When it comes to money or property, all bets are off. The nicest people, the best couples, and even close-knit family members can end up in a screaming match over who gets a share in the estate. The only problem is that these kinds of issues aren’t easy to solve at all.
In this bizarre situation, a woman found herself caught between ruining her relationship by standing up to her boyfriend or giving in to his entitled demands for equity in her house. He felt that he deserved it, all just because he did a few chores.
More info: Reddit
Disputes about money and property can be tough to solve between an unmarried couple, especially if the laws aren’t so clear about what to do
The woman had been living in a townhouse that she bought seven years ago, and once she started dating her boyfriend, she let him move in with her
Despite paying a lower rent and covering less than 20% of the household expenses, when the woman decided to sell her townhouse, the man demanded equity in it
The woman explained that since they both had signed a cohabitation agreement before moving in, she was worried about whether he actually had rights to her property
When her boyfriend moved in with her, he was able to save a lot on rent and utilities. He even quit the part-time job that he had been working at while renting his previous place. In exchange, the man took on a few more household responsibilities and did a little more of the cooking.
The OP still had to pay for pretty much everything and do 40% of the cooking and household chores, so it’s obvious that the division of labor in the relationship was by no means equal. According to research, although 22% of men do try to shoulder the burden of housework, that role primarily falls on women, who are now also expected to contribute financially.
Although the woman seemed content with her situation, she had tried to safeguard her assets by asking her boyfriend to sign a cohabitation agreement. By signing it, he agreed that she would retain control of the house and that she wouldn’t owe him any form of monetary compensation if they broke up.
Legal experts say that cohabitation agreements are useful to protect the interests of both partners. It addresses issues like “property ownership, financial responsibilities and division of assets in the event of a breakup and any other important matters that the couple wishes to clarify.” This is extremely useful in case there’s any dispute between them later.
Things seemed to be going well between the couple until the woman wanted to sell her townhouse. Even though she had bought it herself and the mortgage had her name on it, her boyfriend expected equity in it just because he did 60% of the household chores. This shocked the woman, who told folks that “he [hadn’t] paid any ‘rent’ or ‘mortgage’ of any kind since spring.”
She felt worried that the cohabitation agreement and the fact that they had been together for three years would mean that he had rights to her property. As she explained, in her jurisdiction, if people live together for long enough they can be considered ‘common law spouses’ and have similar rights to married couples.
According to lawyers, even if a cohabitation agreement is in place, if the property is owned in one person’s name, that person has complete rights to it. The other partner can try to claim it in certain circumstances. One instance could be if they have evidence to support that there was an oral or written agreement about the property between them and their companion.
Other things like their financial contribution toward the estate can also help support their claim. Based on all this, it seems like the law is in favor of the OP. Since she owned the property and had everything in her name, her boyfriend couldn’t claim equity in it. It’s obvious that he got a bit greedy and expected way too much for doing way too little.
How do you think the woman should confront her partner over his crazy demand?
People sided with the poster and told her that it was a major red flag for the guy to ask for equity despite not contributing nearly enough
