Separation

[ambercat]

My friend has lived with her bloke since November last year in his house, since then they have also got engaged. He has out of the blue called everything off and she has had to move out of the house. The house is in his name but she has put a lot of money into the house. Is she entitled to anything?

[Ethel]

Money for what? The mortgage, improvements, essential repairs?

Was it given as a gift, or intended to be repaid?

Was she paying any form of rent? Can he say she lived there rent and bill free for 10 months?

It is not a simple yes or no answer.

[ambercat]

The money she put into the house was for home improvements, getting the front and the back of the house re-done and bits and pieces inside the house i.e. pictures and things.

She paid for the food and as he couldn't drive she drove him everywhere.

The only form of proof that she was living there was that her name is still on the council tax bill.

[Ethel]

From what you say she is probably not entitled to anything - she would have had to pay rent to live somewhere else.

Unless she can establish the money was a loan; or he had otherwise misled her.

She can take the pictures and anything moveable she paid for.

She can try asking for the money for the improvements, but unless it was more than several thousand pounds it would not be worth pursuing - he will say it was in lieu of rent