lived with boyfriend for 7 years in a rental owned by my parents, now he wants to sue

[hopper123]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA & AZ
My boyfriend and I lived in a rental my parents own. I have lived their myself for twenty years before he moved in with me. He is a contractor and has helped me with upgrades throughout the years. I paid for material and labor except for his as he always offered to make changes to the house. Some additions I wanted and some changes he wanted, but I always covered the material and most of the labor, some of the labor I did myself. he paid minimal rent, enough to cover groceries and utilities most of the time. We have since separated and now he says I owe him over a hundred thousand dollars, I spent over a hundred thousand dollars on the upgrades over the years and he lived for almost free in a nice house. I also bought a house in Arizona and let him buy into it, we own it 50/50 now but thinks I should give it to him. Does he have any ground to stand on. Most of the things he helped me with were over six years ago. He also was able to buy new trucks, off road vehicals, started up multiple businesses that failed until now after the break up he has acquired a house from a job he did several years ago, am I entitled to any of the things he was able to buy and the business that was started while we were together?

 

[single317dad]

Time for everyone to grow up and move on. Neither of you is entitled to anything from the other unless one or both of you have a signed agreement to repay. To protect yourself, you should respond properly to any lawsuit filed to avoid a default judgment.

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA & AZ
My boyfriend and I lived in a rental my parents own. I have lived their myself for twenty years before he moved in with me. He is a contractor and has helped me with upgrades throughout the years. I paid for material and labor except for his as he always offered to make changes to the house. Some additions I wanted and some changes he wanted, but I always covered the material and most of the labor, some of the labor I did myself. he paid minimal rent, enough to cover groceries and utilities most of the time. We have since separated and now he says I owe him over a hundred thousand dollars, I spent over a hundred thousand dollars on the upgrades over the years and he lived for almost free in a nice house. I also bought a house in Arizona and let him buy into it, we own it 50/50 now but thinks I should give it to him. Does he have any ground to stand on. Most of the things he helped me with were over six years ago. He also was able to buy new trucks, off road vehicals, started up multiple businesses that failed until now after the break up he has acquired a house from a job he did several years ago, am I entitled to any of the things he was able to buy and the business that was started while we were together?

So who is going to buy the other out of the house in Arizona? Neither of you are entitled to the property of the other as you were told.

 

[hopper123]

Thanks for response, Thants what i wanted to here.

Thank You, I was hoping to here there needed to be a contract for payment on helping with construction work to be paid for seven years later. As far as his businesses go, I'm not interested in anything he has I'm just trying to cover myself in case I get sued for something. The house we own together in AZ, I would like to buy him out but he insists he has the right to it so I told him I wanted my half of the initial investment not everything we put into it for the past seven years. He thinks I should just give it to him, NOT! I am pushing him hard to get this matter resolved quick now as we have been sharing it for a year. I need to move on but I also know he has attorney friends that are trying to help him get something out of me on both matters. He is going out of the country for two weeks on vacation and keeps saying "don't worry as soon as I get back this matter will be taken care of" I have asked how are you buying me out, am I buying you out, or are we putting it on the market? No response on his end, it just worries me that he is talking to lawyers about sueing and "getting what he's entitled too". What steps can I take to resolve or get this matter moving faster so I also have some control over the sale of the house.

 

[Zigner]

Thank You, I was hoping to here there needed to be a contract for payment on helping with construction work to be paid for seven years later. As far as his businesses go, I'm not interested in anything he has I'm just trying to cover myself in case I get sued for something. The house we own together in AZ, I would like to buy him out but he insists he has the right to it so I told him I wanted my half of the initial investment not everything we put into it for the past seven years. He thinks I should just give it to him, NOT! I am pushing him hard to get this matter resolved quick now as we have been sharing it for a year. I need to move on but I also know he has attorney friends that are trying to help him get something out of me on both matters. He is going out of the country for two weeks on vacation and keeps saying "don't worry as soon as I get back this matter will be taken care of" I have asked how are you buying me out, am I buying you out, or are we putting it on the market? No response on his end, it just worries me that he is talking to lawyers about sueing and "getting what he's entitled too". What steps can I take to resolve or get this matter moving faster so I also have some control over the sale of the house.

Is there any equity in the AZ house? Is there a mortgage on the AZ house? If you truly cannot work this out, then you may need to seek a partition suit.

 

[hopper123]

Is there any equity in the AZ house? Is there a mortgage on the AZ house? If you truly cannot work this out, then you may need to seek a partition suit.

Its paid for, I gave him the option to buy me out but I don't think he has the money or he's trying to find a way that I need to sign over my half as he keeps saying I owe him. I told him I can buy him out right now or we put it on the market. He has recently spoke to a lawyer friend(not sure what about) and says as soon as he returns from vacation in two weeks everything will be done. I don't know what will be done he's not responding.

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

The courts just don't work that quickly. Wait until he gets back to see if you are served.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA & AZ
My boyfriend and I lived in a rental my parents own. I have lived their myself for twenty years before he moved in with me. He is a contractor and has helped me with upgrades throughout the years. I paid for material and labor except for his as he always offered to make changes to the house. Some additions I wanted and some changes he wanted, but I always covered the material and most of the labor, some of the labor I did myself. he paid minimal rent, enough to cover groceries and utilities most of the time. We have since separated and now he says I owe him over a hundred thousand dollars, I spent over a hundred thousand dollars on the upgrades over the years and he lived for almost free in a nice house. I also bought a house in Arizona and let him buy into it, we own it 50/50 now but thinks I should give it to him. Does he have any ground to stand on. Most of the things he helped me with were over six years ago. He also was able to buy new trucks, off road vehicals, started up multiple businesses that failed until now after the break up he has acquired a house from a job he did several years ago, am I entitled to any of the things he was able to buy and the business that was started while we were together?

First, the house you have been living in does not belong to you, it belongs to your parents. Therefore he has no cause of action against you regarding that house, because its not your property. On top of that I don't see how he could successfully claim that he is due anything regarding the labor he put into that house, because he lived there basically rent free. He did not pay for any of the materials, and it would be far more credible that his labor was in exchange for rent than the alternative.

As far as the house you own together, he is dreaming if he thinks that any court would give him the entire house. The court simply does not have the authority to do that. You were not married and the court has no authority to take any property away from you.

I suspect that he has not been entirely honest with any attorneys he has spoken to (if he has spoken to any at all). I suspect that he is hoping to scare you into just rolling over and giving him the house in AZ.

However, it would be in your best interest to get a consult with an attorney of your own. There is simply too much money involved not to do so.

 

[latigo]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA & AZ
My boyfriend and I lived in a rental my parents own. I have lived their myself for twenty years before he moved in with me. He is a contractor and has helped me with upgrades throughout the years.

I paid for material and labor except for his as he always offered to make changes to the house. Some additions I wanted and some changes he wanted, but I always covered the material and most of the labor, some of the labor I did myself. he paid minimal rent, enough to cover groceries and utilities most of the time.

We have since separated and now he says I owe him over a hundred thousand dollars, I spent over a hundred thousand dollars on the upgrades over the years and he lived for almost free in a nice house.

I also bought a house in Arizona and let him buy into it, we own it 50/50 now but thinks I should give it to him.

Does he have any ground to stand on. Most of the things he helped me with were over six years ago.

He also was able to buy new trucks, off road vehicles, started up multiple businesses that failed until now after the break up he has acquired a house from a job he did several years ago, am I entitled to any of the things he was able to buy and the business that was started while we were together?

With respect to each other, neither of you stand on solid ground. Not in the sense that either have a viable cause of action against the other. A "viable cause of action" meaning a claim of a nature upon which legal relief could be granted.

This is not to say that he couldn't have some legal claim against the owners of the property on the theory of "quantum meruit" which "implies a promise to pay for services as a matter of law for reasons of justice"

But would also require some proof that the property owners were aware and voiced no objection to the services rendered.

However, six years hence such a claim in California would be barred by reason of its two year statute of limitations. (See: California Code Civil Procedure Section 339 as applied in common counts for quantum meruit claims in the cases of Parker v. Solomon (1959) 171 Cal.App.2d 125, 134 and Iverson et al vs. Berwald et al. Cal Court of Appeals 2d Dist. Case No. 190861 (1999)
__________________________

You proposed entitlement to share in his property accumulations is totally without merit.
___________________________

Respecting the home you say is owned jointly by you and your former lover as tenants in common:

Adding his name to the title was not one of the wisest things you ever did. In fact it was abject stupidity as that arrangement is the worst way to own land.

You think he is causing you headaches now, they are only beginning. It would be well of you both to sell it, or one buy out the other. And if he refuses either, your only legal recourse is by way of partition. An expensive and timely legal process resulting in the court ordering it sold at sheriff's auction.

And unless there is a substantial equity no one will bid on it and you are back to square one less several thousand dollars in attorney fees, sheriff's fees and court costs.

 

[Zigner]

And unless there is a substantial equity no one will bid on it and you are back to square one less several thousand dollars in attorney fees, sheriff's fees and court costs.

100% equity

 

[hopper123]

First, the house you have been living in does not belong to you, it belongs to your parents. Therefore he has no cause of action against you regarding that house, because its not your property. On top of that I don't see how he could successfully claim that he is due anything regarding the labor he put into that house, because he lived there basically rent free. He did not pay for any of the materials, and it would be far more credible that his labor was in exchange for rent than the alternative.

As far as the house you own together, he is dreaming if he thinks that any court would give him the entire house. The court simply does not have the authority to do that. You were not married and the court has no authority to take any property away from you.

I suspect that he has not been entirely honest with any attorneys he has spoken to (if he has spoken to any at all). I suspect that he is hoping to scare you into just rolling over and giving him the house in AZ.

However, it would be in your best interest to get a consult with an attorney of your own. There is simply too much money involved not to do so.

What type of attorney should I speak with in this matter? This whole thing makes me literally sick that he would stoop this low as he helps everyone for free even people he barely knows but feels I owe him for a seven year relationship gone bad.

 

[LdiJ]

What type of attorney should I speak with in this matter? This whole thing makes me literally sick that he would stoop this low as he helps everyone for free even people he barely knows but feels I owe him for a seven year relationship gone bad.

I would talk to a real estate attorney first.