Kohen Avocats, real estate law in Meaux
Real estate lawyer in Meaux: leases, co-ownership, construction
Unpaid rent, notices to quit, co-ownership charges, construction defects, a property sale that goes wrong: as a real estate lawyer in Meaux, the firm advises and defends landlords, tenants and co-owners, from formal notice through to the judge. You may choose your lawyer, whichever bar they belong to.
Quick, confidential response. In real estate matters, positions harden quickly: the earlier counsel is involved, the more options remain open.
Reda Kohen
Lawyer at the Paris Bar — real estate law, leases, co-ownership and construction.
Official profile on the Avocat.fr directory
Page updated on 7 August 2026.
Leases and rent
Unpaid rent, notices to quit, security deposits, inventories of condition: the firm defends landlords and tenants alike, from formal notice to the hearing.
Co-ownership
Unpaid charges, challenges to general meetings, works, disputes with the managing agent: the firm acts for co-owners and for co-owners' associations alike.
Sales and construction
Latent defects, construction defects, ten-year builder's liability, off-plan sales (VEFA): builders bear ten years of liability by operation of law (Article 1792 of the French Civil Code).
Quick answer
Real estate law is played out on two fronts. First, the amicable stage: formal notice, negotiation, settlement agreement — most lease, charges or works disputes are resolved before any hearing when they are taken in hand early. Then the judge: in Meaux, the judicial court, known as the tribunal judiciaire, at 44 avenue Salvador Allende, hears residential leases, co-ownership, sales and construction cases; the administrative court of Melun, at 43 rue du Général de Gaulle, hears building permits and planning matters. No rule requires you to choose a local lawyer. First confidential conversation on +33 6 46 60 58 22.
Understanding your situation
Real estate law in Meaux, explained
Leases, co-ownership, sales and construction are governed by the French Civil Code (Code civil), the Law of 6 July 1989 and the Law of 10 July 1965. Everyone may choose their own lawyer, whichever bar they belong to. What you need to know, step by step.
Key points
Real estate litigation: two courts, one method
Address, contacts, appeals: the practical points.
Residential leases, co-ownership, sales, construction: Meaux judicial court, 44 avenue Salvador Allende, 77100 Meaux — tel. 01 60 09 76 82.
Building permits, planning, pre-emption: Melun administrative court, 43 rue du Général de Gaulle, 77000 Melun — tel. 01 60 56 66 30.
Appeals go to the Paris court of appeal, 8 boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris, or to the Paris administrative court of appeal, 68 rue François Miron, depending on the subject matter.
Residential leases fall within the jurisdiction of the protection litigation judge, who sits at the judicial court; evictions are subject to the winter eviction moratorium (trêve hivernale) from 1 November to 31 March.
The firm, based on rue Margueritte in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, advises and defends landlords, tenants, co-owners and project owners in Meaux; where the law requires a local lawyer for territorial representation, it arranges this with a colleague within the jurisdiction. What matters: command of the subject and availability, from the first appointment through to the hearing.
Residential lease
The residential lease: rights and obligations, step by step
A contract tightly regulated by the Law of 6 July 1989 — largely a matter of public policy.
For landlords
- Unpaid rent: act early — formal notice, formal demand to pay, then termination and eviction under the judge's supervision.
- Notice to quit to sell, to take back the property or for a legitimate and serious reason: strict requirements as to form and time limits (Article 15 of the 1989 Law).
- Damage and tenant repairs: the entry and exit inventories of condition provide the evidence — the costing is prepared item by item.
Tenant's side
- Security deposit not returned, unfit housing, works that are the landlord's responsibility: rights that must be asserted, with evidence.
- An irregular notice to quit has no effect: its validity can be challenged before the judge.
- In the event of unpaid rent, the winter eviction moratorium suspends evictions from 1 November to 31 March (Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures).
The reflex: record everything in writing from the first incident — letters, photos, inventories of condition. In lease matters, the case is won on evidence.
The firm handles all real estate disputes:
Co-ownership and construction
Co-ownership, construction, neighbours: the other fronts
Technical regimes where time limits govern everything — and are quickly lost.
Charges and general meetings
Recovery of charges, challenges to general meeting decisions within a strict time limit, disputes with the managing agent: the Law of 10 July 1965 governs life in the building.
Ten-year builder's liability
The builder is liable by operation of law, for ten years from acceptance of the works, for damage that compromises the soundness of the structure or renders it unfit for its purpose (Articles 1792 and 1792-4-1 of the French Civil Code).
Latent defects and off-plan sales
Latent defect, incorrect surface area, late delivery, snags not remedied: the buyer is not without recourse — actions become time-barred quickly, so speed matters.
Neighbourhood disturbance
Encroachment, noise, views, easements: an abnormal neighbourhood disturbance engages the liability of its author, even without fault — the case is built on bailiff's reports and measurements.
The general limitation period is five years (Article 2224 of the French Civil Code); in construction, ten years from acceptance. Dating the starting point precisely is often half the case.
Timeline
From formal notice to court: how a case unfolds
The typical stages of a real estate case handled by the firm in Meaux.
The dispute
Unpaid rent, defects, contested notice to quit, general meeting decision: date the facts and gather the documents from day one — the case is built there.
The consultation
Analysis of the contract, time limits and evidence; quantification of the loss; choice of route — amicable, urgent application or full hearing on the merits. The strategy is set with the file in hand.
Formal notice
A lawyer's letter, precise and dated, resolves many disputes; it changes the balance of power and prepares the court action if one proves necessary.
The writ of summons
Failing agreement, the case is brought before the judicial court of Meaux, 44 avenue Salvador Allende — by urgent application (référé) where urgency or obviousness allows.
The hearing and the decision
Court-appointed expert assessment if needed, pleadings, oral argument: each claim is quantified and proved, document by document.
The appeal
The judgment may be appealed within one month before the Paris court of appeal, 8 boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris (Article 538 of the French Code of Civil Procedure).
Preparing your case
Documents to gather
The checklist that counts, whether out of court or before the judge.
The contract: lease and amendments, deed of sale, construction contract, co-ownership regulations.
Entry and exit inventories of condition, acceptance reports, snags noted at acceptance.
Rent receipts, statements of charges, calls for funds, payment records.
Written exchanges: letters, emails, formal notices, minutes of general meetings.
Dated photos, bailiff's reports, quotes and invoices for works.
Surveys and diagnostic reports, out-of-court expert reports, technical reports already prepared.
Send what you have, even if incomplete: the firm will prioritise and complete the file with you. In an emergency, call +33 6 46 60 58 22.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Ten detailed answers, based on the texts in force, checked on Légifrance.
Can a Paris lawyer handle my real estate case in Meaux?
Yes. Advice, negotiation and drafting know no bar boundaries; the firm follows its cases in Meaux from start to finish.
Before the judicial court of Meaux, where the law requires representation by a local lawyer (avocat postulant), the firm arranges this with a colleague within the jurisdiction: you keep your own lawyer for strategy, drafting and the hearing. Before the administrative court, there is no territorial representation rule.
The firm, based on rue Margueritte in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, acts for landlords, tenants, co-owners and project owners in Meaux.
My tenant has stopped paying: what can I do, and how quickly?
Act quickly and in the right order: written reminder, formal notice, then a formal demand to pay invoking the lease's termination clause, served by a commissaire de justice (bailiff).
If the arrears persist, the matter is brought before the judge to record or order termination of the lease and order eviction; the winter eviction moratorium suspends enforcement from 1 November to 31 March (Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures).
The firm secures each step — defects of form cost months of lost proceedings — and calculates the arrears with interest.
Tenant: what are my rights faced with a notice to quit or a damaged home?
A notice to quit is valid only if it meets the conditions of ground, form and time limit set by Article 15 of the Law of 6 July 1989; an irregular notice can be challenged before the judge.
Faced with unfit housing or works that are the landlord's responsibility, the tenant may demand performance, claim damages, and assert their rights over the security deposit.
The firm also defends tenants: the 1989 Law is a matter of public policy, and it protects both parties.
How can I challenge a co-owners' general meeting decision?
General meeting decisions are challenged before the judicial court, within a strict time limit running from notification of the minutes: the key is to date that notification precisely.
Only a co-owner who voted against, or who did not attend, may bring an action; how you voted at the meeting therefore determines your right to act.
The firm analyses the minutes, the notices of meeting and the majorities applied — many annulments are won on procedure.
Which court hears my real estate dispute in Meaux?
Residential leases, co-ownership, sales, construction: the judicial court of Meaux, 44 avenue Salvador Allende, 77100 Meaux — telephone 01 60 09 76 82. Residential leases fall within the jurisdiction of the protection litigation judge, who sits there.
Building permits, planning, pre-emption: the administrative court of Melun, 43 rue du Général de Gaulle, 77000 Melun — telephone 01 60 56 66 30.
Appeals go, depending on the subject matter, to the Paris court of appeal, 8 boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris, or to the Paris administrative court of appeal, 68 rue François Miron.
Latent defects, problems after building works: what are my remedies?
After a sale, the warranty against latent defects allows an action against the seller; after building works, ten-year builder's liability covers for ten years damage that compromises the soundness of the structure or renders it unfit for its purpose (Articles 1792 and 1792-4-1 of the French Civil Code).
Expert assessment — out of court, then court-appointed if necessary — is often unavoidable: it fixes the evidence and quantifies the cost of remedial work.
The firm brings in builders and insurers, building-damage insurance included, and follows the expert assessment step by step.
A building permit affects my land: can I challenge it?
Yes, under strict conditions: a third-party challenge is brought before the administrative court within two months, running from the first day of a continuous two-month period during which the permit is displayed on the site (Article R*600-2 of the French Planning Code).
Standing to act must be demonstrated: the proximity and the real impact of the project on your property must be documented precisely.
The firm brings the case before the administrative court of Melun, where no territorial representation is required.
Neighbourhood disputes: what can the firm do?
Noise, encroachment, views, loss of sunlight: an abnormal neighbourhood disturbance engages the liability of its author, even without fault — the abnormal nature must still be proved.
Bailiff's reports, acoustic measurements, dated witness statements: the case is built before the hearing.
The firm favours rapid resolution — formal notice, mediation — and goes to the judge when that fails, by urgent application if need be.
How long do I have to act?
The general limitation period is five years from the day you knew of the facts enabling you to act (Article 2224 of the French Civil Code).
Special time limits apply in addition: ten years from acceptance for ten-year builder's liability, and strict time limits in co-ownership and planning law — every case begins with this calculation.
Checking the limitation period is the firm's first reflex: an expired time limit cannot be made up.
What fees for a real estate case in Meaux?
Fees are the subject of a written agreement, in accordance with Article 10 of the Law of 31 December 1971: before committing, the client knows what the engagement covers and what it costs.
The firm favours a fixed fee per stage: consultation and strategy, formal notice, proceedings on the merits or by urgent application, appeal. Any new engagement gives rise to an addendum.
Legal aid is available subject to means; a quote is prepared after the situation has been reviewed. First conversation on +33 6 46 60 58 22.
References
Official texts and related pages
The sources for this page and the firm's related areas of practice.
Official texts
- Article 1792 of the French Civil Code — builders' liability by operation of law
- Article 1792-4-1 of the French Civil Code — ten years from acceptance
- Article 2224 of the French Civil Code — the five-year limitation period
- Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures — the winter eviction moratorium
- Article R*600-2 of the French Planning Code — third-party challenge to a permit
- French Civil Code on Légifrance — current versions
Further reading
Verified reference points, Civil Code and special laws
The rules of the game, in black and white.
The time limits that govern leases, co-ownership and construction — those the firm asserts in Meaux, with the text to back them.
Ten-year builder's liability
10 years
Articles 1792 and 1792-4-1 of the French Civil Code
The builder is liable by operation of law for damage compromising the soundness of the structure, for ten years from acceptance of the works.
The general limitation period
5 years
Article 2224 of the French Civil Code
Personal actions become time-barred after five years from the day the right-holder knew of the facts enabling them to exercise it.
The winter eviction moratorium
5 months
Article L. 412-6 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures
Any eviction measure not yet carried out is suspended from 1 November to 31 March, subject to the exceptions provided by law.
Third-party challenge to a permit
2 months
Article R*600-2 of the French Planning Code
The time limit runs from the first day of a continuous two-month period during which the permit is displayed on the site.
Appealing the decision
1 month
Article 538 of the French Code of Civil Procedure
The time limit for an ordinary appeal is one month in contentious matters; the case goes back before the Paris court of appeal, 8 boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris.
These reference points, set by law, apply in Meaux as everywhere in France. Applying them is built case by case, document by document.
A real estate question in Meaux?
Contact the firm. Our lawyers advise and defend landlords, tenants and co-owners in Meaux: leases, charges, sales, construction — and on appeal where necessary.