We have never had any access to our back garden. The only access is by a right of way owned by the commune. This right of way, the width of a car, goes across our neighbours’ land and provides access to our back garden. Over the years we have been extremely grateful for this right of way as without it we would have been barrowing manure, concrete and other horrors through the house !!
Nicola Harrington
Our neighbour has just put his house on the market and he has agreed to sell us a small part of his garden. The right of way is now somewhat redundant as our garden now surrounds it. In order that we can do some works to the garden, we went to the Mairie to see if we could buy this now redundant right of way.
The mayor looked at the plans, came to see the right of way and agreed to sell it to us at a prescribed rate set by parliament… about 65 cents per square metre I think !! I think we will be paying more in notaires fees than for the right of way !!
As the mayor left, he said: “Of course, you do know that I have to put notices in the mairie of this proposed purchase, and any farmer in the commune has a right of pre-emption”.
What could we say, the law is the law…. but we just hope that a farmer doesn’t agree to buy this tiny strip of land to grow his potatoes!!
Don’t joke, Nicola ….
