Ex partner wants to force sale of house

princeofpounds

Why fight and create the legal bills.

Put it on the market and if sells for more than your offer you know it was too low and she was right.

If offers come in below your offer you might just end up buying it.


At least this way you find a fair price.

This is the wisest advice on here. You have your idea of market value (arguably better corroborated), she has hers. Let the market itself decide. If you were right then no offers of your amount will be forthcoming and you can buy it yourself. If she is right then you get more equity from the sale to move one with. This is the course of action that a court may well order in any case.

Try to negotiate a deadline and marketing price etc. so that a decision can be made to settle it before too long (eg 6 months, price x advertised with your price as a minimum acceptable floor, you get a chance to gazump any higher offer, x viewings a week at pre-agreed times, if not sold after agreed period your offer accepted.)

By the way, if she is employing solicitors she will have to pay for each letter. So if you really want to annoy her you could keep writing to them with requests for various bits of information. But that's pretty unethical, your priority here should be to find a mutually acceptable solution. Just because you live in the the house does not mean you have some kind of right to determine what happens to her half of the capital.

Costs will often be split in a sitution like this unless one party has been totally unreasonable.

GDB2222

Very good advice. I would just add:

• The ex- has a legal right to have the house sold, so she can get her 50% etc.
• If she goes to court, she'll sue for an 'order for sale'
• She's pretty much bound to get this, so the OP will lose the case and have to pay her costs
• It will probably be a high court case, ie very expensive
• If the OP is represented, he might stand a chance, but otherwise he's bound to lose
• It does not matter how reasonably he thinks he's acted, costs will be awarded against him
• The OP shouldn't rely on advice from here, but should go to a solicitor ASAP. Hopefully, the solicitor will kick some sense into him.

martinbuckley

Put it on the market at the price she wants. Meanwhile:

Make sure she pays 50% of the mortgage, buildings insurance etc - until the house is sold, she is responsible for half of the upkeep.

You'll probably find that after 3 or 4 months of her continuing to pay 50% of the mortgage will bring her to her senses.

jason.parker.86

Thanks to all who took the time and replied with advice. Ive followed advice and stated to her solicitors either accept offer or sell house. Dont see that she could take me to court with them options