Ownership fo a Jointly-Built Travel Trailer After Break-Up

[scotty]

My question involves personal property located in the State of: Georgia.

Thanks for reading! Here is the situation in brief. My girlfriend and I invested 14k in building a travel trailer, roughly half each. We have receipts (cash and debit both)! We have names on receipts. We have signed, handwritten letters tallying and acknowledging the other person's contribution of resources to the project. She is splitting up with me. We use a storage bay, outdoors, at a local storage facility. That slot is in her name. The trailer has never been registered with a tag/title. There are various materials that haven't been installed (stoves, w/d, oven, aluminum siding, solar power batteries) worth 2k or so. Some still in my garage where I pay rent and control the lease, some at the site where she pays the slot-storage rent. I'm not satisfied that I would ever get paid back even though that was our working arrangement. Other than walking away from it all, what options might there be? Its on wheels and could be pulled away behind a U-haul. Okay, feel free to ask questions. Please add suggestions!

[jk]

I'm not satisfied that I would ever get paid back even though that was our working arrangement.

is this to mean that you had discussed either what would happen if your did break up or just a final disposition of the unit once it is finished? If so, if that was your deal, that is your deal. If you take the unit and it was previously agreed that she would take possession and title and repay you for your financial contribution, then you cannot take the trailer and expect her to pay you. Why would that be any better of a position for her to be in than you being performing as previously agreed?

as to the materials purchased and not installed; I would suggest you return what you have purchased or offer he the opportunity to purchase them from you. I would see that as a separate deal and I would see no problem with demanding cash upon delivery for those items.

[scotty]

is this to mean that you had discussed either what would happen if your did break up or just a final disposition of the unit once it is finished?

Oh, we were proceeding on a verbal agreement that whoever agreed to take the trailer would reimburse the other for their contribution to its construction. At this point also assuming she is not willing to walk away from it with a payment plan where I pay her back for her investment. She has her opinion, which is different from mine. She has had a larger part in designing it, for example. I just feel that she would tow the trailer and I would not see a dollar for a year or multiple years. [/QUOTE]

Thanks for your view regarding the other sundries, stove and whatnot. None can be returned, per se. All was used equipment/material. Some may be sold, over time, to private buyers.

Thanks, I'd certainly like some more discussion of my options!

[scotty]

Well, I went over to the university law library and asked a law student. He suggested that if I went to a lawyer, that I would be likely sent to "mediation". Where, they would ask, "What do you want?" Well, I would be willing to take the trailer and make regular payments to buy the other party out. Let's say the other party replies that is the opposite of what they want. So what is a binding contract, what happens if she doesn't make regular payments in accordance with such a contract and how much would it cost to get all of this in place through lawyers? Thank you.

[jk]

scotty;514641]Well, I went over to the university law library and asked a law student.

Oh, thanks for having confidence in my advice.


just kidding. It'a always nice to have all the input you can get



t.

So what is a binding contract

,In the simplest terms, a contract that both of you agree to that has no illegal requirements. The both of you understanding and agreeing to what is in the contract is the most important thing.

what happens if she doesn't make regular payments in accordance with such a contract

You would have to sue her to have the contract enforced.

and how much would it cost to get all of this in place through lawyers?

Your only talking $7k, right? If you ask a lawyer to draw up a contract, probably $200-$500, depending on the hourly rate. If you are talking about having a lawyer do much more than that, probably not even worth it. You could quickly eat up half of what you would be owed. A simple contract can be created with the info available on the web.

In Georgia, small claims court, or as the call it: Magistrates Court, has a limit of $15k. Such courts are geared for DIY lawsuits to an extent. You can't go in totally ignorant of the law but you are not held to as high a standard as a trained attorney would be in a higher court.

So, so far, have you two discussed this? What is she looking for? What are you looking for?