Ex-boyfriend wants me to pay back rent

Gavin83

I agree with the majority, either he should have asked for rent but accepted you'd have an interest in the property or taken the route he did. However a condition of this is he can't retrospectively ask for money. Just tell him you don't owe him anything and cut all contact.

peachyprice

Sure, give him the money. Then slap him with a claim for 50% of the increase in the value of the property from the time you moved in until now.

Kayalana99

I'm suprized people haven't really said this already, to me the money was jointly owned. She didn't contribute to the rent so she could put money aside to save up for their future.

The BF is wrong to ask for 100%, but surely the agreement was that he owns 50% of the money since it was in fact their joint savings.

Now legally, he most likely doesn't have a leg to stand on, but morally...that money was saved together for the future which she could only afford to do as she wasn't paying half the rent.

Mojisola

Kayalana99 wrote: »

I'm suprized people haven't really said this already, to me the money was jointly owned. She didn't contribute to the rent so she could put money aside to save up for their future.

The BF is wrong to ask for 100%, but surely the agreement was that he owns 50% of the money since it was in fact their joint savings.

Only if he agrees that she has a beneficial interest in the value of the property as a result of her payments.

selement

You need the money for deposit for a new rental, that isn't unreasonable. I agree with others saying he can't have it both ways.
Although if it was a lot of money I could see why he feels he earnt some of that, but doesn't mean he has a right to it.

Even if we pretend he is owed money for the time you were living there (I don't think he is) £600 a month would be a bit steep surely? So no way would he have claim to all the money.

Would you have much leftover after securing a place to live?

davidwood123

I hate this ''interest in the property'' argument.

People come and go from each others lives all the time.

Someone could save for years, buy a home then have a partner move in for a year or two who might be able to claim some sort of interest in a property that isn't theirs.

It's wrong

peachyprice

Kayalana99 wrote: »

I'm suprized people haven't really said this already, to me the money was jointly owned. She didn't contribute to the rent so she could put money aside to save up for their future.

The BF is wrong to ask for 100%, but surely the agreement was that he owns 50% of the money since it was in fact their joint savings.

Now legally, he most likely doesn't have a leg to stand on, but morally...that money was saved together for the future which she could only afford to do as she wasn't paying half the rent.

He wanted it that way to prevent her gaining any beneficial interest in the property. So yes, he can have 50% of the saving, but she then gets 50% of any increase in value. He can't have it both ways.

peachyprice

davidwood123 wrote: »

I hate this ''interest in the property'' argument.

People come and go from each others lives all the time.

Someone could save for years, buy a home then have a partner move in for a year or two who might be able to claim some sort of interest in a property that isn't theirs.

It's wrong

You may hate it and you may think it's wrong, but it's the way the law works. And is obviously something the ex was well aware of when OP moved in, hence his plan to avoid it.

davidwood123

peachyprice wrote: »

You may hate it and you may think it's wrong, but it's the way the law works. And is obviously something the ex was well aware of when OP moved in, hence his plan to avoid it.

And if the property has decreased in value I hope the OP will take her share of the loss too!

That's how it works, isn't it?

burnoutbabe

I;ve done same with my partner, he pays me no rent (so has no claim) but he saved what he was paying in rent into a savings account so we can buy together in the future/or he has deposit money in case i kick him out with no notice- after 7 years he has a nice running away fund built up.
I'd tell him that was NOT the agreement so he has no claim to ask for any money. He can pursue it legally if he wants (where hopefully a solicitor would tell him he has no hope of getting anything)