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3/12/1999 - Suspicious Move by Jean Benoît Nadeau

JBN EUROPE RUSSIA Jean Beno Nadeau Fellow Institute studying resistance French trend economic cultural globalization ICWA Suspicious Move LETTERS Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young professionals outside United States write about international areas issues An exempt operating foundation endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contributions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Peter Geithner Thomas Hughes Stephen Maly Peter Bird Martin Judith Mayer Dorothy S Patterson Paul A Rahe Carol Rose John Spencer Edmund Sutton Dirk J Vandewalle Sally Wriggins HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot Institute Current World Affairs The Cr Rogers Foundation Four West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire 03755 U S A PARIS France March By Jean Beno Nadeau In respects renting apartment France difficult buying This occurred landlord asked I antor before signing lease FF U S The funny thing Montreal I owned house which I France banker never asked guarantor before granting hefty mortgage I asking The complexity renting apartment France grows custom The problem conflicting prerogatives right ownership inscribed Constitution legislators granted tenants untranslatable droit logement right housed Because faulting tenant cannot simultaneously evicted housed landlords historically excessive their requirements picky about tenants Profound istrust The quantity available apartments surprised Julie since warned market tough But difficulty where It began sound advice owner breakfast Prepare little introduction No French apartment hunter hunting without those quite elaborate pression landlord The should minimally include photocopy ID passport marriage certificate statement paycheck stubs whatever prove seriousness Movement suspicious France warned landlady French society immobile Changing changing suspicious Moving suspicious Why Even landlords think In looked apartments before finding place markable performance assured friend visited apartments before finding house suburbs We found right place stepped It filled light divided building character lively neighborhood evator French style windows Paris style balconies There subway station street proximity Butte Montmartre assured splendid morning walks postcard Paris One feature though rental agent young Monsieur Guillaume Mugnier whose bonjour advice I talked vious newsletter Rental agents visible fixtures market involved about transactions All preside countless little boutiques every street corner You their window signs describing apartments vicin Agents obnoxious bunch costly percent Droit logement A protest Marseille right housed annual cases No wonder living These leeches however necessary since French rental Byzantine In quite natural because another characteristic French market estate companies financial insti tutions virtually absent private renting sidebar This means staggering percent apartments belong individuals places This hyper fragmentation ownership means there amateur owners market corners Agents therefore bring touch professionalism As matter constitute profession All agents renew their professional cards annually trained insured records years Most horror stories produced yourself landlords Charles Gozlan Monsieur Mugnier owner Cabinet Th abati rental agency Mugnier represents The rental process begins popularity contest Rental agents people there habitually candidates short listed apartment We fifth serious interest liked certainly virtue being strangers But lucky visitor candidate contractor supposed freshen apartment which would price margin negotiated candidates Julie I apartment agent replied Really That would hassle Then matter settled afternoon Come fifteen hundred hours What meant though matter would begin settled afternoon First malities deposit which expected Except deposit FF equals value But normal since makes quarter FF lease The total include first month monthly service charge later leasing percent monthly equivalent month agent commission months worth guarantee deposit The latter meant cover first months rather intended reimburse possible damage property This deposit returned tenant without interest naturally minus The rental agent whole ments information French Consulate asked request Some informa requests legal asking So Security numbers They everything account number employer address salary driver license personal ID The question agent request proof ideally least three paycheck stubs During their sleep French landlords dream their buildings civil servants consti working class aristocracy enjoying armored security guaranteed Since candidate tenants civil servants return almost mandatory certificate employment proves What landlords looking ratio tenants whose annual income minimally three times annual In times duress times No wonder employed people France trouble housing themselves Another document absolutely manic about RIB short Relev Identit Bancaire Bank ID Statement This document tenant checkbook It indicates tenant count number tenant address national internati ID numbers A RIB ensures anyone requests tenant count exists French banks usually enough vouch someone credit because severe Although tried Julie I could arrive money deposit expect account deposit The resident permit permit proof either phone company utility But apartment required first place power Catch Newcomers avoid entire hassle paying Another solution would obtain Canada stating information mally RIB The third nonresident account placing FF count which frozen Problem ICWA fellows salary under contract contract written English IC WA doesn invest FF frozen French account This unworthy lease rental agent requested guarantor common again My father agreed getting A guarantor supply outrageous amount information tenant although little doesn Landlords particularly income report family booklet French document shows family Since thing doesn exist Quebec father ended sending baptistries family members being Catholic doesn either More importantly guarantor special whose centerpiece paragraph prescribed wording where antor repeats knows total amount guaranteed letters numbers knows doing The guarantor signature companied mandatory mention Lu approuv caution solidaire approved guarantee The reason hangup handwritten material cultural legal If copied hardly argue weren aware Besides custom written cover letter often mandatory plications since companies often submit document graphologists recognized profession analyze writing figure whether writer creep misfit night Since everyone writing remarkably uniform France misfit North American spotted Fortunately needed guarantor because I proven married marriage certificate Otherwise father would needed reinforcement This custom asking guarantees plains another particularity French rental market Only households occupied tenants slightly percent private public rental market surprising given price Paper works This I documentation required lease about three times takes obtain resident permit Institute Current World Affairs France Conventional wisdom would attribute French individualism Rather paperwork If dents jointly evidently married lease their benevolent relative guarantor A lease created every joint tenant leaves placed The incentive departing tenants their share deposit The system water tight landlord spective lacks fluidity required joint tenants hassle paper When entire circus I visited agent explanation rental customs We talked corner blanquette ancienne white sauce Monsieur Gozlan doing years build property manager addition being rental agent He knows tricks trade He explained strangers rental agent might guarantee This involves depositing special account trust enough money cover duration standard lease three years This money doesn intended backup cover default payment And require guarantee I asked Canadians reputation So guarantor because trust Sant Thanks trusting Sant I later learned landlord spent Canada rampage Niagara Falls Gasp consequently magnanimous anything Canadian This I saved ICWA freezing U S trust French account No wonder immigrants finding apartment Paris ghettos Once possible angles covered rental agent ready lease three contract France Naturally lease signed tenant agent guarantor write approved But Tenants conditions proving insurance filling called lieux inventory fixtures The lieux small adventure itself It sists jointly agreed statement content state dwelling For purpose Julie I showed camera intention shoot place possible angles But things R publique An Inventory Fixtures literary exercise which requires spending hours elaborately describing How tiles cracked Are cracked chipped And carpet shape shape Is shower defective simply tired Etc This summit counting handwritten copies tenant agent compared signed approved Naturally abnormal degradation charged tenant deducted deposit The criteria abnormal degra dation being subjective Inventory Fixtures three fundamental bones contention between landlords tenants aside rental hikes defaulting payments What about provements tenant during Those compensated behind leaving No wonder departing tenants light bulbs toilet paper holder light fixtures whatever Lieux This explains Inventory daylight there light bulbs The insurance mandatory contains tricky notion North American tenant mobilier moveables applies furniture carpet paint plaster paper water heater This tenant responsibility Having signed lieux proven insured given This naturally requires another paper signed parties where number model carefully stipulated Home sweet We discovered inner workings system after moved For stance water boiler defective It turned responsibility fixing getting maintenance tract FF A weeks later building manager announced toilet ceiling apartment above Quel Drag The manager I would painter ceiling which would bursed insurance company deductible FF The catch failure would interpreted abnormal degra dation repair would subtracted deposit guarantee This however I bitched whined because assigned before signing lease The building manager admitted point responsibility whole This I saved FF foundation learned Quebec accent listened A couple weeks later Gaz France shows routine safety check discovers minor problem Not safety check fixing I swear honour Swear indeed Question Do French landlords Actually maintain spaces light bulbs corridor patch leaking roofs elevator apartment utilities functioning taxes The transferred tenant additional monthly service charge FF At actual adjustment Historically French landlords always reputation wanting their although French expression point De mander beurre argent beurre asking butter money butter Landlord associations however quick blame present state affairs Un foutoir prodigieux bloody shambles Bertrand Desjuzeur legal affairs Union Nationale Propri Immobili federation local Chambers Proprietors In their Golden Age landlordship dates those years before World War II rental market ruled Civil Code The Civil Code regulates legal tions outside penal system leases family tions responsibility father During Golden Age there special regulation leases could whatever tenant landlord wished Institute Current World Affairs whatever price whatever It could verbal It anarchy Anne Marie Fribourg Deputy Director housing Ministry Equipment Trans Housing authority comparative policies Europe Leases power struggle naturally advantage owners customarily asked could People still about Monsieur Vautour Mr Vulture archtypical landlord created Century illustrator Honor Daumier The landlords attitude endear French Legislators The Golden Age Age Brass The French government faced housing shortage industrialization which France mechanization agriculture The Law imposed retroactively standard lease without limit established method pricing established leases could transmitted heritors after death This stringent system however built escape hatch Law apply anything built after anarchic could applied apartments building So builders began build normal attri eroded number called leases point nonregulated leases accounted percent market The Age Brass Age Iron beginning Mitterand This Law Quilliot revised known Law July It dictates retroactively cluding leases standard lease prescribes rules hiking rents eviction Under droit logement right housed rules became severe regard eviction tenants nonrenewal leases For instance forbids expulsion tenant during winter A subtle protection landlord request departure tenant months before standard three lease reasons selling apartment wanting himself other serious legitimate undefined debatable hotly challenged courts Meanwhile tenants break lease three months notice reduced somewhere transferred their employer The traumatic effect landlords sequently increased their requirements This intended simplify tenants perverse effect making landlords demand Bertrand Desjuzeur Union Nationale Propri Immobili He points result years later jobless people cannot decent place public housing scheme notori ously short space Public housing loped might expect France sidebar Be sides European public housing schemes ditionally geared workers unemployed Only percent tenants default according study National Institute Economic Study Statistics INSEE landlords obsessed obstacles legislators created prevent The problem itself applica Indeed created relatively efficient commissions conciliation where tenants landlords quickly settle rental hikes But disagreement nonpayment return deposit guarantee brought conven tional court These problems Jackie Imbault widow Montpellier trouble first tenant wouldn FF splendid villa garden It years before tenant evicted court T action francs lawyer addtion earnings tenant Reclaiming money required another action I enough And ception daughter Babette caught compounded mortgage apartment defaulting tenant The problem procedural legislature tated rigid sequence delays effect protects tenant lengthening procedures minimum A delay common however crafty tenants stretch years For starters tenant given months after proper summonsing bailiff Then brought attention local social services which another months mediate In failure months necessary court produce judgment court If landlord tenant another months leave after proper monsing bailiff A elapsed If deadline falls during terrible French winter between Novem March tenant allowed until March The intelligent tenant appeal judgment whole returned court which another eight twelve months depending If tenant loses appeal refuses leave bailiff request eviction force Pr highest local police authority But Pr right refuse execute judgement grounds action trouble public order Even Pr agrees orders eviction owner still woods The police chief refuse grounds Upon which owner launch action against Pr fecture required cover because refusal Naturally landlord could carry justice himself hiring thugs apartment baseball scheme constitutes violation domicile criminal offense Catch Jackie Imbault found solution special insurance against defaulting tenants For FF insurance company cover defaulting tenant years launch legal procedures expel tenant money One condition insurance tenant Institute Current World Affairs income guarantor least three times annual Tenant associations defend present grounds justice An apartment piece merchandise It right People right decent place decent dwell their cannot afford Serge Incerti Formentini Secr taire Conf ration Nationale Logement Confederal Secretary National Confederation Housing Serge Incerti Formentini insists tooth balanced Take Commssions conciliation created Of course tenants themselves there procedure evaluation evaluated dwelling He built safety valve landlords furnished apartments excluded Law July which means segment market fully deregulated So system present patchwork anarchy regulation Says Anne Marie Fribourg The problem which fairly anced application compounded custom The problem everything France political H Tonnellier jurist consultant Chambre propri taires Paris decorates office Daumier illustrations The truth matter landlord associations litically national level compared tenant associa Indeed Conf ration National Logement related Communist Party whereas Conf ration G Logement linked Socialist Party Land lords would naturally drawn right right parties readily embrace landlords Golden Age The French right political right economic policy being conserva In conservatism minority position France Bertrand Desjuzeur Union Nationale Propri Immobili Says H Tonnellier Nowa number wingers owners number right wingers tenants That creates balance The reason historical Public housing schemes originally intended indus trial workers indirect subsidy industry France began industrialization later northern countries earlier Italy Spain Portugal This accounts holding middle ground SIDEBAR AN OVERVIEW O F THE MARKET Number dwellings million Number privately owned homes million Number homes within public housing scheme million Number homes within private market million Other types dwellings including secondary residences million Proportion institutional owners private market Proportion individual persons owners market Number dwelling occupied joint tenants Number eviction rulings SIDEBAR PUBLIC HOUSING SCHEMES NOT THAT GENEROUS A ground breaking study Anne Marie Fribourg Deputy Director research housing Ministry Equip Transport Housing shows although France often labeled socialist country public housing scheme generous extensive compared those other European industrial powers The proportion public housing dwellings inhabitants compared Denmark Germany UK Netherlands Here results adding expenditures construction direct minus taxes COUNTRY SPENDING FF OF GDP HOUSEHOLD FF Denmark billion France billion Germany billion Netherlands billion Un Kingdom billion Source Les Politiques logement Europe Centre Prospective Veille Scientifique Ministere quipemet Transports Logement Direction recherche affaires scientifiques techniques Author Nadeau Jean Beno Title ICWA Letters Europe Russia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions Sub Saharan Africa East Asia South Asia Mideast North Africa The Americas ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State ffices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers subscription Phone E Mail ICWA valley Fax Web Site Executive Director Peter Bird Martin Program Administrator Gary L Hansen Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foun dation The information contained publication reproduced without writer permission Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues Institute Current World Affairs