In addition, we were doubly unfortunate to have a second property where the ‘management company’ (tenant) had not paid the rentals for 2 quarters and Maitre Idrac has been engaged by the majority of the co-owners to achieve the payment of unpaid rentals. Within weeks of his engagement, the ‘management company’ paid all the outstanding rentals for the 1st quarter 2009 and some have already received settlement of the 2nd quarter 2009 rentals with the promise of all outstanding rentals being paid by the middle of this month. We firmly believe that this result would not have occurred if we had not acted together in engaging Maitre Idrac’s services. One or two individual owners had already served notice to pay (delivered by huissier) which the tenant had ignored but, following Maitre Idrac’s intervention, those who had taken such action also received their rentals!

In the UK, because we are ‘familiar’ with the Law to a certain extent, we probably feel that if such a situation were to arise, we could get by reasonably well without recourse to a solicitor. In France, however, things are quite different and our own experiences have taught us that the engagement of a professional such as Maitre Idrac is absolutely essential.