Legal
Saturday, 01 March, 2008
International Ski School loses trademark case
Ski schools in France are a litigious bunch. Last year we reported that the independent ski instructors union, the SIMS, was suing the ESF for misrepresentation for using the French flag in their publicity. Now it is the ESI’s turn to be on the receiving end of a court judgment.
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Thursday, 22 November, 2007
You dig, or you die!
January 2004, the temperature was - 7 °C and winds were blowing at 100 km/h. Not a place you’d put a dog out let alone a group of trainee soldiers from hot African countries. In the bitter cold of the 2600 Restefond pass in the Southern Alps the order was given: “dig or die”. Two officers perished in the storm and another two were rescued “in-extremis”, one in a hypodermic coma. Three officers were before the military division of the Marseille criminal court this week accused of manslaughter and breaching health and safety regulations.
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Sunday, 11 November, 2007
Avalanche starters get year ski ban
The 19th of January 2006 was a particularly bad day in what was a particularly bad year. Meteo France had issued avalanche warnings after 50cm of fresh snow, accompanied by moderate to strong winds, formed slabs on north to east facing slopes. The avalanche risk was high (4/5) over much of the French Alps but the temptation of so much fresh snow was too much for many off-piste skiers. The result, by the end of the day five had been killed in avalanches and there were many less serious incidents across the region.
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Thursday, 18 October, 2007
Ski resort operator Transmontagne is wound up
In a move that has surprised many and shocked others Transmontagne group, which runs Ski Dubai as well as a number of French resorts was wound-up by the Lyon Commerical Court on Tuesday. The remains of the group are being sold off piecemeal to a number of interested parties. Transmontagne’s lawyer, Maitre Jean-Marie Chanon decaled the decision “a catatrophy” to waiting journalists.
Top of the ski runs at Chamrousse
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Sunday, 01 July, 2007
Owning a French mountain property: a risky business
What liabilities, if any, are incumbent on the owner of a French property who is about to let it out or sell it? Thanks to a recent change to the wording of articles L. 125-5 and R. 125-23 to R. 125-27 of the environmental code, the tenant’s or buyer’s position has now been substantially improved thanks to the duty of information package ( ”information acquéreur locataire” ).
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Sunday, 11 March, 2007
8 months for ski instructor
A ski instructor, accused of manslaughter for not having respected his safety obligation towards his clients, has been sentenced to 8 months in prison (suspended) by the court in Nice. On the 4th of February last year Jean-Alexandre Echene, an experienced and popular ski instructor in the ski resort of Isola 2000, was hired by the Darmon family to guide them on some of the area’s off-piste runs.
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Wednesday, 29 November, 2006
Aux armes citoyens!
Skiers in the Hautes-Pyrenees department have been faced with a nasty surprise as they have queued up to by their ”gens du pays” lift passes. The department’s prefect has told ski resorts that it is illegal for them to offer discounts to locals or any other form of discriminatory pricing.
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Sunday, 19 November, 2006
Prison sentence for snowboarders after fatal avalanche
Two snowboarders who triggered an avalanche that killed a girl at La Clusaz in February 2003 have been sentenced to 2 and 4 months in prison. They had been tried for “manslaughter due to lack of care, negligence or security”. Both sentences were suspended by the Annecy Criminal Court. On the day of the accident Météo France had announced a considerable avalanche risk (3 on a scale of 5) with particular dangers close to ridgelines.
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Saturday, 11 November, 2006
Prefect says stop to Les Houches shenanigans
At 9 million € the new gondola lift at les Houches Prarion is the biggest investment in the French Alps this winter but its opening has been threatened by a series of legal actions. This time it is not the eco-warriors of the FRAPNA or Mountain Wilderness who are objecting to the new cable car but a local lift operator. For historic reasons the ski lifts at les Houches are run by two rival companies. The THP (Télécabine Les Houches Prarion) which has recently changed its name to LHSG (Les Houches Saint Gervais) and the SEPP. Think Dallas and the Ewings and the Barnes.
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Friday, 06 October, 2006
Concrete rot hits Savoie ski resorts
Numerous buildings constructed since the spring of 2004 and some ski lifts may have to be rebuilt in the Maurienne valley’s ski areas due to defective concrete. The concrete becomes friable in the presence of humidity. The problem affects the foundations of a number of buildings as well as public works including road strengthening. The Savoie highways department is undertaking a thorough investigation of both roads and 13 ski lifts. The concrete was used in the valley from March to July 2004.
Hauts de Valmeinier will be demolished
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