PROPERTY AUCTIONS · WE BID FOR YOU IN COURT
Property Auction Lawyers in France
Law that rises to your ambitions.
An all-in, fixed-fee package to bid for you at the court hearing — your file can be ready up to 24 hrs before the auction.
One flat fee, all-in*
€250.00 incl. VAT
Project review · File preparation · Escrow · Auction hearing · Debrief
+33 9 83 68 80 80 (standard rate)
* The flat fee covers the lawyer's service. It does not include the deposit to be lodged, nor the mandatory legal costs (fees at scale, registration duties, land registration), detailed below. Under Article L.221-28 of the French Consumer Code, the right of withdrawal does not apply to a mandate given to a lawyer to bid in court — a service performed at your express request.
The collective at auction hearings
Representation by a lawyer is mandatory
Bidding at an adjudication hearing — the French property auction — before the enforcement judge of the civil court can only be done through mandatory representation by a lawyer. Auctions are part of our regular practice, so we offer an all-in service: preparing your file, bidding for you at the hearing, then guiding you through the administrative steps — sometimes complex — if you are the winning bidder.
Preparation is simple, provided you follow the protocol your lawyer sets. We can process your application up to 24 hrs before the hearing date.
€250 incl. VAT
the lawyer's all-in flat fee
24 hrs
to instruct us before the hearing
10%
of the reserve price to lodge (banker's draft, €3,000 minimum)
Investors & property dealers
Auctions, the connoisseurs' market
Court auctions are not reserved for courthouse insiders: they are one of the rare markets where property can sell below its value — provided you are well advised and move fast. Investors, property dealers, SCIs and property companies find a seam of opportunities here, which we handle with the rigour and discretion your decisions demand.
Buy below value
The discount at auction can be substantial. We analyse the conditions of sale and the property's condition to protect your margin.Build a portfolio
A regular bidder? We set up ongoing support, hearing after hearing, at the pace of your acquisitions.Discretion & speed
Your intentions stay confidential. Files processed up to 24 hrs before the hearing, with no unnecessary travel.The MUSE protocol
From your project to the award
01Project reviewConditions of sale, property condition
02File preparationDocuments, power of attorney, declarations
03Escrow & depositBanker's draft lodged with the CARPA
04The auction hearingYour lawyer bids at the bar
05Debrief & next stepsOutcome, overbid, formalities
Simulators
Estimate your auction budget
1
Deposit to lodge
Banker's draft made out to the CARPA (the French Bar's escrow fund)—
10% of the reserve price, €3,000.00 minimum. Returned if you are not the winning bidder.
2
Estimated auction costs
Lawyers' fees at scale on the winning bid (incl. VAT)—
Registration and transfer duties—
Land registration tax (0.10% + €12)—
Prior costs (taxed costs)—
Estimated total costs—
⚠️ A purely indicative estimate, excluding the deposit and MUSE's flat fee (€250.00 incl. VAT), subject to adjustment according to the specifics of each case. Proportional fees follow the current degressive scale by brackets (plus VAT), shared three quarters to the pursuing creditor's lawyer and one quarter to the winning bidder's — yet borne by the winning bidder; transfer duties are computed at the rates applicable in Lyon and its region — the Rhône departmental rate raised to 5.00% since 1 April 2025. The scale is revised periodically: the exact tariff is confirmed on the day of the sale.
Budget clear? Send us your project — we prepare your file up to 24 hrs before the hearing.
What you need to gather
Your bidder's checklist
The information to provide
To bid, you must be an adult with full legal capacity. We will first need:
- a valid identity document per individual bidder (for a married couple, one per spouse);
- a company registry extract (K-bis) less than 3 months old for a company (SARL, SCI);
- if you are married or in a civil partnership, the relevant certificate.
The documents to complete
Once your identity is checked, we send you a set of forms to complete, including:
- a power of attorney per bidder, setting your maximum bid;
- a declaration of no disqualifying conviction.
The deposit and the costs
The deposit: to take part in a property auction, you must lodge with the CARPA — the French Bar's escrow fund — a banker's draft for 10% of the reserve price, or €3,000.00 minimum.The costs: beyond the deposit, winning the auction means bearing mandatory legal costs: lawyers' fees at scale, registration duties, and land registry fees.⚠️ An estimate of these costs is given to you before the hearing; they may change with the formalities required after judgment.
The hearing and what follows
If you are declared the winning bidder: we tell you as soon as the hearing ends, and set the administrative formalities in motion (payment of the costs advance, deadlines to release the funds, and so on).⚠️ Court sales are strictly regulated and involve many parties — hence costs. If you win the auction but fail to pay the price, or renounce the purchase, you are liable for all costs plus any shortfall between your price and the resale price (the re-auction known as folle enchère). If you are not the winning bidder: you may lodge an overbid of at least one tenth above the highest bid, within 10 days of the hearing. It must be presented by a lawyer, with the supporting documents above and a banker's draft for 10% of the overbid amount. If no overbid is lodged, your banker's draft is returned by post within 48 hrs.
The collective's advice
Set your maximum bid at what you can truly pay: a defaulting bidder bears not only the costs, but also the price shortfall on the re-auction. Better a ceiling held than a ruinous win.Frequently asked questions
Your questions about French property auctions
Is a lawyer really mandatory to bid at a French property auction?
Yes. The adjudication sale takes place before the enforcement judge of the civil court, where only a lawyer may bid on your behalf. You cannot bid yourself: your lawyer bids within the limit of the power of attorney you have given.
Can a foreigner buy property at a French auction?
Yes. There is no nationality or residence condition: any adult with full legal capacity — or any company — may bid, including non-residents. You will need a valid identity document, a banker's draft to lodge the deposit, and a lawyer to bid for you. We handle the whole process remotely, in English: power of attorney, escrow, representation at the hearing — you never need to set foot in Lyon before the sale.
How much does your service cost, and what does it include?
Our flat fee is €250.00 incl. VAT and covers reviewing your project, preparing the file, the escrow, representing you at the hearing and the debrief. It is separate from the deposit to lodge and the legal costs (fees at scale, registration duties, land registration) borne by the winning bidder — an estimate of which is given to you before the hearing.
How much must I lodge to bid?
A banker's draft for 10% of the reserve price, with a minimum of €3,000.00, lodged with the CARPA. This deposit is returned if you are not the winning bidder (within 48 hrs by post if you do not overbid); it counts towards the price if you win the property.
How late can I instruct you before the hearing?
We can process your application up to 24 hrs before the adjudication hearing, provided the necessary documents arrive in time (identity, power of attorney, declaration of no conviction, banker's draft). The earlier you contact us, the calmer the preparation.
What is the overbid, and within what deadline?
After the award, anyone may lodge an overbid of at least one tenth of the winning price, within 10 days. It must be presented by a lawyer, with the usual supporting documents and a banker's draft for 10% of the overbid amount. A new hearing is then scheduled.
What happens if I win the property but do not pay?
That is the re-auction — the French "folle enchère": the property goes back on sale, and the defaulting bidder bears all the costs, plus the difference if the property resells for less. Hence the importance of setting your maximum bid at your true payment capacity.
Which documents do I need to gather?
A valid identity document per bidder, a company registry extract (K-bis) less than 3 months old for a company (SARL, SCI), and the marriage or civil-partnership certificate where relevant. We then send you the power of attorney to bid and the declaration of no conviction to sign.
Can I withdraw after instructing you?
The mandate given to a lawyer to bid is a service performed at your express request: under Article L.221-28 of the French Consumer Code, the right of withdrawal does not apply once the service is under way. We tell you so clearly when the mandate is taken.
Where do I find properties sold at auction, and how do I inspect them?
Every sale is legally advertised. You can browse the listings and descriptive reports on the specialised portals — Licitor, Avoventes, Enchères-publiques, Eloca — and at the registry of the Lyon civil court (67 rue Servient, 69003), where the conditions of sale are filed. In Lyon, auction hearings are held every Thursday at 1.30 pm, in courtroom A. We retrieve and decode the conditions of sale for you — reserve price, surveys, occupancy, easements, charges — and flag the points that call for caution.
How does the auction hearing actually unfold?
The judge announces the sale number, the address, the prior costs and the reserve price. The bids — which only your lawyer may place — follow one another: a 90-second countdown runs and resets with every new bid. When no bid comes within 90 seconds, a signal sounds: the last bidder is declared the winner and becomes the owner immediately. If no bid is placed, the property goes to the pursuing creditor at the reserve price. The offer is firm, final and unconditional.
How long do I have to pay — and can I use a mortgage?
The price and costs must be paid within two months of the award, into your lawyer's escrow account (CARPA). Bank financing is possible, but the deadline is short: obtain an agreement in principle from your bank before the hearing, for an amount covering your maximum bid. Failing payment, you are declared in default: the property is re-auctioned and you bear the costs plus any price shortfall.
The property I bought is occupied — what does that mean for me?
It depends on the occupant. The seized owner: the adjudication judgment is itself an eviction order, and an occupancy indemnity is owed from the award. A tenant: a lease predating the seizure remains binding (the rent is now paid to you); a later lease can be set aside. A squatter: they must be evicted. Before bidding on an occupied property, we analyse the type and date of the lease to map your rights — a key parameter in your price strategy.
Court, notarial or State auctions — what is the difference?
Court auctions (on repossession, before the enforcement judge) offer the strongest discount potential, in a strict, transparent framework; they are the ones we handle. Notarial auctions target the general public, with prices often close to the market. State sales are rarer and carry constraints of their own. For investors and property dealers, the court route remains the most profitable — provided you are well accompanied.