I got a call from my solicitor on the morning of completion last year when i was selling my flat/buying new house.My ex had put a charge against the flat i was selling but my buyers solicitor didnt pick upon this until the day of completion.My ex wanted 9k out of me if i didnt agree to that i would not have been able to complete. Worse stil i would have lost my flat i was selling, the house i was buying, and no doubt be sued from both sides for not completing as planned.
I didnt have any choice but to find 9k in a few hours.However as we ended up completing late in the day i ended up paying extra interest charges for late completion,additional solicitors/ moving costs
My ex never paid towards the mortgage, the flat was owned by me and i lived there by myself before i met him, he contributed just to the bills. However when we first got together he wasnt working and then later when we were together, he couldnt work due to an accident and I supported him financially for a number of months. However what he told his solicitor is that he paid me �250 a month for 3 years = �9k.He never set up direct debit, often gave me cash so I want to know what evidence he would have had to show his solicitor? I feel that i was backed into a corner with no time to present my case. Im not saying my ex didnt contribute but i would disbute the amount.
Surely someone has some legal obligation to contribite when they live in a property? Now he has his 9k back he has lived rent free for 3 years -how can that be morally or legally right?! I feel that if I had some time to prepare my side of things i could have proved he never paid the amount he stated but i didnt get that chance.
Plus the charge on my property was presented so late in the sale/ purchase I had no choice but to settle without a fight.
Would appreciate some legal views on this if there are any lawyers out there!