| Many St Tropez properties have pools, moorings or private beaches included in the property sale but it is important to understand the law surrounding these. In France, a property with frontage on to the sea, is often advertised as ‘villa pieds dans l’eau’, benefiting from either a tidal swimming pool, moorings, private beach or a pontoon, adding considerably to the value of the property. Many people assume that they will be able to continue enjoying the beach and sea access on a private basis when they purchase a St Tropez property. Land Registry type plans as we know them in England do not exist in France, therefore, ascertaining whether the beach and sea access falls within the seller’s title, and can be transferred to you in the usual way, can sometimes be tricky. The basic position is that public maritime domain cannot be owned by a private person and belongs to the French state. The Government can issue specific rights to people to use the maritime domain, subject to various conditions, meaning you can get a temporary authorisation to use the maritime facilities. Most of the rules and conditions can be found in the General Code of Public Entities. Most maritime domain rights are granted for relatively short periods of time and have to be renewed. Any such grant is made to the person not the property and as such cannot be transferred to the buyer. The buyer will be required to make a separate fresh application for the renewal of the right to, say, use a tidal pool. Any application either for a transfer of ownership needs to be made to the Prefect (local central government representative) with a full report of the current condition of the structure and any plans for the structure. This needs to be prepared in a technical way with professionally prepared drawings and photographs of the condition. The application is then considered by a commission which makes a recommendation to the local Prefect as to whether the authorisation to use the public maritime domain should be continued. So, when choosing a St Tropez property, if it has a pool, moorings or a private beach, ensure you factor in funds and time to allow for transferring the ownership. Want a Property in St Tropez? Call HomeHunts Click here to view our full range properties in St Tropez Here at HomeHunts, you can find a great range of property in St Tropez. With so much choice, you are sure to find your next property here. | 
