Frequently asked questions about Donation

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I asked my notary for the cost of a donation deed concerning a real estate property. The amount he quoted does not match the fee schedule I found in the French Commercial Code. Is this normal?

Yes. The French Commercial Code (Articles A444-53 et seq.) sets out the notary’s fees, known as emoluments, which represent the notary’s remuneration. However, the total cost of a donation deed includes several other components: Registration duties (droits d’enregistrement) payable to the tax authorities; Value Added Tax (VAT) applicable to certain…
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I gave my children a second home through bare ownership and retained the usufruct. It’s now too costly. Can I give up my usufruct?

Yes. You can renounce or transfer it via donation or sale, which must be notarized and registered. However, renunciation may be requalified as a donation if it involves intention to give, personal loss, and recipient’s gain (Article 894 of the Civil Code).
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I own a small house in the countryside in addition to my apartment in the city. Can I give it to my minor grandchild?

Yes. In order for the donation to be validly filed, in addition to the fact that it must be established by a notary, it is essential that the beneficiary accepts the latter (art. 932 C. civ.). When the beneficiary is an unemancipated minor, accepting a donation unencumbered by charges, which…
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I gave an apartment to my daughter, who has three children. If she dies before me, the notary tells me it's possible to get it back. Is this true?

Yes. Everything depends on how you draft your deed of gift. If nothing has been stipulated, as the gift is irrevocable, the law does not allow you to recover your property. On the other hand, if a "conventional return clause" has been provided for in the event of the predecease…
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My husband has passed away. We lived in a home that had been gifted to him by his parents. This gift included a right of reversion that his parents now wish to exercise. Do I still have a lifetime right of use and habitation over this property?

No. The surviving spouse may claim a lifetime right of use and habitation over the property that was their main residence at the time of the spouse’s death, provided it belonged to the couple or to the deceased (Article 764 of the French Civil Code). However, case law (a body…
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