ex-fiancee wants everything

[mlittle24]

I purchased a new home with my, now, ex-fiancee...
While engaged she put a $25k down-payment on the house and i've been paying mortgage ($1750 month) for the past 10 months when the engagment ended. Our agreement was for me to pay mortgage and her pay for furniture, utilities, etc.
Now that the wedding is off, she has moved out, will not pay for any of the mortgage or bills, and is trying to take all the furniture.

The question is...
Do I have any legal claim to half/some of the furniture?
Is she require to pay me half the mortgage I've already paid?
If she has left the home, is she required to pay for half the mortgage?
Am I required to pay her back for half the down-payment?

She claims that she owns all the furniture because she bought them. She claims I have to pay mortgage until I meet her $25k down-payment. Is there any advice for the situation on how to walk away with more than my shirt on my back?

 

[ALawyer]

Be thankful that you did not get married!

This is NOT an insurance law question, but my suggestion is that if you can not resolve this among yourselves fast, you get this settled by mediation or arbitration, or the legal costs will get completely out of hand.

A mediator would probably try to return each of you as closely as possible back to the point you would have been at if you had not bought the house and furniture. This way you share the financial pain. If the house was in both your names, and you each put in an equal amount by way of downpayment, then you'd sell it and split the equity. The mortgage payments would be considered rent -- and you might split that. The furniture would go to the buyer. Etc. That's just a guess as to what a mediator or arvbitrator may agree on.