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The notary’s obligations

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My father is planning to give me bare ownership of an apartment he owns. The notary has estimated its fee without considering the dismemberment of ownership. Is this normal?

Yes. For the fees associated with a gift deed, the notary's fees are calculated based on the full value of the property. This applies even when the donor retains the usufruct of the property (art. A444-67 C. com.).
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I asked my notary for the cost of a donation deed concerning a real estate property. The amount he quoted does not match the fee schedule I found in the French Commercial Code. Is this normal?

Yes. The French Commercial Code (Articles A444-53 et seq.) sets out the notary’s fees, known as emoluments, which represent the notary’s remuneration. However, the total cost of a donation deed includes several other components: Registration duties (droits d’enregistrement) payable to the tax authorities; Value Added Tax (VAT) applicable to certain…
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My father has passed away. The notary handling the estate only shows me a copy of his will and informs me that the original is with another notary. Is this legal?

Yes. Only the notary who holds the will (to whom your father entrusted it) is the custodian of the original. As soon as he is informed of the testator’s death, he must immediately draw up a report of opening and condition of the will, specifying the circumstances of its deposit…
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I purchased an apartment a year ago. Before my purchase, the co-owners allocated common parking spaces among themselves, but the deeds were not registered. Are these decisions enforceable against me?

Yes… but. The new allocation of parking spaces should have been formalised through an amendment to the descriptive statement of division, which must normally be registered with the Land Registry (Law No. 65-557 of 10 July 1965, Article 13). If it was not registered, this amendment is enforceable against you…
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I am selling my house, which is connected to the public sewer system (tout-à-l’égout). My notary is requesting a technical inspection of the wastewater drainage system. Is this mandatory?

It depends on the municipality where the property is located. The purpose of this inspection is to verify that wastewater is not being discharged into the stormwater drainage system. This control may be mandatory if: The municipality has issued a local decree requiring it, pursuant to Article L2224-8 of the…
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