Husband wants name added on house

[Yanique2580]

Hi everyone
I moved into my house, which i bought with my own money with savings and the sale of my flat. My husband was struggling financially at the time so coudnt contribute anything towards the house we now live in. The house is in my name. However, the house needed renovating and my husband put in 2 new bathrooms and a kitchen , and has done most of the renovations. We went out for dinner the other night and he asked if I could add his name to the house. I told him I would think about it. Im grateful for the work he has done but I saved my own money and used the sale of my flat to afford a mortgage for the house. Also he recently added me to his insurance, as it meant I could use his car , as he used to have anxiety about driving. He had 3 years of struggling with jobs and turning down job offers because he didn't want to sit in traffic or 1drive to far, but I stood by him. He asked me the other day if I could give him money for my car insurance as it comes out of his account because its joint in his name. I asked him why he coudnt help me with 75 pounds a month and he said do you want to change to having your own insurance.🙄 To be honest I really don't want to add his name to the mortgage.

I would look to protect your assets accrued before marriage, so draw up a tenants in common contract so you own the equity (say, 40% capital) you put in and going forward, both of you share in the rise, or fall, proportionately, of the property value. This would be caveated that the longer the marriage more likely a court will disregard it, looking more at a fair split of assets depending on factors like children, other savings, and pensions.

It sounds like he's put in a lot of work to the property without asking for anything in return until now. That says a lot. He considers you both a partnership, I guess the question is, do you?

But you were already married when you bought the house?

Does he pay half the mortgage?

How long have you been married? Please tell me your solicitor told you about ringfencing your money etc..... if not, its a marital.assett shit bust. Its half his.....

Your gut is telling you something here.

So, it does make a difference. I divorced a few years ago, ex-husband’s name was not on the mortgage. I paid for it every month, he covered a few bills (was not equal), he did some (shoddy) work on the house, but judge could see what was going on in my situation and ruled in my favour; he couldn’t touch it and it would remain 100% mine and the children’s. Said he had not contributed very much and was not owed anything. Married about 12 years.

It was also clear that ex-h had no intention of finding suitable work (or any work) in order to contribute. And when he did, he couldn’t hold down the job for long anyway.
Sounds similar. I lived in hope all the time that things would change…

You have to be careful though as a split starts at 50/50 regardless and you have to consider that you are now providing a standard of living for him, so if you divorce you may be required to continue doing so.

Please protect your assets. Don’t do it would be my advice, but I’m not a legal expert, just someone who’s maybe been through something similar.

Good luck OP x

Wellll he’s up to something.
Sorry, I should say that. It’s wild speculation…. ….
but he’s up to something.

You should’ve protected the money first. As in, the deposit is ring fenced as yours, you could ask him to agree to that now to put his name on the deeds. Either way he’s entitled with our without his name on the house

If you didn't ringfenced your money that went into deposit for house as you married him he'll be likely to get half if you divorced anyway. More likely after 5 years of marriage.

Is he your husband or your lodger?! What a way to live. If you want to ring fence money for yourself in case you split up: do it. But to make your supposed life partner, your spouse, live like a lodger with zero housing security in a place he can’t call home or his home… I’ve paid for 100% of the roof over my family’s heads, mortgage paid off entirely etc. The house is in my and DH’s names jointly, because I want what’s best for him and for me, because he supports me in other ways, because I want him to live with dignity in a place he feels is just as much his as mine so that we can raise our joint children jointly in our joint home. We’re equals. That’s what marriage should be, a partnership of equals. Not at any given snapshot moment but over a lifetime.

It’s a marital asset and he has a claim to it on divorce anyway, with or without his name on the title. If I were you I’d offer to add him as tenants in common in line with his contribution. At least then you would have something to point to in divorce to set out the intentions of the parties at the time in terms of ownership.

No it isn't.

Does this include the mortgage or is that separate?
And is £75 half the insurance?!?! Wtf does he drive (or not drive).

Either way, if you do pay the mortgage I'd tell him yes of course you'll pay insurance but you'll just knock it off his rent of X per month going forward.

I'm not getting a good vibe here - I totally get you want financial security but this reads like you don't trust him not to do you over any day and he's a flake.

I would take my chances and not add him to the mortgage. Unless there are children or it's a long marriage with him contributing relatively equally, it's highly unlikely he would end up with 50% of the property in the event of divorce.

If you want to keep ownership of the house, I would get my own insurance too.
Add up the money you owe him for working on the renovation. Pay him that and keep your name only on the home.

If you want his name added, seek legal advice and make sure your share of the house takes into account the huge ammount you contributed by selling your flat and using your savings.

There is a difference between having his name on the mortgage and having his name on the title deeds of the house.

Which did he mean, and which do you mean.

You were foolish not to have dealt with your deposit etc. when you bought the property, did you solicitor not give you any advice.

Where were you both living when you were dating / got married.

Why was he struggling financially when you moved into the house.

Do not confuse the car insurance issue with the house/mortgage issue.

either get your own insurance or stop driving his car.
Do you have your own car ?

I agree and would have loved to have been able to do this. However, for some of us it becomes apparent that the people we choose to be with are not right for us or do not treat us very well and in these cases, it is sensible to put protection in place. Relationships are more transient than they used to be, sadly so is marriage.
We are not all as lucky as you seem to be.

Your HALF of the car insurance is £75/mth? Really? That's £900 per year just for your half? That's a lot, are under 25yrs old? Have you seen the actual insurance policy? It would probably be much cheaper to get your own car insurance as he suggested!

It does sound like he's planning something...

I presume it's not having him on the deeds but more disappointment that you seem to be carrying him with him turning down jobs? That's fair for you to feel that way.
I'd add him, later once he's proven financially stable. It's one thing losing half the home if you divorce, it's quite another if he continues to get an easy ride from you. Yes, get some legal advice.

Why did you marry him?

Sounds like you married a man with MH issues who has struggled financially as a result.

He has added to the value of your property and adding you to his insurance makes it cheaper for you than having your own I assume.

Could you explain why you seem to be so possessive? (I don’t mean that to sound judgey, just wondering if there is more to it like you had to bail him out of debt or something).

eta I think if you divorced, courts would give him half.

What if you suggested he pay for the mortgage now?

If the roles were reversed, people would be screaming financial abuse!

I think if he's put money and effort into improving the value of your property then it would be pretty shit not to allow him some (not 50%) equity. You need proper legal and financial advice though, not Mumsnet posts.