I am sure it does not come as a surprise to you that we have laws in France to help maintain peace in villages between neigbours. And it won’t surprise you either that most French people do not respect it!! Or choose to ignore it!! For instance, each Mairie will have certain times when you are allow to use your chainsaw or lawnmower and being in France it means not during lunch hours!! So here are a few rules you need to know:

-Check with your Mairie what time you are allowed to make some garden noise such as chainsaw, hedge cutting or lawnmower (In most commune it is week days from 8h30 to 12 and 2pm to 7pm, Saturdays from 9h to 12 and 3pm to 7pm and  only from 10 to 12am on Sundays and bank holidays, never between 12 and 2pm and never after 7pm). Doing it outside the timetable allowed can bring a fine between 68 and 450€.

-It is forbidden to do bonfire. You take your rubbish to the Dechetterie, do not burn it. Or use a composter. Burning garden rubbish or any other rubbish on your land can bring a fine of up to 450€. Note that burning 50kg of garden rubbish emit as more CO2 as driving a petrol car for 14 000km.

-You are obliged to maintain your garden. If your neigbour does not and left it grow wild (create fire hazard, etc), you can write to them and force them to maintain it or ask the Mairie to force them.

-Intensif dog barking, especially at night is forbidden. You can buy a collar that stops dog barkes or ask your neigbour to do so.

-Rubbish due to be collected have to be left outside the night before the collect. Failure to do so (meaning leaving them outside before too long before the collect) can bring a fine of 35€.

What to do if your neigbour is not respecting the rules. You first complain to him/her (let’s face it, it’s always a man!!). If he does not act, you send him a letter. Still no responses, you ask your Mairie to act.

You can also use a “Mediateur de Justice”, this is a lawyer whose job is to resolve problems before they have to go to court by being very diplomatic!!. It is free and you make an appointment via your Mairie.

Feel free to visit those web sites: https://allojardin.com/obligation-jardin-voisin:

https://demarchesadministratives.fr/demarches/entretenir-son-jardin-rappel-des-regles-a-respecter

https://www.services-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31858

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