Strange Situation - Help Please
Discussion
I’m putting this here due to the possible legal implications so please bear with me.
My wife and I separated in early December. We own a house with a joint mortgage, no kids. I moved out into a rented flat in mid January and she’s now living in the house. We currently each pay 50% of the mortgage even though I’m not living there. She’s paying the bills. We agreed in December the house would be put on the market and sold once some work had been done on it. That’s now been completed so selling is the next step.
However, yesterday she told me that she’s moved her friend in as a housemate. This woman is going through a divorce too. And no, it’s not ‘like that’ before anyone asks.
I have issues with all of this:
1. I’m assuming the mortgage provider know nothing about this arrangement and that she’s not told them. What issues could this cause?
2. More importantly, what if this woman decides she doesn’t want to move out once the house is sold? This massively concerns me. I don’t know her at all. I assume my wife hasn’t bothered with any formal agreement at all. She also won’t tell me if she’s getting paid any rent by this woman? I certainly didn’t agree she could move someone in as a housemate even though it’s still half mine. She didn’t ask me.
Any suggestions as to what I can/should be doing? Any other potential issues?
Money is very tight at the moment so expensive lawyers isn’t really an option.
Thanks
My wife and I separated in early December. We own a house with a joint mortgage, no kids. I moved out into a rented flat in mid January and she’s now living in the house. We currently each pay 50% of the mortgage even though I’m not living there. She’s paying the bills. We agreed in December the house would be put on the market and sold once some work had been done on it. That’s now been completed so selling is the next step.
However, yesterday she told me that she’s moved her friend in as a housemate. This woman is going through a divorce too. And no, it’s not ‘like that’ before anyone asks.
I have issues with all of this:
1. I’m assuming the mortgage provider know nothing about this arrangement and that she’s not told them. What issues could this cause?
2. More importantly, what if this woman decides she doesn’t want to move out once the house is sold? This massively concerns me. I don’t know her at all. I assume my wife hasn’t bothered with any formal agreement at all. She also won’t tell me if she’s getting paid any rent by this woman? I certainly didn’t agree she could move someone in as a housemate even though it’s still half mine. She didn’t ask me.
Any suggestions as to what I can/should be doing? Any other potential issues?
Money is very tight at the moment so expensive lawyers isn’t really an option.
Thanks
If she’s honest when it comes to selling there’s paperwork for anyone else living in the property at the time to sign to state they will move out when the house is sold.
I’ve seen and used that myself with my solicitor.
If you’re involved in the selling process ask the solicitor dealing.
I’ve seen and used that myself with my solicitor.
If you’re involved in the selling process ask the solicitor dealing.
Nezquick said:
She also won’t tell me if she’s getting paid any rent by this woman?
Money is very tight at the moment so expensive lawyers isn’t really an option.
Thanks
99.99% certain your ex will be getting paid some form of rent by this woman.Money is very tight at the moment so expensive lawyers isn’t really an option.
Thanks
Money might be tight for you. Probably not so tight for your ex in view of the above.
You're paying half the mortgage, it's still (half) your house, but you get no share of the rent.
That's why she's not telling you.
Red 4 said:
99.99% certain your ex will be getting paid some form of rent by this woman.
Money might be tight for you. Probably not so tight for your ex in view of the above.
You're paying half the mortgage, it's still (half) your house, but you get no share of the rent.
That's why she's not telling you.
Very much this. Money might be tight for you. Probably not so tight for your ex in view of the above.
You're paying half the mortgage, it's still (half) your house, but you get no share of the rent.
That's why she's not telling you.
Discuss it with your divorce solicitor, not with a bunch of unqualified nobodies on t'interweb. (I include myself in that number).
Red 4 said:
Nezquick said:
She also won’t tell me if she’s getting paid any rent by this woman?
Money is very tight at the moment so expensive lawyers isn’t really an option.
Thanks
99.99% certain your ex will be getting paid some form of rent by this woman.Money is very tight at the moment so expensive lawyers isn’t really an option.
Thanks
Money might be tight for you. Probably not so tight for your ex in view of the above.
You're paying half the mortgage, it's still (half) your house, but you get no share of the rent.
That's why she's not telling you.
Faz50 said:
If she’s honest when it comes to selling there’s paperwork for anyone else living in the property at the time to sign to state they will move out when the house is sold.
I’ve seen and used that myself with my solicitor.
If you’re involved in the selling process ask the solicitor dealing.
I didn’t know that, so thanks. It makes me feel slightly better about the situation.I’ve seen and used that myself with my solicitor.
If you’re involved in the selling process ask the solicitor dealing.
Unfortunately mate, you need proper legal advice.
I feel for you, it's a crappy situation.
Most/ many solicitors offer a free 30 minute initial consultation.
You could also ask your local Citizens Advice Centre for help - many have access to solicitors providing free (initial) advice.
Don't tell the ex you've spoken to a lawyer. Why should you ? She's not being fair with you.
Try to keep things amicable but I suspect in view of what your ex has already done without asking you/ she's not willing to tell you/ what you've said -, that won't last long.
I feel for you, it's a crappy situation.
Most/ many solicitors offer a free 30 minute initial consultation.
You could also ask your local Citizens Advice Centre for help - many have access to solicitors providing free (initial) advice.
Don't tell the ex you've spoken to a lawyer. Why should you ? She's not being fair with you.
Try to keep things amicable but I suspect in view of what your ex has already done without asking you/ she's not willing to tell you/ what you've said -, that won't last long.
Edited by Red 4 on Monday 12th February 18:39
You need to get the house on the market asap, sounds to me like moving a friend in is a delaying tactic , has she obtained a gas safety certificate ,there's also a contents insurance issue possibly voiding your house insurance as you're taking in a lodger.
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repo...
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repo...
I think pursuing these two things is just a distraction and you need to follow through with the agreement of getting the house on the market ASAP. The solicitors handling the sale will ensure that it’s written into the contract that all occupants must be out at completion.
You never know, the lodger may well become your buyer
Chris
You never know, the lodger may well become your buyer
Chris
Rude-boy said:
superlightr said:
why did you move out?
is she paying for half of your rent?
move back in. Sell the house. both rent.
This.is she paying for half of your rent?
move back in. Sell the house. both rent.
Now you need to get professional advice.
I've now heard back from her and, surprise, she's not asking her friend for any rent. However, she has agreed to get the house on the market which is progress.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I agree with you, that is a major concern.However, I did offer to sign over all of the house to her and said I wanted nothing in return; no equity, none of the contents being sold etc, just so I could move on with my life and start again.
She wouldn't do it because in her words, I could still take half when the divorce went through, even though I would have provided her written consent that I wouldn't have done that.
So now I've been clear that I want my share when it sells seeing as I'm still paying my half of the mortgage.
Chill. Sounds to me like your wife's friend has just moved in with her for a while 'cos she needs some place to go.
Highly unlikely to have any impact on the sale plan.
Each 50% mortgage payment you made increases your share of the equity by a similar amount as the interest is likely to be neither here nor there. So continuing to do that in the meantime is of little or no consequence if you can afford both that and your rent.
Highly unlikely to have any impact on the sale plan.
Each 50% mortgage payment you made increases your share of the equity by a similar amount as the interest is likely to be neither here nor there. So continuing to do that in the meantime is of little or no consequence if you can afford both that and your rent.
Nezquick said:
However, I did offer to sign over all of the house to her and said I wanted nothing in return; no equity, none of the contents being sold etc, just so I could move on with my life and start again.
She wouldn't do it because ...........you wouldn't still be paying half of the mortgage.
The real reasonShe wouldn't do it because ...........you wouldn't still be paying half of the mortgage.
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