Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Florida

friend wants repaid for gifts

i live w/ my boyfriend in his home. we have a child. Things have been bad for yrs. I bought my own home mos. ago. He decided to help me renovate it if I rented it out. I told him that only if our relationship got much better, would I consider that. Otherwise, I was moving. He started ripping the place apart, gutted it. I didnt' want 85pct of what he did. He did tons of renovations on his own. He picked out things I didn't like/ didn't want and asked him NOT to replace or redo. He admitted in counseling he ''drew out the renovations so I couldn't leave him...i'd have no place to go''. things have gotten worse between us. The house is finally inhabitable. Now he tells me if I leave he is going to sue me for all the stuff he did to my home. We had no contract verbal or written, and I often thanked him for making the home nicer for me and his child. when he would say ''rental'' ...I would say...i am going to live here. when I bought the house...i was only going to replace the carpet and appliances...he wouldnt' stand for it because he said he ''doesn't do shoddy work''. I have paid for months a house note that I haven't been able to live in. Now he wants to sue me for all the costs of renovations. Does he stand a chance of winning?


Asked on 12/29/06, 5:13 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Alan Wagner Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore P.A.

Re: friend wants repaid for gifts

He stands a chance, but hard to know how much. Gosh knows what his story is. There is no contract and it sounds like a gift. All contracts relating to real property must generally be in writing. Time to break off, in any event. Rarely should one cower to a threat to stay in a relationship gone sour or worse. You have your life ahead of you. If you are going to leave, there probably isn't a better chance. If you do move out and he sues you -- so be it. At least you will be done with him. My 2 cents -- I have been wrong before, but I think yoiu know what you need to do here.

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Answered on 12/30/06, 12:09 am


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