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French
Language: Common Terms |
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Following are some common terms associated with French property and French
lifestyle. This is part of a series on the French language, with the main page
located at French Language.
AC: Same as AOC.
AOC: AOC is the abbreviation for Appellation
d'Origine Contrôlée. It certifies that a product comes from a specific
region (e.g. the name 'Champagne' is an AOC, so sparkling wine can only bear the
name Champagne if it comes from the champagne region). It also certifies that
the product meets certain standards, which are mainly concerned with how the
product is produced (e.g. the bubbles in a bottle of Champagne must be the
result of secondary fermentation; if they were produced by mechanically
injecting gas the wine could not call itself Champagne). AOC's are mainly for
wine, cheese and other food products. One can view AOC as a quality standard (in
fact, the main quality standard in France), despite the fact that it is mainly
focused on area of origin and method of production rather than evaluation of the
end product.
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée: see AOC
Are: An are is a measure of land. It is equal to 100
square meters (approximately 0.025 acres). There are 100 ares in a hectare.
For example, one might buy a property with1 hectare and 20 ares (totalling
approximately 3 acres).
Assurance décennale:
An insurance policy for building work. Although it literally translates as 'ten
year insurance policy', this is somewhat misleading since the actual duration
depends on the type of work. For major structural work the duration may be 10
years but for less significant work the duration is much less. The assurance décennale
must be taken out by the builder with an insurance company; this means that if
the builder goes bankrupt, you are still covered in case of defect. When
purchasing a new house (or one with major renovations) or having major work
done, one should first confirm that the assurance décennale is in place.
Carte d'assurance maladie: Medical insurance card. It is
accompanied by an attestation, which states the level of medical cover
you are entitled to.
Carte vitale: Common name for Carte d'assurance
maladie.
Fosse Septic: Septic Tank. Many
rural properties are not connected to mains sewage, using a septic tank instead.
Hectare: A hectare is a measure
of land. It is equal to 10,000 square meters (approximately 2.5 acres). Not to
be confused with an are.
Notaire: A Notaire is a public
official who performs various duties, including the administrative tasks
associated with the sale and purchase of land. He (or she) performs many of the
same tasks (e.g. land searches) which in the UK would be the responsibility of a
solicitor. However, a Notaire differs from a solicitor in that he is a public
official responsible to the state rather than one party or another. As such, he
should be completely impartial between the buyer and seller, having as his sole
concern that the transaction is carried out legally, accurately and in
accordance with the proper procedures. Unfortunately, not all notaires meet
these high standards.
Préfecture: A préfecture
is the government office for various matters from getting a residence permit to
car tax. One can be found in every city and sizeable town.
Reserve Legale: Under French law, family members
are entitled to a proportion of any inheritance. The minimum proportion which
must be paid to family members is known as the Reserve Legale. For
further information on this, and means to avoid it, see
Legal and Tax.
TVA.: TVA (Taxe
à la Value Ajouté) is sales tax. In the UK,
this is know as VAT. The level of TVA varies depending on what is being
purchased, but the standard rate is 19.6%. For further information on
this tax, and means to avoid it, see
Legal and Tax.
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