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?

Yeah her home paid for with her farther's money!

THEIR home paid for with her father's money & half of it gifted to the OP as a token of her love.

I disagree that morally it is hers. For 5 years you have made financial and life decisions based on the premise of home ownership. Those will have consequences to your current financial outlook. Untangling your current state from that decision is extremely difficult.

Honestly OP, I'd tell her to see me in court.

She gave you half the house, she can't backtrack now 5 years later because she's decided she doesn't want to be with you anymore.

From a moral standpoint, it's not like she worked hard for the money. It was an inheritance from her Dad but surely he didn't raise her to be a cheater either.

You can't remain in the house alone though as she does own the other half so you will need to reach an agreement on selling it or her buying you out.

As a token of his love he should pack his bags, get out and pay his own way in life!

Move the hell out and get some morals whether she did wrong or not her dad who passed away he’s the reason a house exists. I’d personally feel like the biggest cunt if I started to fight over a house that I put nothing into getting and if it was a generous thing from a dead parent of my ex.

As a token of his love he should pack his bags, get out and pay his own way in life!

He owns half the house. It cannot be sold without his consent.

This!

This instead of being an entitled free loader

You all make me sick, the house came from her dead parent and you all want this free loader to take it from her when she obviously picked it using her fathers money. If I was freeloading and refusing to leave everyone around me would be disgusted in my actions.

Don’t be so silly. The legal position is the same regardless of sex.

In England, legally, you own whatever share the deeds say you own. If your name is on the deeds, you own whatever share the deeds say you own. It does not matter who paid for the house, where the money came from, whether it was inheritance, whether she “intended” it to be hers, & whether she now regrets it

Property law doesn’t care about feelings, hindsight, or moral arguments. It cares about legal title. If the deeds say:

• Joint tenants → you own 50%
• Tenants in common → you own whatever percentage is recorded

She cannot simply “take it back” because she changed her mind. It doesn’t matter that the money came from her dad, she chose to put you on the deeds, and that made it a gift. She can’t undo that now because the relationship ended.

It’s very straightforward: if you’re on the deeds, you own your share. If she wants the house back, she would need to buy your share out at market value.

Morally it’s more complicated and this is not your finest hour but unsurprisingly that is not what you are asking about. Get a solicitor to confirm your position

Indeed.
Legally it's half his.
But as the OP has singularly failed to answer any of the questions about whether there has been any financial contribution in any way etc over the years, I expect we're in massive cocklodger territory here...

What did you leave behind? Did you have a house you sold and had savings from that you’ve spent on both of you? Did you work during this time or do any renovations to the house at your time or expense? Did that increase the value? Basically what have you put in? That’s what you should get out. Your daughters whereabouts is neither here nor there!

If this went to court, do you think the judge would look at the morality aspect?

I don't think so. The legal position is they own it 50/50, and I reckon the judge and the law will work from there.

Have you been contributing to the bills or upkeep? Did you own a property beforehand or were you renting?

Your age makes me feel you are less entitled to any share of the property.

You own half the house and can sell the house and take half the proceeds after mortgage and costs are paid. You may decide to take less because she put her inheritance in.

These questions are all irrelevant. The OP owns half of the house. It was a gifted to him five years ago by his now errant partner. She cannot now have his half of the house back just because she has changed her mind.

It’s half your house. Force the sale or buy her out. Her fault if she was stupid enough to not ringfence the deposit etc and then cheat on you. You’ve wasted 10 years on the woman.

What do you think is a fair resolution OP?

As someone in the position of your ex (minus the affair), morally you should really move out.

That said, if you’re married then you can argue for at least 50/50 in court.

What happened to the property you lived in before you met her?

I'd be more disgusted by your morals and attitude now, putting money above everything else and treating someone like a scumbag over this.

His ex put his name on the deeds so he has rights here. That was her choice and she legally cemented it at the time.

I do sympathise but the law doesn't allow for emotion.
You need legal advice, as you're on the deeds you must have a right to the house but nine of us can advise you.

What are your personal finances like (ie how much do you have in savings/pension)? How have you contributed to household bills and mortgage?

If you can afford to buy somewhere to live then I think you should relinquish the house to her, but given you're on the deeds she should probably buy you out.

If you haven't contributed the to the house at all financially then ethically i think you have less right to it but it will come down to what the law says.

Legally you own 50%. Morally I’m unsure, it depends on your contribution to home maintenance, improvements etc over the last 10 years I think. I think id negotiate based on you receiving less than 50% but not 0%.

If you had reversed the sexes and posted the details you would have had a completely different response.

Keep the 50%.