Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Massachusetts

This is an interesting question, and I would strongly recommend that you retain local counsel in the event that she follows through on her demands. There are several different ways of looking at this dispute.

She will want to claim that she has some equitable interest in the home roughly equal to her contributions toward the property. You may argue that her $400.00 represented rental payments to you, the owner. In that case, she received the benefit of a place to live in exchange for her rental payments, and she may not get them back. I think in the end, the law will favor your argument, especially in the absence of an agreement to the contrary.

This is why it is essential that folks sit down with their attorney before entering into a purchase like this. It is not terribly difficult to enter into a property ownership or domestic partnership agreement. In fact, it is much less expensive to sit down with an attorney and fix the terms of ownership while the parties are all on the same page than it is to litigate these matters when the relationship has broken down.

I wish you the best of luck. Do not hesitate to contact our office if you would like to retain counsel.