Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Illinois

Retrieve Expenses from Home

Male living with female for last 7 years. Female owns house. Male has paid $1000 plus phone, direct tv, etc for last 7 years. Male has also paid 1/2 of major renovations and repairs such as roof, landscaping, bathroom remodels etc. Male now wants out of relationship. Does he have a legal claim to expenses paid for repairs and renovations to home. When verbal arrangement originally set up he would get 50% of profit from home sale. Believes house has went up in value by approx. $100,000 dollars.


Asked on 6/29/09, 9:00 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Burton Padove Indiana and Illinois Lawyer, Burton A. Padove

Re: Retrieve Expenses from Home

Since this is a public forum and others benefit from this service, I am not lecturing you but am preaching that anytime a personal relationship involves a business relationship a written agreement should be entered into that spells everything out in the event of a breakup. In the business world most businesses with partners have a writen agreement with dissolution provisions. Than being said, since this is not a sale between you and she and you are only claiming for the repairs and renovations and not the phone, direct tv etc. you can try to enforce the verbal agreement. If you sought reimbursement for the direct tv, etc., your claimed damages would probably be offset by an imputation of fair market rent. She may even try to umpute some of the repairs etc. as fair market rent. Good luck.

Read more
Answered on 6/29/09, 9:36 am


Related Questions & Answers

More General Civil Litigation questions and answers in Illinois