Dividing Up Property when You Were Not Married

[Rose214]

My question involves divorce in the State of: Pennsylvania
My significant other and myself have been in the process of splitting up since December of 2010. We are not married. He is an alcoholic and in December had grabbed me and twisted my arm and I asked him to move out which he did. I have been living in our home since then without him. He originally owned the house and we were suppose to buy another home but decided verbally that we would put an addition on the house of 2,000 square feet and the house would be ours equally in 2007. Both our names have been on the mortgage since then but the deed was not in both our names until November of 2010.
Since our split he had wanted me to buy him out of the house but now it seems he is changing his mind. He wants me to stay in the house until my son graduates from high school in June of 2012. Then he wants me to move out and give the house back to him. He says the reason for this is because he owned the house prior and has more equity in it.
Emotionally and verbally we had agreed the house was ours together or I would never have agreed to the addition on this home and would have preferred to build or buy another home.
Legally what would be decided? I am at the point where I feel I might need to get an attorney but would like some advice.

Thank you in advance.

[Rose214]

My question involves personal property located in the State of: Pennsylvania


My significant other and myself have been in the process of splitting up since December of 2010. We are not married. He is an alcoholic and in December had grabbed me and twisted my arm and I asked him to move out which he did. I have been living in our home since then without him. He originally owned the house and we were suppose to buy another home but decided verbally that we would put an addition on the house he previously owned (which was 900sq ft.) of 2,000 square feet and the house would be ours equally in 2007. Both our names have been on the mortgage since then but the deed was not in both our names until November of 2010. That was a mistake on the part of the title company which we rectified in November.
Since our split he had wanted me to buy him out of the house but now it seems he is changing his mind. The market is extremely bad and he realizes if I buy him out he won't get much money. He wants me to stay in the house until my son graduates from high school in June of 2012. Then he wants me to move out and give the house back to him. He says the reason for this is because he owned the house prior and has more equity in it than I do. I have put every penny I have into this house and so did he while we were together. Stupidly we entangled our finances and have a few credit cards together. We lived financially like we were married. There was even one year where he was unemployed for almost 6 months and his income was limited and I paid the bulk of the bills just like any "wife" would do.
I just want things to be fair. He had come up with the solution of me buying him out when I originally told him that when my son graduates high school we could put the house up for sale. That was another verbal agreement we had when we decided to get a mortgage together, that if we ever did split up my son and I would stay until he finished high school.
Emotionally and verbally we had agreed the house was ours together or I would never have agreed to the addition on this home and would have preferred to build or buy another home.
Legally what would be decided? I am at the point where I feel I might need to get an attorney but would like some advice.

[Mr. Knowitall]

If you want to buy the house from him, you can negotiate a mutually agreeable price and buy the house from him. He can do the same if he wants to buy the house from you. If you cannot agree, you want to sell the house and he wants to keep it, you can file a lawsuit for partition and sale; you can expect that to take a five figure investment in legal fees and quite possibly nine months, a year, or longer to resolve in the courts.