Has Ex got a claim on my house

worried2bits

Long story but I'll try to make it as short as possible.


I bought my house 8 years ago and it remains solely in my name.


My partner moved in 6 years ago and paid me money each week towards bills/food/housekeep etc.


He also undertook works in the house which we jointly paid for and did together. He is a builder by trade and I'm a qualified electrician (female!).


Anyway for one reason or another, we would have arguments and he would pack his bags twice every year then come back with his tail between his legs.


I was struggling financially both during the time he was here and obviously more so when he kept leaving.


Fast forward to April last year, he left again and hasn't been back since albeit we have tried to get our relationship back on an equal footing but with him living at his parents.


In between this, I managed to secure a job which has left me financially secure and able to start to finish off the dozen odd jobs he started but never finished.


Due to the fact that I now work nights and have three kids (20, 18 and 14) at home, I wasn't getting to see him a lot so we have called it a day for good.


He has now told me he is going to take me to court as he wants £10,000 for all the work he has done, his contribution towards food and bills, a holiday we went on 4 years ago and the banger parked on my drive which he calls a car.


Does he have a claim at all?


He still owns a house with his wife and his name is on that mortgage.


He works full time albeit it came to light that he has not paid tax or national insurance for 15 years (the reason why he left in April).


I don't have £10,000 and I cant afford to pay a solicitor.


Any advice greatly appreciated.

Eejay

If he was willing to do the work at the time then I'd be surprised if he could claim anything back now. It's like volunteering for a charity and then deciding that you no longer like the charity and expect them to pay you for all the volunteering you did. If he offered to do it for free, he can't just change his mind afterwards.

With regards to the food and bills - unless he ate nothing, never washed and never used any heating or electricity (and can prove it) then I doubt he can claim anything for that either.

And he went on this holiday too, did he?

Pixie5740

What do you classify as "housekeep"? Is that like rent he paid to you? If so then he may have a claim that he was contributing towards the mortgage.

Also, you say that you paid jointly for works to the house so again he might have a claim for that.

I'm not a solicitor though so you should probably check with someone more qualified.

timbo58

He certainly will fail at any claim unless he can prove that he has contributed towards the houses purchase/mortgage or increase in value by the works done and that these contributions were not normal household expenses/holiday bills, i.e. he was paying 90% of all of them for a prolonged period etc.

Since no contract was made by him at the time of any building works and he was your live in partner he stands no chance of getting recompense for those.

If the car is in his name tell him to collect it before you start charging rental space for it, if in your name however, it's yours unless he has documentation to prove otherwise.

He seems to have missed the 1st rule of successfully pursuing a claim against someone -

1.make sure they can pay for any claim you make.......

You don't need to pay a solicitor, he won't be taking you to court.
Even if a solicitor gave him the time of day for any advice he would soon be told plainly 'don't be ridiculous' this will never go to court.

pinkshoes

He can't claim back any money for food and bills, as he would have had to pay these wherever he lived.

Did you always pay the mortgage? Did he live there rent free?

Has the work he has done on the property increased the value?

worried2bits

Thanks for the replies. Yes he did come on the holiday.


As for works, yes he bought stuff, I bought stuff.


Surely if he decides to up and leave countless times (the last time because he thinks the tax man has caught up with him), I cant be held responsible for work he's undertaken whilst living here.


So, in the eyes of the law, he can carry out works with good intentions whilst living here but when he decides to leave, he can then send me a bill!

Cheeky_Monkey

worried2bits wrote: »

He works full time albeit it came to light that he has not paid tax or national insurance for 15 years (the reason why he left in April)

If he persists with this ridiculous threat, the threat of a phone call to HMRC might just persuade him to drop it. Come to think of it ..... I'd do that anyway

Guest101

worried2bits wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Yes he did come on the holiday.


As for works, yes he bought stuff, I bought stuff.


Surely if he decides to up and leave countless times (the last time because he thinks the tax man has caught up with him), I cant be held responsible for work he's undertaken whilst living here.


So, in the eyes of the law, he can carry out works with good intentions whilst living here but when he decides to leave, he can then send me a bill!

You're looking at this from a personal point.

If he for example build an extension which he contributed to financially, this can be seen as an investment into the property and he could quite rightly have a claim.- roles reversed why should you benefit from his financial contribution?

Guest101

Cheeky_Monkey wrote: »

If he persists with this ridiculous threat, a phone call to HMRC might just do the trick. Come to think of it ..... I'd do that anyway

It wouldn't do the trick, in fact if say he's be more likely to pursue as her have a tax bill to pay....

Cheeky_Monkey

Guest101 wrote: »

It wouldn't do the trick, in fact if say he's be more likely to pursue as her have a tax bill to pay....

Not if he's in prison :eek:

Tax evasion is a criminal offence isn't it? I can't see the Courts going lightly on him if he hasn't paid any for 15 years

Pixie5740

You bought stuff, he bought stuff, now you have the benefit of the stuff he bought and he doesn't. What kind of works are you referring to?


You've also not said if the "housekeep" that he paid was a contribution towards your mortgage in the form of rent.


He's on a hiding to nothing with the food and holidays.