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property seperation

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mishutam

Junior Member
Hello everyone. This is my first post to this forum, so I hope I am in the right place.

I have a question about division of property after separation from a girlfriend. My girlfriend and I were dating for 6.5 years, and have been engaged for about 9 months. 2 years ago we also purchased a house and moved in together. Both of our names are on the title and on the mortgage, however, we don't have any other bank accounts, or anything like that together. Only thing is that I've been completely supporting her financially during all this time, and have been paying for the house, utilities, vacations, everything. I will be selling the house and hopefully will profit $30k from the sale. The other thing is that the engagement ring I bought for her was $20k and I want it back.

My question is whether she is entitled to any of this or not? Do we legally have to split the money (and property) or not because her name is on the mortgage and title? Especially since I've been paying for the house and paid for the ring on my own. We did fix up the house a little bit, and she helped design it and decorate it, but I contributed financially among other things. During the last 2 years, she has also worked full-time and has been saving all the money she earned, so she has a nice amount saved up in her bank account. We live in Texas, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

~M
 


Ohiogal

Queen Bee
Hello everyone. This is my first post to this forum, so I hope I am in the right place.

I have a question about division of property after separation from a girlfriend. My girlfriend and I were dating for 6.5 years, and have been engaged for about 9 months. 2 years ago we also purchased a house and moved in together. Both of our names are on the title and on the mortgage, however, we don't have any other bank accounts, or anything like that together. Only thing is that I've been completely supporting her financially during all this time, and have been paying for the house, utilities, vacations, everything. I will be selling the house and hopefully will profit $30k from the sale. The other thing is that the engagement ring I bought for her was $20k and I want it back.

My question is whether she is entitled to any of this or not? Do we legally have to split the money (and property) or not because her name is on the mortgage and title? Especially since I've been paying for the house and paid for the ring on my own. We did fix up the house a little bit, and she helped design it and decorate it, but I contributed financially among other things. During the last 2 years, she has also worked full-time and has been saving all the money she earned, so she has a nice amount saved up in her bank account. We live in Texas, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

~M
You cannot sell the house WITHOUT her permission. She owns the house as well and is entitled to half of whatever equity is gotten from the sell. So you may think you are going to sell it but without her permission you are doing squat with the house.


As for the engagement ring -- well why did you break up? Who broke it off?
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Hello everyone. This is my first post to this forum, so I hope I am in the right place.

I have a question about division of property after separation from a girlfriend. My girlfriend and I were dating for 6.5 years, and have been engaged for about 9 months. 2 years ago we also purchased a house and moved in together. Both of our names are on the title and on the mortgage, however, we don't have any other bank accounts, or anything like that together. Only thing is that I've been completely supporting her financially during all this time, and have been paying for the house, utilities, vacations, everything. I will be selling the house and hopefully will profit $30k from the sale. The other thing is that the engagement ring I bought for her was $20k and I want it back.

My question is whether she is entitled to any of this or not? Do we legally have to split the money (and property) or not because her name is on the mortgage and title? Especially since I've been paying for the house and paid for the ring on my own. We did fix up the house a little bit, and she helped design it and decorate it, but I contributed financially among other things. During the last 2 years, she has also worked full-time and has been saving all the money she earned, so she has a nice amount saved up in her bank account. We live in Texas, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

~M
The house is 1/2 hers and therefore she is entitled to 1/2 of the equity in the house. There is absolutely NOTHING that you can do about that. If there will be 30k after walking away from the closing table, expect that she will walk away with 15k of it. Even if you live in it for the next 30 years and pay off the mortgage by yourself, she is still 1/2 owner of the property. That is one of the HUGE downfalls in buying property with someone with whom you are not married.

You may or may not be able to get the ring back, but even if you can, please realize that its resale value will be likely to be not much more than 20% of what you paid for it. So don't bank on 20k if you get the ring back.
 

mishutam

Junior Member
the breakup was mutual for the most part. She has already agreed to sell the house, but told me she wants some of the profits.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
the breakup was mutual for the most part. She has already agreed to sell the house, but told me she wants some of the profits.
Again, and I will repeat, she is legally entitled to 1/2 of the proceeds from the sale of the house, at closing. There is absolutely NOTHING that you can do about that, unless she agrees to take less than 1/2.
 

mishutam

Junior Member
what about other property in the house, like furniture and stuff? is she entitled to any of that if I paid for it?
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
No one can tell OP what the disposition of the property will be, as he has not identified his STATE.
He is not married to her, therefore his state really doesn't matter a whole lot, unless they could be considered to be common law married, and it doesn't sound that way.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
what about other property in the house, like furniture and stuff? is she entitled to any of that if I paid for it?
Anything you bought, is yours. with one proviso. Anything you bought and gave to her as a gift (Christmas, birthday, valentines day etc.) is hers.
 

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