How much more shit luck can there be?

[FreckledLeopard]

I want to write this thread and look back in 10 years when things have maybe worked out and when I'm not crying my eyes out in absolute despair. Any hand holding or sympathy or anecdotes about overcoming adversity most welcome.

I'm in France, clearing out my parents house of 30 years' worth of accumulated crap. They bought a place here in the middle of nowhere 30 years ago that needed total renovation, as a holiday home. My father had no DIY skills, neither of them spoke French. My dad then died 20 years ago and my mother has dementia. I've been trying to look after the place for the last decade, trying to juggle full-time work, trying to let the cottage here out as a holiday rental (the bit we did do up). I've paid all the bills, dealt with agents, answered emergency calls when visitors have a problem and tried to sort things out.

It got to the stage where it's been too much to deal with, too much work, too expensive. So took the heart-wrenching decision to sell back in May. Had the buyers from hell - English couple who have made my life a misery for the past 4 months, causing endless problems, delays, making numerous demands. Finally got here last week to clear everything out ahead of completion. Paid out thousands to removal men, for surveys, for translation costs. And now today, whilst the removal guy is here to take a few bits back to the UK, I get the news that the French rural affairs agency is exercising its pre-emption rights and wants to buy the land to sell to a neighbouring farmer, leaving me with a worthless house that can't be sold as no-one would buy it without the land.

I'm just sitting here sobbing. Have had four months of hell and now have a worthless house that I can't sell, nor can I afford to maintain it indefinitely. Bills are never-ending, maintenance is never ending. My teenaged step-daughter is dying of cancer. My daughter is on a gap year in Australia and now I can't afford to see her for Christmas. And everything is fucked because of the fucking French and their farmers.

Just cannot understand why everything is so shit right now. Desperately want to fast-forward a decade when this is all a distant memory.

Anyone with any pearls of wisdom (or knowledge of the French SAFER system?)

Have you spoken to the farmer to see if he would want the house at a reduced price otherwise you’re going to knock it down and leave the rubble?

Oh you poor thing. I am so sorry for your ordeal and your step daughter. I have no useful knowledge or advice but sending good wishes

You need to talk to the mayor. You may be able to appeal or get the commune to buy the building. How much is the farmer paying for the land? As a % of overall price? Has the price been calculated as agricultural land?

When you see the mayor you want to get a look at the PLU to check the land is zoned as agricultural.

Agent speaking to the farmer tomorrow. He wants the land. Doubt he would care less if we knocked the house down. Either need to come to some deal with the asshole to sell everything to him (assuming he's the one who has told SAFER he wants the land) or keep hold of a money pit. So far friends have suggested turning the place into a nudist camp. It's just a fucking nightmare. Why why why do the French have to make life so bloody difficult. How on earth can it be fair that a spiteful farmer can leave me with a worthless, land-less asset. It's not like it's some giant chateau. It's a derelict house with a barn that's falling down with some land, half of which is on a sodding slope. I just want to sell it, have a bit of cash, pay to get flights to see my daughter and use the remainder for my mother's care home fees. It's not much to ask.

It's definitely agricultural land. Am surrounded by fields and cows. If I sell the land I get €11,000 euros and the price of the house falls by 50% or more as a result, so I lose €50,000.

Any appeal would take months if not years and cost more money in French legal fees that I just don't have. It's impossible to take on French bureaucracy. And I can't see it getting any easier with Brexit.

You also need to check the plan cadastral. The droit de préemption applies to the whole parcel. I don't think they can split it. So if the house is on the same parcel as the land then they have to take the house too.

Until 2016 if SAFER wanted it then they had to take everything, house too, at market value. That all changed and now they can carve it up, leaving me with the house and a tiny bit of land, which no-one will want to buy. It's just a fucking crazy system. And SAFER would pay market value for land, which is peanuts, in accordance with their calculations.

What à nightmare. I do think the mayor is worth a try though. There may well be some past history (usually is in rural France!)

I've never heard of this before, it sounds horrifically unfair. Not much help but wishing you the best of luck and hoping it works out for you

Why is the the fault of the French?
And not the fault of your parents?

Because when her parents bought the place, the government couldn’t decide to split your land up and buy the bits they wanted.

So sorry OP. Do you have support eg from DH?

After 30 years shouldn’t you have grandfather rights
Presumably you’ve built up a little coterie of friends who could intervene on your behalf
Failing that what about local newspapers
If you’re going down take the farmer with you

The local newspapers are hardly going to side with British second homes rather than the local farmer!

I don't agree with compulsory purchase but you can't fight this in the same way you would in the UK. You need to get bureaucracy on your side. Find a loop hole. Use delaying tactics. The newspapers are not going to help.

Thanks all. Waiting to speak to SAFER on the morning to understand more about the pre-emption rights and options available. SAFER didn't exist 30 years ago in relation to plots this size. It's 5 acres - tiny in the grand scheme of things and it's the neighbouring farmer who is throwing his weight around and wants the land.

Just drink a lot of wine and going to hopefully sleep.

It's just crazy. Only a handful of sales that the (huge) agency has dealt with over the decades has SAFER involvement. And then we find out yesterday that DSD's cancer is one of fewer than 400 people diagnosed similarly over the past 30 years, globally. Just too much shit going on.

Just read through more of the safer details. You say the sale has taken 4 months. Safer had to reply within 2 months of being notified. Check with the notaire what date the notification was sent to safer. If they took more than 2 months they don't have the right to pre-empt. They also can't take a family garden less than 1500m2.

I don't know if you going to be able to fight it but it may be worth talking to a jurist if the Notaire isn't helpful. I know you don't want to spend any more fighting it but your house insurance may include some access to a jurist (sort of a lawyer).

Nothing useful to say but couldn’t read and run. Sending a big hug. 💐