Shared apartment sparks financial dispute after divorce

A jointly owned apartment between a former couple became the focus of a dispute after their divorce, after the husband paid the full price and loan instalments on his own, while the wife refused to pay her share or relinquish her ownership.

- Mohammed Yaseen, Staff Reporter

The husband filed a civil lawsuit before Dubai Real Estate Court, which obligated the wife to pay Dhs421,800, this being her share of the amounts paid, plus legal interest at five per cent annually until full payment. Earlier, a couple purchased a real estate unit during their marriage for Dhs1.45 million with bank financing and the property was registered as jointly owned by the two parties, with their commitment to pay the loan instalments equally. However, the husband alone took it upon himself to pay all the amounts including a down payment to the previous owner, registration fees and loan installments, which totalled more than Dhs843,000, while the wife did