Couple forced to live in caravan after buying Loire Valley château in France

A couple who purchased a 16th-Century neo-Gothic château in the Loire Valley have been forced out of their new home and are now living in a 4.2-metre-long caravan amid an ongoing legal battle with the previous owners.

Daniel Charassier and Catalina Antona-Bajolet, both 67, are currently unable to access the property they bought, Château de Vau, in Chavagnes-les-Eaux (Maine-et-Loire).

They purchased the château, along with its outbuildings and a pond, at a judicial auction in February 2025, following a decades-long liquidation process affecting the former wine domaine. The couple declined to say how much they paid, although local French media have reported a figure of around €250,000.

The purchase marked the end of a long search for a peaceful retirement home after a false start in Ajaccio, Corsica.

“It was very noisy and touristy, with people partying all night. We realised it wasn’t what we wanted,” Mr Charassier said. The Loire Valley was familiar to the couple from previous homes.

“When we found this château, it ticked all the boxes: not too big, easy to maintain, and rare. It was our dream,” he added.

However, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Despite the sale being approved by the courts, the former owners – a man who inherited the property from his father and his elderly mother – refused to leave.

“After a long legal process, they were evicted by the police and taken elsewhere, but they came back and changed the locks,” Mr Charassier said.

“Our rights as owners have not been respected. They’re convinced they’re still the rightful owners.”

Mr Charassier also said the situation had turned violent.

“The son is very aggressive. I even had to go to hospital after he struck me, hitting my implanted heart device,” he said.

Police interventions have so far failed to resolve the situation. Even after a follow-up visit five days later, the occupants refused to leave.

“I wanted to cry,” Ms Antona-Bajolet said. “The police told us they couldn’t come back every day.”

According to French media reports, the former owner, Thibaud Chaudet, insists he is entitled to remain in the property and has launched a further legal challenge to overturn the sale.

“We were practically born here. My mother is 86 – she’s like a plant; if you uproot her, she’ll die,” he told regional newspaper Ouest-France.

“Until that’s over, this is still our home,” he said.

Pending further attempts to have the eviction enforced, the new owners are living in a caravan parked on land lent to them by a neighbour.

“It’s very small, but at least it’s a temporary solution,” Ms Antona-Bajolet said. “Fortunately, we have friends in the village who have offered to help us and rent a house to us over the winter.”

The château itself is in urgent need of work, particularly to the roof.

“We paid everything in full at the time of purchase, but there’s still a lot of work to do – a huge amount of money is needed,” Mr Charassier said.

“The roof has holes that need urgent repairs, but we can’t do anything because we don’t have access.”

Before retiring, the couple ran a successful training and travel business.

“We were excited to start this next chapter, but it’s been incredibly hard,” Ms Antona-Bajolet said.

“I’m not looking forward to my birthday next month or the winter holidays. It’s heartbreaking to see our dream home become a source of constant stress.”

The Connexion sought to contact the former owners but was unable to reach them before publication.

What are the legal rights of squatters in France?

In France, squatters have limited legal protections but do not acquire ownership of a property simply by occupying it. Property owners must follow a formal legal process to evict squatters, typically involving a court order.

Within the first 48 hours of occupation, police can remove squatters without a court order. After this period, eviction requires judicial authorisation.

While squatters do not have a legal right to remain, evictions can be delayed if the case is contested. Squatting can also lead to criminal penalties, including fines or imprisonment, particularly if damage or other offences are involved.

Despite legal backing, the eviction process can take weeks or months, sometimes preventing owners from regaining immediate access to their property.