If it were me, with squatting tenants in a gite, I might not legally be allowed to evict them during winter months, but I would certainly turn off (or remove) the gas, the water and the electricity to the gîte. I might even decide that a few of the bigger, tougher guys from the local bar desperatley needed a roof over their heads, and invite them to move into the gîte for a few days. Nothing violent you understand, just a place to lay their heads for a while. If they were then to have noisy parties into the wee small hours it would be a pity, as it might disturb the other "guests". If one, or more of them happened to have a big barkie dog, so much the better.
I would imagine that the original tenants would soon give up and move on.
But it is a valid and interesting point you make Jo.
Cathy
Has the world gone mad ! things like this never cease to amaze me.
From what you say there is no way to avoid this - but what if you had a contract with someone to live there throughout Winter - can you not produce this to the Prefecture and ask how he suggests you 'kick these people on the street'. Surely the persons with the contract have more rights than the squatters in situ ?
Alternatively is there not any urgent work that needs attending to at the property (particularly for safety reasons) - sounds like a complete re-wiring might be cheaper than allowing them to stay in situ ? I am sure you could get some willing local Electrician to produce some reason why it would not be safe for them to be there. Just a thought and probably not a good one but in this situation I think I would try anything.
Guess this is the payback we might all receive for believing there are decent honest people out there ! Sad world hey
I'm sure they do know their rights, but in fact a neighbour had a similar problem here last winter. Not in a gîte, but in a long term rental . The tenant had not payed any rent or utility bills for quite some time, but could not be evicted as it was winter. The owner turned off the fuel for the central heating (as it was fed from his own property and fuel tank). The tenant actually had her own social worker, and was well know to the social authorities, so would have been in an excellent postion to pursue this through the courts, had it been an option. The owner was never brought to task for turning off the fuel, the legality was never challenged.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.
Josephine79 wrote:Dear Jon,and who appoints the Préfet?Our elected representatives!The Préfet is the government's man and will not risk doing anything unpopular.
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