To worry we gave away 100k of my inheritance!

[howdidIgetthere]

My DH thinks I am, but if I'm right then it's in his interest to say that!

Basically, we were in a pickle buying a house last year. We were consolidating houses with my DF to purchase a big house, and hoped that myself of my DF could be on the mortgage or deeds as a safety due to my DF helping with the deposit.

To cut a long story and identifying details this wasn't possible. Neither of us could be on a plausible mortgage, and the lenders wouldn't like us on the deeds either. But we needed a house. So as I was already engaged, we agreed between us that my DF would 'gift' 100k of inheritance to my DH so that he could solely purchase the house, but we would get married beforehand to safeguard my stake.

So we eloped without telling anyone else, my DF gifted the money and the house was purchased in my DH's name only. We had a proper wedding a few weeks after and all is well. As far as I know, because the house was purchased after marriage, I have a stake in the house should we divorce, and can get some of that value back in lieu of my inheritance/not be left with no money and nowhere to live.

However, since the purchase the house has had extensive renovations and its value is increasing significantly. I have noticed that my DH keeps referring to people that the purchase date was back in the summer, months before our marriage. I know for a fact from the deeds etc that the closing date was not until a month after we were married, when the funds were transferred. Before the marriage, the mortgage may just have been accepted, but zero money had been exchanged.

When I ask him about this he says iabu for questioning him, that yes he bought it before we got married ie he's taking the acceptance of an offer on the house as when he bought it. This is obviously very worrying for me, as if he bought it before we were married or some other loophole then in the case of divorce I have lost most of my inheritance and have no stake on the house!!!

I don't know why he is saying this as at the time he agreed it was the best option so that all parties were happy and protected. I have resisted a marital rights notice on the deeds, but otherwise I am still not on the deeds or the mortgage (I don't have a high enough income). So who is BU? Have we been misled and given away my inheritance, or is my DH wrong and for some reason trying to say something that's incorrect?

You've been taken for a ride. Please get some proper legal advice

He isn't responsible for housing your children from a previous relationship though, only joint children.

Do you have a Declaration of Trust in place regarding the house and if not why not?! If you don’t, it doesn’t matter one wasn’t put in place
between you and your dh on the same day the house purchase completed as you can do it now fine, it can be done anytime. This would record that whilst he is the legal owner you both are the beneficial owners and set out in what proportions and what happens on sale etc. It is not a complicated deed to get in place and doesn’t need registering at Land Registry (but would strongly recommend you get a restriction added to the title so there is some nod to flag that there is someone else in the background so dh cannot sell the property without you consenting!)

Do it sooner rather than later!

So you don’t earn anything

and he completely financially supports you?

Do you have any disabilities Op? Only asking as no one can be daft enough to give someone their inheritance without being married and with no paper record of it. You need a lawyer and quick. If you split he can make out like he purchased the place not you. You certainly won’t get the money back as theirs no proof.

sort yourself out and quick

Your father put 100k into a house and you didn’t involve yourself in the purchase at all?

Who has been the source of your information other than your now DH because it sounds like he’s been telling you nonsense.

I think your big problem will be when he dies not if you get divorced. If you get divorced it'll be treated as a marital asset but if he dies before you he could leave it to his kids instead of you.

If you weren't involved in the advice from the mortgage broker your husband corks be telling you any old bollocks. It doesn't sound right to me in a number of ways. How did he explain where 100k had come from? I bet he didn't tell the broker the house was being bought in contemplation of imminent marriage!

He's wrong anyway. The house is not owned until completion day when money changes hands (I'm assuming you're in England as i don't know the law elsewhere). But even if you married after completion you still acquire matrimonial rights.

I would not trust him.

Taken a ride by someone who completely financially supports her? (The op is a student, her DH is a high earner)

How can you be getting married, contributing £100K towards the purchase of your future home, yet not even having a conversation about any of it. This is unbelievable.

There are only two things to say really:

1. You and your dad have been naive fools. I can't quite believe adults would be so naive as this.

2. You need to see a solicitor and find out how (if) you can assure your interest in the property.

@Reallyreallyborednow yes that's what I signed

I did have to sign some paperwork about my living there at the time of completion

That sounds as if you have signed to confirm you make no claim on ownership and accept you have no rights to live there except in the owners say so.

1. The date of purchase is the date of completion, regardless of what your husband likes to tell people.
2. Presumably your husband has another reason for telling people you bought the house as, unless he is going around saying it his his house and not yours, it certainly has no bearing on anything else.
3. You sound insecure in your marriage. This needs addressing separately.
4. You should be on the mortgage. It is great that you are married. The marriage and the paper trail showing your father put £100K in would all mean something in the event of a divorce that required negotiations over assets, but ultimately possession is important. You need to have a legal stake in your home. Mortgages can easily be updated to achieve this. It makes no sense that you weren't on it in the first place. Get it sorted.

Wow. This is unbelievable. He has shafted you good and proper, he could kick you out tomorrow and there would be nothing you could do about it. Unless there’s evidence of him deliberately misleading you, which I suspect there isn’t, he might not even have to split the house with you as you’ve not been married long.

I am gobsmacked tbh.

Op

HE IS A HIGH EARNER
YOU ARE A STUDENT

So… does he financially support you?

Why are you ignoring advice to go and see a solicitor ?

They will at least register your interest at the land registry although it's not that complicated to do that your self .. no matter how 'busy' your DH is !

I'll bet the mortgage broker was a friend of DH.. I bet it was them that told you you couldn't be in the deeds or have your dad gift you the money to make a joint purchase !!

Get it sorted . In your own terms. No DH involved !!

Just to clarify I am on the deeds as such, I just checked the letter they sent me and I registered a martial right's notice so I am on there as his spouse. We have DC which I am main carer for but I don't earn currently as I'm a student

Why are you avoiding all the important questions people are asking you?

@Doingprettywellthanks

Well yes but (Same old) I support his work and take care of everything else. I'm finishing my degree next year so I can start a career

Er to ask the obvious here - why are you even married to someone you suspect would do this to you? Is it some kind of arranged or marriage of convenience? The whole situation just sounds completely bizarre.

Essentially your Dad's gifted your DH a house for himself.

Supporting the OP for a year or so will be considerably cheaper than what he's got out of her dad (and the capital appreciation on that amount too). If he divorces her after a short marriage she will be screwed.

That’s completely irrelevant. This is about ownership of a property into which she’s invested £100k, not who pays the gas bill.

He might be financially supporting you, but at the moment it appears as if your father has paid him £100k to do so. The steps he has taken appear to ensure only that you are not entitled to any of that deposit back.

Does he have a will? Are you names in it or has he left the whole house to his DC?

You are very vulnerable here.

Sorry so many messages. I'm not sure where to start with a solicitor