A LIFE RUINED… BY BUYING A HOUSE

An endless ordeal following a property deal in Les Dunes. A property transaction that fell through, a house purchase that turned out to be a disaster, 10 years of legal proceedings – and a life turned into a nightmare.

Camille Duffour is a go-getter, an energetic young woman, but she seems to be at the end of her tether. Who wouldn’t be?

In 1982, Camille and her partner bought a house in Dunes for €145,000 to live in with their two young children. They went through an estate agent and signed the papers before a solicitor after taking out a bank loan of €165,000. So far, so good, but the trouble was soon to begin: “We realised that a main beam was completely hollow and threatening to collapse because of insects. The previous owners had concealed the whole thing under a thin layer of cement. We called in an expert.” Verdict: the house was in danger of collapsing and the family had to move out immediately, renting another property nearby in Lot-et-Garonne. €750 in rent and €960 in mortgage repayments for the house. As a result, they were heading for excessive debt, with a banking ban to boot. For 10 years. The nightmare was only just beginning. The buyers realised that the house’s living area was… 0 m² instead of the 130 m² advertised and sold. Amidst mounting financial troubles, the couple split up. And it is now Camille alone who will continue the fight. Facing no fewer than five court cases, all of which she won, but all of which were systematically appealed by the sellers, just to buy time. Camille’s financial situation is becoming increasingly critical, but she carries on.

Untouchable

The latest judgement, handed down in Toulouse, was won and quashed the sale of the house. However, the outlook did not brighten: the sellers, ordered to pay the legal costs and the full amount of the loan, immediately appealed to the Court of Cassation and lost once again on 29 September. A bailiff is tasked with enforcing the judgement, but he hits a brick wall: the sellers filed for debt relief in November, making them untouchable. The timing obviously made Camille jump, as she doesn’t believe for a second that it’s a coincidence, but rather a delaying tactic. “I’m tired now, I’m fed up with all this. I’ve moved to Tarbes into this council flat with my new partner and my three children. This isn’t a life. I’m up to my ears in debt whilst they (the sellers, Ed.) are living the high life. I’ve been following them on Facebook; I won’t even tell you about the trips they’re taking to the islands. I also know they’ve sold off properties for €200,000 and got the house in Dunes back. Things are going swimmingly for them, despite all the court rulings. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Camille has put pen to paper to write to the Minister for Justice and the public prosecutors in Toulouse, Montauban and Agen, to file a complaint for fraud. “I’d also like to know what role the solicitor played in all this; he must have known about it. But what can you do against a solicitor? The estate agency must have known about it too.”

Camille Duffour’s battle is far from over, but despite her obvious weariness, the young woman has decided to keep fighting. For a house that has ultimately ruined her life.

Five court cases won.

Camille Duffour has won 5 court cases, but has still not received any compensation.

By Hélène Dubarry
Source: ladepeche.fr