A~Z OF LEGAL TERMS
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a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z |
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| acquéreur | purchaser |
| acompte | a percentage of the price paid in advance |
| acte authentique | legal contract drawn up by a notaire or a public officer |
| acte de substitution | written agreement substituting one purchaser or lessee for another |
| acte sous-seing privé | written agreement (pre-sale agreement to the Acte Authentique) |
| acte de vente | transfer or conveyance of land |
| affirmation de sincérité | clause stating that the price declared is accurate. |
| agence immobilière | estate agency |
| agent immobilier | estate agent |
| amiante | asbestos |
| arrhes | sum paid in advance by purchaser or lessee |
| assainissement | Drainage, septic tank or mains drains. |
| assurance | insurance |
| attestation d'acquisition | notarial certificate of purchase |
| attestation parasitaire | insect infestation report |
| b |
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| bail | lease |
| banque de consignation | the bank used by a notaire for the deposit of money |
| bon pour achat | good for purchase |
| bon pour vente | good for sale |
c |
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| cadastre | land register |
| carte professionnelle | estate agents card |
| carte de séjour | residence permit |
| certificat d'urbanisme | certificate of zoning (local authority search) |
| certification d'identité | identity document |
| charges et conditions | responsabilities and suspensive clauses |
| clause pénale | penalty clause |
| compromis de vente | contract of sale or purchase of land |
| condition suspensive | clause in the contract which is conditional on certain terms being obtained |
| constructible | land designated for construction under local planning |
| copropriété | co-ownership |
d |
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| délai de réflexion | the period within which you may withdraw after signing the initial contract |
| Dépôt garantie | deposit |
| désignation | legal description of the property |
| droit de préemption | right of pre-emption |
| droit de donation | right to make a donation (tax free) |
| droit de succession | right of inheritance |
| donation entre épouses | notary act giving the surviving spouse use of the property (usufruit) for the rest of their life. |
e |
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| EDF | electricity department of France |
| élection de domicile | statement of residence for fiscal purposes - primary or secondary |
| enregistrement | the registration of ownership |
| Etats des lieux | description or schedule of the condition of the premises |
| expert comptable | chartered accountant |
| expert foncier | an agreed professional such as an architect who may report of the value or condition of a property |
f |
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| frais d'agence | agency fees or commission |
| frais de notaire | notaire's fees |
g |
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| Géomètre | land surveyor |
| GDF | gas department of France |
h |
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| HT | hors tax - without tax |
| hussier de justice | bailiff |
| Hypothèque | mortgage |
i |
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| Immobilière | immovable property, ie fixed to the earth |
| indivision | when a property is owned by two or more parties not bound together by marriage |
j |
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| jouissance | right of usage |
l |
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| location | rental |
| loi scrivener | french law protecting borrowers from French lenders and sellers on French property purchases in all cases other than a purchase on plan |
| lu et approuve | read and approved |
m |
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| maire | the mayor |
| mairie | the village or town hall |
| mandat de recherche | a private agreement giving an estate agent power to search for a property |
| mandat simple de vente | simple mandate without exclusivity |
| mandat de vente avec exclusivité | mandate to sell a property with exclusivity |
| marchand de biens | a realtor who buys and sells property |
| monuments historiques | listed building |
n |
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| notaire | the notary |
| Nu propriété | ownership of the walls without right of usage |
o |
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| occupation | occupant of the premises |
| offre d'achat | offer to purchase a property - this is not a binding contract |
| offre de vente | an offer to sell a property - this is not a binding contract |
p |
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| permis de conduire | driving licence |
| permis de construire | planning permission |
| plan de cadastre | cadastral plan |
| plan de financement | project of financing or mortgage |
| plomb | lead |
| plus-value | capital gains |
| Prélèvement | debit order |
| projet de l'acte | contract prepared for approval |
q |
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r |
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| regime matrimoniaux | matrimonial regime i.e. whether married in contract or not |
| resiliation | cancellation |
s |
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| SAFER | this is a governmental organisation which governs proper usage of agricultural land. They are able to pre-empt certain sales |
| saturnisme | lead related illness |
| securite social | this is the French national health system |
| servitudes | rights of way |
| societe | a registered company |
t |
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| TTC | all taxes (including sales tax or vat) included |
| TVA | value added tax |
| taxe d'habitation | local rates on property occupation |
| taxe fonciere | local tax on the property ownership |
| termites | white ants |
| testament | will |
| timbres fiscal | revenue stamps - certain official documents require these |
| tontine | joint ownership |
u |
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| usufruitier | right of usage of the property |
| urbanisme | town planning |
v |
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| vendeur | seller |
| vente | sale |
w |
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x |
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z |
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