French homeowners maybe able to claim back currency losses

Cross border workers who bought in a house in France, after taking out a loan in Swiss francs maybe able to make a claim back against any losses due to currency rate changes.

A court in Paris has ruled home owners were not warned sufficiently of the possible risks – or were even told there was no risk. 

But that’s not true. 

The Swiss franc loan is immediately converted into euros to pay for the house. If the owner wished to sell the house before the loan is paid, they have to pay it back in francs.

But the euro has weakened considerably against the franc in the last 15 years, meaning there could be a large financial hole to fill – even after selling the house.

Lawyers reckon tens of thousands of home owners in neighbouring France would be able to make a claim back against their banks. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Geneva could foot the G7 bill

    Geneva fears it will be left with the security bill from a G7 summit just across the border in Évian, according to 24 heures.

  • US NGO discovers Swiss child abuse cases

    Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.

  • French singer banned by Paleo

    The Paléo Festival in Nyon says it will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel, after a former volunteer accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

  • Cars going uninspected

    The cantons are struggling to keep up with mandatory vehicle inspections, leaving more than 550,000 checks overdue nationwide.

  • War may lead to rent rises

    Rents may rise again, says the bank Raiffeisen.

  • Not a heatwave, yet

    Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play