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Does my boyfriend have a legal claim to my home and property? He is threatening to put a lean on the home if I do not pay him.
Anonymous2 views2 answers
I lost my home to a fire, 4.5 yrs ago, I qualified for a new home to be built free of charge and replaced the mobile home. I put my insurance money down on a home, (15,000.00) and owner financed the remainder of the mortgage. (55,000.00). My boyfriend moved in with me while he was, and still is married,just after the fire. He didn't legally change his address on his drivers license until March of this year. He also filled income tax with his current wife in 2014. We split the expenses in half, the mortgage was always paid by me and is only in my name. We did buy furnishing for the current house and did some updates while we were together, to the approximate 5000.00. Just curious if he can put a lean on the property if I do not give him part of the sale of the home? Thank you
The facts that you mentioned in your question did not indicate that he has any grounds to file any lien against your property. The claim that he may make is a claim for reimbursement for the value to which his contributions increased the value of the property. He could argue there was a common law marriage after his other divorce was final which would bolster a claim for reimbursement.
If your boyfriend is still married he cannot claim a community property interest in the home with you. If the mortgage was always paid by you and is in your name, then he probably doesn't have rights to the house. He may, however, have the right to be reimbursed for his contribution to the updates. When you said he split expenses, do you mean just utilities bills and regular maintenance on the house? Or did he pay half the mortgage payment? You say he paid for updates, so he may be able to get reimbursement for his half of the improvements to the home. If you're splitting up with the boyfriend and he paid for furniture then give him half the furniture, and pay him for his fair share of the updates. If he puts a lien on the house, it'll cost you both more to remove the lien than it would to just come to an amicable agreement beforehand. There are a lot more facts that are needed to fully answer your question, but yes, it is possible he may be able to file a lien on your home for the improvements if he can prove that he paid for them, when he paid for them, and how much he paid.
