Can spouse force sale of home?
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Can spouse force sale of home?
A friend if going through a divorce, no kids. His name is on the loan but they have had separate accounts, separate taxes, always. He initially signed the divorce papers saying he wasn’t fighting for house but now that court date is set, he says that he will fight to get his name removed from loan. She does not have good enough credit to refinance or take out a loan for half the value. She has been one to pay for mortgage and everything to do with repairs. Can he force her to sell it and leave her without a home for her and her kids from previous marriage? I see her stress and it breaks my heart.
Asked on March 16, 2018 under Family Law, West Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
If there are non-spouse co-owners, one can bring a legal action (an action "for partition") to force the sale of the home if the two owners cannot agree as to what to do with the property.
However, a spouse has rights which are separate from and in addition to her rights as a property owner. Since there is already a divorce case going on, neither one can unilaterally sell or otherwise transfer the house without the approval of the family court. The court will, in the context of the divorce, decide what to do with the house: it could give the house to him, but give her more of their other property or assets to compensate; give the house to her, but then give him more of the other money or assets; state that she can live in the house for some period of time (e.g. until any minor children are grown), while deciding how much each of the two of them will pay to maintain the house (e.g mortgage, taxes) in the meantime (it could require her to pay some or all of the house's costs, she is living there; or make him pay some or all of the costs as part of any support he is paying her)--after which the home will be sold and the profit shared between them in some court-determined ratio; or order the prompt sale of the house and the distribution of of the proceeds or profits to the two of them; etc. The court has a wide array of options, and will decide what to do with the house as art of the divorce.
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