Legal Question in Family Law in Pennsylvania

Re: joint car owners

You asked about ownership of a car in two parties names.

Each party on a vehicle's title has the right to full possession of the vehicle. One owner could sue for title but most likely the legal solution would be to sell the car and split the proceeds.

He can ask for the car back but you can refuse. But, just as significantly, he can take the car back and won't be breaking the law. He can't take the car back if he has to unlawfully enter to do so. If you want to keep the car, you should park in a locked private garage. you should also use a parking lock (such as a steering wheel club or bar device that locks the steering wheel and the brake pedal). These would probably prevent self-help and would also likely prevent him from having the vehicle towed to a place where he could have the locks worked on. You could also change the key setup rather easily by visiting a dealer.

But, your best solution is working out a mutually acceptable resolution. You recognize that he bought the vehicle with money that came from him (it wasn't in the ours pile). You should either buy the vehicle out from him or buy a replacement vehicle and return that vehicle to him. My suggestion would be to do the latter.

Regards,

Roger