just more delaying tactics .....

Having worked in Solicitors' Offices in the UK for many years, I wouldn't trust any of them!

Hotrodder wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:05 am A notaire in our departement was placing property purchase funds in her personal account to be held until the paperwork was complete.

Notaires are required to put the funds into a holding account where no interest may be gained by the notaire. I'm glad she was caught. There was something similar with a notaire where we used to live - he was caught and struck off.

Bayleaf wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:26 am Having worked in Solicitors' Offices in the UK for many years, I wouldn't trust any of them!

Ahem.

MAD87 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 1:55 pm

Bayleaf wrote: ↑Fri Oct 14, 2022 11:26 am Having worked in Solicitors' Offices in the UK for many years, I wouldn't trust any of them!

Ahem.

Present company accepted (excepted?) of course!

Even excepted,