Baker fined €650 for noisy rounds
Val d'Oise couple win damages from baker who would use his car horn repeatedly while making deliveries
A NOISY baker in the Val d'Oise has been ordered to pay €650 for "excessive use" of his car horn while making home deliveries - ending a lengthy legal battle.
A couple in Nesles-la-Vallée began legal action against Paul Pais, who they said would frequently interrupt their sleep with the early-morning honking, which would last up to two hours.
The pair said the noise was so unbearable that they had to sell their home and move out of the area.
According to Le Parisien, Mr Pais was initially fined €200 and ordered to pay €1,000 in damages by a court in Pontoise.
This has now been reduced on appeal by a court in Versailles to a €150 fine and €500 in damages to the complainants.
The baker's wife, who is not named by the paper, said she was "disappointed and angry" with the ruling.
The pair have decided to sell up and move back to Carcassonne, where Mr Pais used to carry out his morning rounds without any complaints.
"My husband works 18 hours a day to make ends meet. We did not need this," she said.
The Code de la Route says car horns can only be used in residential areas if there is an "immediate danger". In rural areas it can also be used to alert other road users to a vehicle's presence.
