Q: My sister and I own a home that we don't live in. She had some work done in it without telling me.
Now she is telling me I owe her half of what she paid to have this, in my opinion, unnecessary work done. Am I liable to pay her if she did not consult with me or ask for my input, before she had the work done?
A: A lot depends on if it can be shown that it was appropriate or that it enhanced the value of the home. If it did then you have gotten a benefit. You can claim she was a volunteer by not checking, and it should be considered a gift. Maybe pay part or all of your share on condition there be an agreement about how these things get handled in the future.Stiffing her may be legal but will it make dealing with her problematic during the rest of the ownership?
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