Ex-partner wants house bought with inheritance despite my name on deeds

[Guffy]

My partner and I were together for 10 years. I loved her dearly and believe we had a strong relationship. About 5 years in she came into a sum of money after her father sadly died and she decided to buy a house with the money so we could set up home together. She decided to put my name on the deeds effectively giving me half the house. I cautioned her at the time that it was a big step and a generous gift but she said she loved me and it was our home. A year or so ago, after 6 months of lying and deceiving me, she left me for a local man. I now live in the house on my own but she is indicating that the house belongs to her because she ‘paid for it with my dad’s money’. Where do I stand legally please?

You sound foreign. A British man would have his own money and decency to know if she paid the huge lump sums into the house, she owns it.

Why would a British man have his own money? Many don't. And she chose to give him a half share in the house. Any man, British or otherwise, can reasonably conclude that they own half the house, which is what the law says and, in all honesty, is the moral position too. If someone gives you a gift, it is yours.

I have no idea why you think OP is foreign.

She will fight this tooth and nail if lawyers get involved and you will be left with nothing after bloodsucking lawyers are involved. In fact, once the lawyers take their share, you could be left with a large bill from the lawyers.

If she chooses to fight this, she will lose. She will then have to pay OP's legal costs as well as her own. That may not cover all of OP's legal costs, but it will cover most of them. Anything he has to pay will only be a fraction of the value of his share of the house.

I would do as she says and move out. You’re not paying her rent at the moment and the relationship has broken down.

Why on earth would he pay her rent? It is as much his house as hers. She gave it to him, remember.

It’s your home, you’re on the deeds. I would take half the house, it’s your home. Tell her that, and she can either give you 50% of the value or you sell the house and split the money.
Quite frankly I would give a damn, she cheated on you. You owe her nothing.

Fucking racist bollocks
soon to be deleted I’m sure

Right!!!

Legally you own half the house, but morally have a long hard think about what’s ‘right’

If the OP and the DP had been married, the fact it’s an inheritance and bought quite recently would have been taken into account.

Id want to double check with a lawyer where you stand @Guffy
Asking on here is unlikely to give you fully reliable answers.

OP's partner used her inheritance to buy a home and put it into joint names. If they had been married, that would have made the inheritance into a matrimonial asset. So no, it would not have been taken into account in divorce.

Whilst there are a lot of incorrect answers on this thread, the correct answer has also been posted many times. Since OP is on the deeds along with his partner, he owns 50% of the house and is entitled to 50% of the proceeds if it is sold unless it is owned as tenants in common and there is a deed of trust setting out a different split. He should check with a lawyer rather than relying on random posters on here, many of whom clearly don't know the law, but a lawyer will confirm that this is the position.

Get yourself a good solicitor now. I’m appalled at most of the answers you’ve been given.

This is my view too. I don't believe morals come into it, or that you should worry too much over the views of strangers on the Internet. Please get legal advice and work from there.

What was your plan and situation until you met age 57? Had you accrued no home or savings of your own? Where would you be living still, if you hadn’t met your ex?

She gave you half the house, she knew the implications at the time. You talked it through. It’s your name on the deeds and I don’t see a moral problem with it at all. You own half of it, so own it.

It will depend on whether the house is a joint tenancy or a tenancy in common. If it is a joint tenancy all owners hold an equal, undivided right to 100% of the property. Shares cannot be split unequally. If it is a tenancy in common then each owner holds a specific percentage or share of the property. Shares can be equal (50/50) or unequal (e.g., 70/30) to match the equity that each partner owns. The deeds will tell you which applies. That's the legal position,not the moral position.

You didn’t pay for any of the house. Move out. It’s not yours.

She put him on the deeds. Half of it is his. What makes you think she can take back a gift?

She put him on the deeds

This was 5(?) years ago - if she wanted to change her mind, she had plenty of time to do so.

I'd keep the 50%

She has no right to the other 50%. Legally it is his. She sounds pretty flaky. Why should he make himself intentionally homeless and leave with nothing because she decided to leave him? It is not as if he didn't explain the implications to her at the time. Yes it was her inheritance and she chose to give him half the property.

You could argue that you are named as an owner and she essentially gave you half of the house as a gift (if I understand you correctly). If that's the case she can't expect you to just give it back because she ended the relationship.

It is his -well half of it. She gave it to him.

OP has posted in legal, some may have missed this because its trending, but this is not AIBU, OP has asked a specific legal question.

I’d look on the land registry, if you haven’t already, to see if you are registered as an owner. Are you definitely listed?

To be fair I missed that too.

Legally half the house is Ops.

Morally We don't know what Op has given up to move in with partner. They could have given up a secure council tenancy for all we know.

I think they should go for the half they are entitled to and move back to be near their DD.

That is not automatically true.
Just like length of the marriage is taken into account, so is when the inheritance was received and what the money was used for.

It isn’t clear cut but loads of shade of grey hence my advice to check with a lawyer.

@prh47bridge is a lawyer.

No your age doesn't make any difference, it's the fact you have a Penis unfortunately. You could be the most amazing man in the world and your wife a seriel killer but that won't make a difference to a huge chunk of the women on here.
Thankfully there are some normal folk on here but not many.

Seriously if you posted to say your husband cheated on you and wants the house that you were on the deeds for he would be pure evil and they would celebrate taking him for everything he has. As your ex has a vagina these women can't help but hate you.
Good luck with your battle.