It can take people years to buy a home of their own, and to do so, they need to put in a lot of money, time, and effort. That’s why, even when folks get married or enter into relationships, they might be wary of automatically adding a partner to the deed of their house.
This is what a woman faced after allowing her boyfriend of two years to move in, only to have him demand a stake in her property. Since she had put in so much money to get the home, she felt that he had no right to demand such a thing from her.
More info: Reddit
It can be tricky to add an unmarried partner to a home deed, especially if one person has already paid for the bulk of the property
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster had put $80k down on a house and had spent the last five years covering its mortgage, so when her boyfriend moved in, she asked him to pay rent
Image credits: katemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The man agreed to pay $1,400 as rent, but after a few weeks, he stated that he wanted to have a stake in her home since they were building a life together
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When the poster told her boyfriend that she had bought the home before even meeting him, he explained that his friends thought it was sketchy that she was profiting off him
Image credits: Former_Raspberry3277
The man explained that since they were planning on getting engaged, she should add him to the home deed, but when she refused, he threatened to move out
The OP mentioned that she had been saving up for a long time to buy a house, and she eventually purchased one in San Diego five years ago. Since then, she had been paying off her mortgage, and when her boyfriend’s lease was up, she allowed him to move in with her as long as he paid rent.
Although it might seem odd for couples to live together with one person paying a fee, research has found that approximately 51% of people would be okay with charging their partner rent to stay at their property. This might be because folks feel a strong sense of ownership over their house, and receiving such payments can also provide some financial security.
Even though the man initially agreed to his girlfriend’s terms and paid her $1,400 in rent, he eventually began questioning the system. He felt that since he was building a life with her and essentially contributing toward her mortgage, he also deserved to be an owner of her house.
According to experts, it is possible for people to have unequal stakes in the same property if they have each paid different amounts toward it. In such a case, the home’s deed will have to specify the percentage each person owns and how that would affect mortgage payments or the sale of the house.
Image credits: Camandona / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Since the poster had paid $80k toward her home along with her mortgage payments, and had also bought it three years before meeting her boyfriend, she refused to give him a stake in it. That’s when he revealed that his friends had been telling him that her behavior seemed sketchy and that she was profiting off him.
He also tried to sway the conversation in his favor, stating that, since they had discussed getting engaged before, she should make him a co-owner if she was serious about having a future with him. All of this left the woman confused, but she explained that she would consider the matter only once they actually got married.
Even when people want to add their spouse to their deed, lawyers explain that it’s a decision that must be carefully considered. That’s because once your significant other is added as a co-owner, they are also partly entitled to its final payout. This can be a problem for folks if they get divorced or separated.
Luckily, the poster refused to be swayed by her boyfriend’s pleading and manipulation, and she set clear boundaries with him. He still threatened to move back out if she didn’t trust him enough to add him to the deed, and her sister stated that, since they had been dating for two years, she should want to build equity with him.
Do you think the woman was right not to make her boyfriend a co-owner of her house? We’d love to hear your opinions on this situation.
Folks told the woman to refuse her boyfriend’s demands and to consider it a red flag if he was willing to push so much
