Man Wins Half Ownership of Home After 31-Year Unmarried Relationship
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
An Israeli man has been declared a 50% owner of a home he shared with his former partner of 31 years, after a court ruled in his favor in a property dispute following their separation. The court found evidence of implied trust and a shared intention to co-own the property, despite it being registered solely in the woman's name.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Man awarded 50% ownership of home after 31-year unmarried relationship.
- Court cited mutual wills and mortgage payments as key evidence.
- Woman's secret change to her will undermined her claim.
- Couple lived together for 31 years without marriage or joint children.
- Home was registered solely in the woman's name.
A couple who lived together for 31 years without marrying has ended their relationship in a legal dispute over a home in Ashkelon, Israel. The man, a retired education ministry employee, and the woman, a psychotherapist, lived together as common-law partners from 1992 to 2023. They maintained separate finances and did not have children together, but failed to amicably divide their shared home.
The couple purchased an apartment in 2000, registering it in both names. In 2007, they sold it and used the proceeds, along with a transferred mortgage, to buy a house for 840,000 shekels, this time registering it solely in the woman's name. They lived in this house until their separation in 2023.
The man sued in family court, seeking a declaration of 50% ownership. He argued that he was led to believe he had a stake in the property, citing advice to delay registration and his consistent mortgage payments from November 2011 to June 2020, which fully paid off the loan. He claimed he agreed to the sole registration due to temporary legal obstacles and trust in his partner.
The woman countered that she financed most of the purchase and that the sole registration was a correction for a previous instance where she was pressured to register a prior apartment in his name. She also claimed the man's mortgage payments were reduced rent, offset by household services he received.
The court sided with the man, noting their 31-year relationship, shared household, and mutual wills from 2012, where the woman's share was to pass to the man upon her death. The judge found the woman's secret alteration of her will in 2019 contradicted their agreement. The court also found inconsistencies in the lawyer's testimony and the man's account to be more consistent.
Ultimately, the court ruled that the man had proven implied trust and declared him 50% owner of the house, calling the woman's refusal to transfer his share "dishonest and unfair." The court criticized both parties for procedural delays and excessive filings, reducing the woman's awarded court costs to 15,000 shekels.
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