Renovation began the next year. We arrived at the end of April, hopeful the project would be completed by mid-summer. We planned to sell our house in the States and move permanently to France. After our first walk-through of the house, we discovered our builder was more charming than competent: everything from the foundation to the roof needed to be redone – our renovation needed to be renovated. We fired the builder and subsequently hired two building experts and two attorneys. The second building expert, hired by us but appointed by the court, first found in our favor then, remarkably, retracted his ruling three months later. We waited to sell our house in the States until we had a home to live in. Our dream house sat untouched for the next 4 years.
The following April, in 2011, we filed an appeal and returned to France only to have the judge tell us we had no right to question a court-appointed expert. Our new attorney changed his strategy and we filed for another court hearing. Each year, for two more years, we would return hopeful a final court date would be set, but each year the builder was granted a postponement. In 2013 we were finally allowed to continue work on our house, but the lawsuit lingered, our retirement fund was depleted, and my husband decided he would never return to France.
I made the big leap across the pond, alone. I applied for a visa and hired an international moving company. By returning every year and immersing ourselves into the life of our village, we’d been able to harvest deep and lasting friendships and an appreciation for the quality of life in southwest France which provided the support I now needed to begin my life anew. The lawsuit was finally heard September 2014. My ex-husband and I were awarded rien, nothing.
truly resides. Who hasn’t felt the urge to drop everything and follow their dream regardless of the cost?