Can My Ex-Girlfriend Legally Remove Items From My Property?


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Hello. My ex-girlfriend is in the process of moving out of my house. We were together for nearly 10 years. It’s a complicated, acrimonious process. A few years ago, she paid for the materials of a high-quality wooden fence for our backyard. I installed the fence myself. Now, she wants to sell the fence in sections to the highest bidder and keep the proceeds. It’s important to note that the posts are set in concrete. Can she legally do this?

It is difficult to say. From a legal standpoint, it depends on her status in living in the house in the first place. Was she a co-owner? Was she a tenant? Was she your guest?

From a practical standpoint, you may be in for a long fight on this (and, it sounds like, on several other points). Although you’re not married, perhaps you might want to consider talking to a divorce mediator. The cost of that may be substantially less than the cost of fighting.