Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maryland
Real Property
My ex-wife & I own a townhome together. I have solely paid the mortgage for the last 9 years - approx. $1,600 a month - while she and our 2 children live in the townhouse and I live elsewhere. I have also paid $900/mo. alimony & pay $800/mo. child support. She is getting ready to get married and we are going to sell the townhouse. My question is: Since I have solely paid the mortage for the last nine years, is she still entitled to half the profit?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Real Property
You should be entitled to a credit for the mortgage payments you made after separation, unless there was an understanding between you and her to the contrary. So you would get back the amount you paid in before the remaining profits are split. This is what is called a Crawford credit, named after the court case in which the appeals court set forth this doctrine. Of course, it would have been advisable to negotiate an agreement regarding the various payments you were going to make at the time of separation.