To ask how much I should pay towards this?

[Undecidedandtorn]

I split up with my ex a year ago but we have been sharing accommodation (2 places swapping every week with the kids staying in the same house). The hot water in the main house broke just before Christmas.

Due to having an old set up (no central heating) it took a while to find someone to install a new set up which finally happened about 4 weeks ago. I'm moved into my new place on Friday so now we won't share accommodation and the kids will spend 50% of thier time at each of the places.

The water heating system cost £1500 and I'm really broke at the moment. My ex paid it out of our joint account which we both were putting 2/3 of our salary into (so me 60% him 40% of the total monthly amount that went into the joint account). I don't feel I should pay anything and he should refund me my share , he thinks I should leave as is.

What would a fair amount be?

I was on the deeds when it broke but not when it was fixed.

Doesn't matter. You still pay half.

You should pay half

What does your solicitor think?

Oh it was his house? That he's keeping and owns? Well then that's not 50%!!

I'd contribute towards it as a coparenting help but no way would I pay half if only he benefits

Can you renegotiate to a contribution of 1/4- 1/6 ? given you also benefitted at the time as well as DCs.

As I would have said 1/3 as a kindness, for your arrangement as it was, but given housing arrangements have changed and it was only for such a short time of house sharing then he's the only one that benefits (as well as DCs) as he solely (?) owns the property.

Will your ex negotiate with you? Given if you are broke it impacts more on DCs going forward - such that it's unreasonable to expect you to have subsidised his owner occupier larger house repair costs and experience hardship now when it has added to house value for repairs he was solely responsible for.

I think if it happened next week or even after you came off the deeds that would be a different matter. But at the time it broke and had it been able to be fixed quicker this wouldn't have been the case. The only reason it seems to have taken 7 months wasn't because of financial problems or ownership issues it was because of the complexity of the fix/replacement. At the time it broke you were both equally responsible, it seems to be no one's fault it's taken so long.

If it was a problem that needed fixing while you were living there and the joint ac is for those kinds of expenses, then yes that's how it should be paid for.

When it broke is what matters. Were you still sharing the house 50/50 when it broke? If so you should both have split the bill 50/50.

The same thing would happen if you both moved out, it still needed paying for when it needed fixing.

But I guess my point is we didn't both move out - if we had I would have paid half with no question

I don't have one.

Sorry - that was meant to quote the person that asked what my solicitor thinks

Sorry - that was meant to quote the person that asked what my solicitor thinks

Hi OP

I think as it was a brand new system that he will benefit from for years, that I can see where you're coming from that it's not fair that you pay for something. I think if it was a repair it would have been different but it's essentially an upgrade.

I suspect legally you would have to pay your half though and practically its tricky to work out how much you should pay so I'd just suck it up. And see if you can squeeze any other costs out the joint account like moving costs uf it was a joint decision etc

i would have paid half towards a repair but not half of a whole new system (assuming that a repair would get it working again, safely for a year or so)

Difficult really but as you were on the deeds when it broke then I suppose 50/50
unless you can persuade him differently - amicably.

Good point.

It all depends if you feel £750 is a hill worth dying on

Well. In the future you may need help with fixing a car for the use of you and the kids. He may well help you back then.

@RuthW @Johnnysgirl abd others who say the OP should Kay half even if she was no longer in the deeds when the item was replaced.... what if it broke today. Would she still pay half? She doesn't live there. What if it happened next month? What if hers broke. Should he pay half?
What if he wanted to buy a massive gas BBQ should she pay half because the dc would benefit? I don't really get it. Something is solely HIS house got repaired. Why is it anything to do with the OP? Breaking when she was there us irrelevant unless she broke it. Can he replace all the carpets that are worn and charge that too. Because they wore out when the OP was there?

They we're both living there when it broke? Doesn't matter when it was actually fixed, really. If it had been fixed immediately it would have been 50:50, I don't see why delaying the replacement until op had moved out makes it her ex's sole responsibility.
It's not a cosmetic enhancement, it's necessary maintenance.

I think joint finances end on the day you move out. The fact it may last 20 years is neither here nor there. The timing is just bad luck. If it had broken the day after, it would have been fair to pay nothing. Actually, if it had broken before and repaired after, I would still say that would mean paying nothing.

I also don't think "off the deeds" is relevant. You were occupying the house on terms which involved sharing costs.

I think 50/50 is fair.

Half.