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Guides and news: Property

Property: practical guides and legal news from the firm, newest first.

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Property

British Owner Dies Without a Will in France After Brexit: Intestacy Shares, English Probate and the French Notaire, and Challenging Double Tax

A British resident dies intestate in France: which law governs, what the spouse and children receive, how English probate and the French notaire combine, and how the 1963 convention avoids d …

Property

Planning Permission Refused in France, or Your Neighbour’s Permit to Challenge: Appeals, Deadlines and Court Remedies — A Foreign Owner’s Guide (2026)

Your French planning application was refused, or your neighbour just got permission to build. This guide explains reasoned refusals, informal and court appeals, the two-month display clock …

Property

Buying a French Property at Judicial Auction: Surenchere, Folle Enchere and Eviction — A Foreign Buyer’s Guide (2026)

Judicial auction in France: ten-day surenchere overbid, two-month consignment or folle enchere resale, automatic mortgage purge, and eviction of the seized owner — a 2026 guide for foreign b …

Property

Bought Direct in France and the Estate Agent Still Wants EUR 150,000: Commission Traps and Defences for Foreign Buyers

After the Cour de cassation ordered direct buyers to pay a bypassed Antibes agent EUR 150,000 in May 2026, this guide explains when foreign buyers must pay an agent they never hired and when …

Property

Your Neighbour’s Airbnb in France: How Foreign Owners Can Stop Short-Term Rental Nuisance (2026)

Your neighbouring flat has become a full-time holiday rental. French law gives foreign owners and co-owners civil, co-ownership and town-hall remedies to stop the nuisance and get compensate …

Property
Property

Expropriated in France: Challenging the Public-Utility Declaration and Fighting for Full Compensation — A Foreign Owner’s Guide

Your French property is inside an expropriation perimeter: how to challenge the declaration of public utility within two months and secure full compensation for direct, material and certain …

Property
Property

VEFA Handover Day in France: Delivery, Reservations and the One-Year Repair Warranty — A Foreign Buyer’s Guide

Collecting the keys to a French off-plan home starts strict legal clocks. This guide explains delivery versus acceptance of works, reservations, holding back the final 5 percent, and the one …

Property
Property

Squatters in Your French Property: Police Removal, Court Eviction and Damages — A Foreign Owner’s Guide

Your French flat is occupied without your permission? French law offers two routes — the 48-hour prefet procedure and the emergency court eviction — plus occupancy damages. What foreign owne …

Property

Buying a Viager Property in France as a Foreigner: Occupied vs Vacant, Bouquet, Annuity and the Rescission Traps

Viager sales let foreign buyers acquire French property below market price against a lump sum and a lifetime annuity. This guide explains occupied versus vacant viager, price mechanics, and …

Property

France Security Deposit Return: How Foreign Tenants Get Their Deposit Back and How Foreign Landlords Deduct Lawfully

Your Paris lease has ended and the deposit has not come back, or you are the landlord and the flat came back damaged. Caps, one- and two-month return deadlines, the 10% monthly late penalty …

Property

Adverse Possession in France: How a Neighbour Can Legally Claim Your Land — and How Absentee Owners Fight Back

A neighbour using your French land for 30 years can become its owner. How prescription acquisitive works and how foreign owners defend.

Property

Developer Insolvent Mid-Build in France: How Foreign Off-Plan Buyers Call the Completion Guarantee and Protect Their Payments

Your French developer has stopped work or entered insolvency: who finishes your off-plan flat, how the completion or refund guarantee is called, and how foreign buyers protect stage payments …

Maître Reda Kohen

Maître Reda Kohen

Partner, member of the Paris Bar, 11 rue Margueritte, 75017 Paris. Author of the analyses published in this journal. About