Drat Draco Malfoy!
A plague on his disingenuous disguises.
Especially the one he adopted when he came to see my house. It’s in the nature of actors to act. It’s what they ‘do’. I shouldn’t be so surprised.
This actor was answering the winsome call of the fashionista to ‘buy a house in France’ or perhaps it was more properly the insistent cry of expensive accountants mindful of the tax advantages to artistes in France.
The house had been my home for many years, the embodiment of Ebenezer Howard’s dream of a third way, a glorious melting point of riverside country and convenient town; a refuge for ducks, drakes and humans alike. Built at the turn of the century to house the man who harnessed the power of the river and turned a lamp lit community into enthusiastic consumers of the new electricity, it had then become the epicentre of the aches and pains endured by the rural poor once they could afford to admit to them. After the mill owner, the local doctor had lived and worked within its commodious walls. His widow had retained the gatehouse, so unwilling was she to leave its environs. Latterly it had become the local chamber d’hotes, its once gracious rooms sub divided to answer modern life’s plea for transitory privacy.
Just the three owners before us then, and the Doctor’s widow still one of its two neighbours. The town’s school teacher inhabited the other boundary, though elderly, still welcoming a steady stream of infants through his door; his wife taught me French, refusing all payment. Between the three of us, we kept the millstream free of flotsam and jetsam, the village children were taught to fish and swim in the river, the Doctor’s widow graciously raised cuttings for me of plants long subsumed by the lawnmower of necessity employed in its chamber d’hote days. My husband worked long hours carving mouldings to replace those butchered by the division of rooms. We sanded and painted, chipped and replaced, pored over ancient photographs and tracked down the missing antique accoutrements’ of this house. We became part of the community, enjoyed the river spectacles, nurtured the animals, and tended the gardens.
There was always something missing though. People. This had been a house of entertainment, of children, and chauffeurs, gardeners and housekeepers. We had none of these. We were becoming elderly ourselves, too, and knew that one day young blood would have to come into this community to tend the gardens and the river.
So, with great reluctance, we put the house up for sale. We used the modern idiom of the internet. The response was instantaneous and overwhelming. In the space of a few days, over a hundred people announced their intention to drop everything and rush to view this house.
The first to arrive flew from Jersey, the island had become a hotbed of crime and vandalism he said, he could not face retirement there, but had yet to sell his house. We politely declined holding the house for his eventual sale. No 2 announced his arrival three days hence. No 3 announced his arrival one day hence. What to do? Did we offer the house for sale in order of contacting us, or in order of agreement to buy? We opted for the latter notion and advised both parties accordingly.
Thus it was that ‘No 3’ bounded down the garden path into our life. Preceded by a curious phone call from his Mother. ‘My son is an actor’ she said, ‘in the Harry Potter movies, he plays Draco Malfoy. I’m telling you this so that you take him seriously because he’s only nineteen, but he already owns 10 houses and can afford to buy your house for cash, so you must take him seriously’. An intriguing phone call on both counts.
‘HI! I’m Tom, Tom Felton’ he said, and flashed a winningly conspiratorial smile in my direction. He introduced his Mother and a ‘step-father’, and we led the three of them round the house. ‘It’s better than I could ever have expected’ he said, ‘I love it’. ‘My manager could live there’ he said, pointing to the housekeeper’s apartment, ‘and would there be any possibility of buying the little cottage at the end of the drive, my brother would love it, he’s a keen carp fisherman too’.
‘A keen Carp fisherman’ - this was music to our ears. Our ‘elderly teacher’ neighbour had spent some 25 years nursing this into one of the best Carp fishing stretches of water, he was an expert fisherman himself. If anything could overcome the dread we felt at telling our neighbours that we were leaving them, it would be softened by the news that their new neighbour was a keen Carp fisherman!
We made lunch for them and sat on the terrace sharing a bottle of wine. They seemed such pleasant people; they asked whether we would leave some of the antiques behind, a grand oil lamp, an armoire, a carved mirror or two. We agreed for we had spent years finding the perfect piece for each spot; it seemed churlish to take them away. They said they would give us their decision in two days. We pointed out that this would collide with the third viewing, it wasn’t fair to drag people over the house only to tell them half way through their viewing that the house was sold. They agreed to telephone the next day.
The next day dawned, and with it, their call; not from young Tom, but from his Mother. She confirmed that it would be a cash sale and asked how quickly we could move. Tom was very keen, she said. He needed a small mortgage, maybe 20,000 Euros, nothing in the great scheme of things. We asked for confirmation that this mortgage would be available – French property law has a nasty sting in the tail for vendors if a mortgage is involved. She promised faxed confirmation by the end of the day. It arrived.
Thus it was that a rushed ten days later we exchanged a binding contract under French law for the sale of our home. The Notaire had insisted that Tom attend the meeting in person, he was considered a ‘vulnerable person’ under French law. It was to be the last time we set eyes on him. He had proved strangely disinterested in seeing the house again. He waited for us, asleep in the front of his Mother’s car, outside the Notaire’s office. The winning smile had gone; in its place was a sullen youth. We put it down to the pressures of his oft quoted ‘filming schedule’. The papers were signed, binding us to a sale to young Tom in two months time – positively overnight by French standards. Tom announced that he had to fly straight back to the UK – that mysterious filming schedule again. His Mother twittered at his side.
We, meanwhile, rushed around paring a lifetimes accumulations of debris down to ‘small house’ size. Each item was perused, did we need it, would it fit, and if not, what to do with it – invariably the answer became, leave it for Tom, he’ll need it; and thus the Jacuzzi on the terrace, the little rowing boat, the fishing nets, the gardening tools, the croquet set, the tennis rackets, became, not gifts to old friends, as they should have been, but added to the list of presents for the new owner. I sat for two days and compiled a list of everything he would need to know, who was a reliable plumber, how to get your chimney swept to comply with the insurance, boring stuff, but difficult to find out when you don’t speak French, as we knew Tom didn’t. I made it up into a book, and added it to the bottle of champagne we had ready for his arrival.
But he was strangely silent. So was his Mother.
The day of sale grew close, and no word from the gallant Tom. We e-mailed, and got no response. We phoned, and with some difficult, got the ‘step-father’. ‘There would be a slight delay’ he informed us. No word as to why.
By now I was overdue for an overseas posting. Our furniture was in storage. The day of sale passed.
My husband managed to reach the Mother by phone. ‘It should be next week’ she informed him.
Fortuitously, we owned a camper van. My husband moved into it in the garden. By now the Notaire had the keys to the house. I had gone abroad. Next week arrived, and the week after, and the one after that. 12 weeks in all my husband sat in that camper van, along with the dog! He had been due to join me for a well earned holiday, but it wasn’t to be.
Finally, 12 weeks late, he received a phone call from the Notaire. Did he know that Mrs Felton and Tom were staying in a hotel in a nearby town? Did he know that they wished to conclude the sale that day, in his lunch hour, and then fly straight back to England? No he didn’t! The Notaire had agreed, as exasperated as we were by that time, bless him. A Frenchman’s lunch is sacrosanct.
What, you might ask, did Tom think of his new home? We have no idea. Nor, more pertinently, has Tom. For he never went there. He drove straight past and out to the airport, and to this day has never visited the house again, nor has anyone else.
The shutters hang open, buffeted by the winter storms; the mill stream has filled with winter’s fallen trees; the gardens are invisible under a coating of last year’s leaves and autumns burst of growth; the rowing boat, replete with rain, has sunk.
We saw our neighbours last week, they are devastated. ‘Quel dommage’ they cried. Indeed.
An Englishman’s home is his castle, they say, to do with as he pleases. A Frenchman’s home is his entitlement to a share in the community.
How do we describe young Tom Felton’s home? Another notch on the belt of a too well heeled teenager? A figment of a tax return somewhere? A gracious home slowly reverting to nature? A forgotten dream of a hot Sunday?
You tell me!
Anorak Forums » Backlash
Drat Draco Malfoy!
(23 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
-
An investment property. Department of Work and Pensions cheques accepted.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Oh thats benign vandalism...casting pearls before swine...
Posted 5 years ago # -
I take it that this is the incident to which you referred ages ago; when you mentioned the trials and tribulations of selling property to a 'celebrity'.
I'd hate to think that you've been unlucky enough to experience such a lousy situation on other occasions.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Benign vandalism - thank-you June, I shall treasure that one, perfectly describes the situation.
Posted 5 years ago # -
The Slytherin Swine !!!!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Nasty little shite ... both on the screen and off by the sounds of it.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Don't mince yer words MrsT....You say what you think!
Blimey! - According to the main Forums page, that was the 10,000 post on 'Backlash'.
Do I get a prize?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Perhaps a tad harsh on the young man Mic? ... especially as I don't know him so how can I judge him?
Nope, I'll stick with .... nasty little shite.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Mic
The prize was due to be announced today - it's a photograph of a naked Carmen lying face down on her bed - I'll ensure that you get it straight away.........
Posted 5 years ago # -
Adoption of my best 'Sid James' impression required for this next bit...
Corrrr!
Nurse! The screens and the large syringe of Mr Mic's special green liquid please. He's having one of his theatrical turns again.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Mic
You'd better ask nurse for a double dose, I seem to have temporarily (until I can get a photoshop expert in!) mislaid the prize........
Posted 5 years ago # -
Mic
When you've finished with that photo, can you send it on to me?
Posted 5 years ago # -
Carmen
Tease!Posted 5 years ago # -
You tease...
That's you, Carmen. Not you, Duncan.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Is this the one?
Posted 5 years ago # -
No, its the one without the sheet.......
Posted 5 years ago # -
Hoi!
How'd you get hold of that pic of Mrs D ???
Posted 5 years ago # -
She left it for me. Last time she was round at Chez Mic.
Well...it only seemed fair, what with it being my camera and all.
Posted 5 years ago # -
So that's where she's been buggering off to every Sunday morning while I'm doing the ironing.
Right! I'm not putting up with this. It stops right NOW. From now on she can iron her own bloody clothes!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Hi Carmen,
Whyever did you wait 12 weeks to complete the sale? When you did the "Compromis de Vente" you both would have agreed a completion date and he would have placed a deposit (or Noir).
If he wasn't able to come up with the readies on the agreed date, then you could have cancelled the sale and kept the advance.
I'm a nasty shit...that's what I would have done!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Bill,
Of course we could.
But it isn't quite as simple as that. 'Neither party' can cancel the sale, only the Notaire can. The Sous sang is binding on both parties to do the Notaire's bidding on a certain day, if either party defaults then the Notaire will pursue them to complete.
'Eventually' we would have been able to keep the deposit....when the Notaire had exhausted all avenues to sue him for the balance......could be a year or more!!!!!! In the meantime, one is packed, advertisements cancelled, new house committed to, and the buyer is saying 'should be next week'...........it's a difficult call.
The house buying procedure here is much fairer than the UK, the vendor cannot just pull out because he has a higher offer or he has changed his mind, in fact neither party can pull out, as a legion of Englishmen have discovered.........the Notaire will pursue them through every court going if they try to wriggle out of buying that £20,000 ruin they rashly agreed to purchase whilst on holiday.......you would be surprised how many of them think that all they are going to loose is a ten per cent deposit! One very good reason why we were so insistent that it would be a cash sale is that with so many potential buyers we had no need to take the risk of the only exception to the binding contract - that a mortgage has been refused.
Although this was no £20,000 ruin, we were dealing with a teenage multi millionaire - who knows whether he thought it was worth loosing his ten per cent deposit?
Posted 5 years ago # -
What a changeabout in the demeanour of young Tom. You probably got off lightly though, imagine dealing with Lucius? Your house sounds divine any chance you could post a photo? Draco would be unlikely to recognise it. Ignore it and it will go away.
Posted 5 years ago # -
the way our world works. However, if you take an active role in researching something before you buy it, you have a great chance of not getting ripped off red prom dresses under 100 red prom dresses under 100 . Not getting scammed is a good thing, and it makes you feel good on the inside when you know that fake rolex watches you have avoided being scammed evening dresses evening dresses plus size wedding dresses plus size wedding dresses .? couture evening dresses couture evening dresses There are fake Swiss Panerai watches a number of different types of shirts that you can purchase today. Whether you are interested in tshirts , dress shirts, longsleeved shirts, turtlenecks or replica watches any other type of clothing, one thing that you should look at before you buy is the replica Concord watches possibility of purchasing embroidered shirts. There are a number of different advantages inherent to the use ofembroidered shirts and these advantages strongly suggest that your next purchase of shirts be one
Posted 1 year ago # -
purple bridesmaid dresses purple bridesmaid dresses cheap lace wedding dresses cheap lace wedding dresses wedding
cheap homecoming dresses abendmode für schwangere abendmode für schwangere
Posted 1 year ago # -
will get up to stick to Audemars Piguet Alinghi sailing workforce performs with all the aspirations of sportsmanship! A few weeks in the past in Miami Seashore Audemars Piguet strike an ideal threepoint swish using the addition of LeBron James on the group. James, the star on the Miami Warmth, is arguably the most beneficial participant within the NBA. At 6a 8a plus a youthful 27 several years of age prom dresses website prom dresses website muslim wedding dresses cheap muslim wedding dresses cheap , James is undoubtedly an throughout participant, as very easily scoring on offense as he's actively playing protection; as well as grey bridesmaid dress grey bridesmaid dress wedding gowns vera wang wedding gowns vera wang , heas no stranger to placing up quantities for your hallowed tripledouble. The JamesAudemars Piguet romance isnat a different a single. Songs impresario Jay Z launched the 2 6 years back and James currently had an affection to the brand name. He liked it a great deal he acquired various AP watches. plus size wedding dresses plus size wedding dresses His goto watches will be
Posted 1 year ago # -
could be the motto of vogue. You'll find soAmany varieties of large heels from the industry. Designers permit gals sporting tremendous significant heel footwear to perform terrorist equilibrium recreation. In international nations cocktail evening dresses cocktail evening dresses , many girls chase the fever of Christian Louboutin. kids bridesmaid dresses kids bridesmaid dresses In international Nations around the world one shoulder bridesmaid dresses one shoulder bridesmaid dresses , many females chase the fever of Christian Louboutin. If you see a red outsole you may undoubtedly select it out and state that it's the Christian Louboutin sneakers. If you see a red outsole it is possible to undoubtedly decide it out and state that It's the Christian Louboutin sneakers discount wedding gowns discount wedding gowns . Red outsole is becoming the brand of Christian Louboutin because it appeared, plus the emblem turned up by chance summer clothes summer clothes . Red outsole Is now The emblem of Christian Louboutin Considering that it appeared, along with the emblem Turned up accidentally. Nonetheless
Posted 1 year ago # -
the appraisal of it steadily and maybe completely right at the end pedometer watch pedometer watch . Bear in mind that car insurance never care when you want to insure it at a more expensive number and meet larger charges cheap fake watches cheap fake watches cheap fake watches cheap fake watches . . They never keep track of the covered and actual appraisal of a vehicle. Absolutely they can just meet the market appraisal of a car regardless of the amount rate is settled for it and what is the stated price. Everybody loves it when it can be time to make a brand new vehicle acquire. Shopping for your next ride is fun regardless of what sort of car you might be looking for. These days, oris replica oris replica . . a lot of people choose to make their car acquire online because you can find lower costs and far more selection than you might find at a neighborhood dealership montblanc timewalker montblanc timewalker . . Buying online is not devoid of difficulties though. There are plenty of problems which you might run into
Posted 11 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.