FAHIHO presentation
Legal protection
The French legal system provides various levels of protection for the “maître d’ouvrage” as well as compulsory insurances: work has to be finished within a specific time scale or else penalties have to be paid to the owner, work must completed to the legal standard, in appropriate working order, there is a ten year cover against major defects, insurance by a guarantor against the company going bankrupt,…
However, all of them are a legal requirement only if the owner (=the “maître d’ouvrage”) has signed a contract with plans with a project company. It is called a “Contrat de Construction de Maison Individuelle avec fourniture de plans »…or CCMI in short.
Outside a CCMI the future house owner has to make his own arrangements with whoever he/she is dealing with.
AAMOI realm of intervention
AAMOI will only help members who intend to sign, or who have already signed, a CCMI.
What AAMOI can do for you
AAMOI will give you advice, help, and accompany you with your project.
When necessary, if it is in your interest and if requested by you, AAMOI shall put pressure on the project company in order to find an amiable solution and avoid a court case if at all possible. On our website “cow boys” are listed… and they do not like our “Chart”!
We can also arrange “group pressure” intervention: if you ask for it, members will write to your project company and also to local and regional media on your behalf.
Should you feel obliged to take your case to court, AAMOI will be able to give you contact names of lawyers well experienced in construction matters, and other professionals such as experts and “huissiers”. You will also be provided with all legal references as well as details of previous judgments similar to your case. Such information might be very useful to your lawyer – and it will save you fees…
Once you are an AAMOI member you will have access to our very extensive Library where you will find most, if not all, answers to your questions. Furthermore our Blog is well used by many members who give advice and support each other. Indeed quite a number of them enjoy reading some comments made in English!
What AAMOI cannot do for you
The help received from AAMOI will not replace any official expert or legal advice that you might require.
AAMOI does not have legal representatives or lawyers… but our Honorary President, who founded the association, is well known throughout France for his amazing technical and legal knowledge of this industrial sector… and he is much dreaded by “cow boys”! Furthermore, many members have acquired a wealth of knowledge through their own, and often unfortunate personal experience, which they are happy to share with everyone.
Because AAMOI functions with volunteers only, they cannot come and visit your building site or accompany you to meetings. The reason is simple: they too have their own private and professional life!
Furthermore, in view of the above and because of the considerable amount of inquiries the association receives, we are unable to answer any query unless one is already a member and one’s membership fee is up to date.
When to join
You can join AAMOI at any time: before or after you have signed your contract, even if you have already started legal action against the project company.
Experience shows that the earlier you join the better for you... especially before signing your contract!
Membership feee
The level of membership fee is very modest by any standard!
Should you decide to join AAMOI before you have signed a contract with a project company then it will cost you 70 €uros for the first twelve months.
Should you decide to join after you have signed a contract with your project company, then the first payment for the first twelve months, whether you have a crisis or not, will be 100 €uros.
About joining
With your application form you will be asked to send a copy of all your documents: contract if you already have one, correspondence, etc. Naturally all will be treated with the utmost confidentiality… but this is the only way for the association to give you appropriate advice.
AAMOI’s activities
Local volunteers regularly print and distribute leaflet during regional and national “Ideal Home” exhibitions. We are always short of volunteers… so any additional help is always very welcome
Media coverage is also very important in terms of visibility. Only recently the association’s president was invited to a TV debate on France 3 (equivalent to BBC2) on matters related to construction problems.
Futur development
Through good, sensible, management, AAMOI has survived well during the past ten years. However, demand is so high that it now runs the risk of becoming a victim of its own success. Therefore a priority must be to look for additional financing while ensuring the association remains impartial.
Once the above is resolved, many additional activities will be organized.
Other information
The legal system : France is well known for being extremely “structured”. As a result there are many laws and many amendments in every aspect of life and every field.
Lawyers : Few lawyers (“avocats”) specialise in house construction matters. It is important therefore, should you require a lawyer, to choose one carefully. Otherwise, should you later on decide to part company and move your case to another one…your first counsel will be likely to demand extra fees from you!
Huissiers : They are a mixture of court bailiffs and “official witness on behalf of the State”. Their words and written statements can be disputed by nobody. You can call upon them to witness and register anything you want (mistakes made in your house, the signing of legal documents, the reception of you house, the attitude of somebody,…): their official statement can then be used in court and it cannot be questioned.
Tribunals : There are four levels: “Tribunal d’Instance” (for cases involving less than €10,000), “Tribunal de Grande Instance”=TGI (the usual level for matters related to house building defects), “Cour d’Appel” (Appeal Court), “Cour de Cassation” (Supreme Court).
How to contact us
By E-mail you can contact either:
- our International correspondent in London, Ms Chiku SINHA : Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.
- or the association direct: Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.
We shall endeavour to reply in the shortest possible time.
Links
Legal requirements
The association AAMOI – Association d’Aide aux Maîtres d’Ouvrage Individuels – is a non profit charity duly registered in France under the following reference :
« Enregistrée sous le N° W911000176 à la sous-préfecture de Palaiseau
Agréée par arrêté 2010-PREF-DDPP / 42 du 7 décembre 2010
Registered address : AAMOI – 27 place Victor Schloelcher, 91300 MASSY, France
Any mail should be send to : Secretariat AAMOI, 102 bis rue du Quillard - 45140 - CHECY