Singapore woman seeks advice after ex repeatedly rejects offers for shared condominium

SINGAPORE: A woman has turned to social media for advice after finding herself stuck in property limbo, with her former partner refusing to sell the private condominium they jointly own.

In her post, she explained that they “were never married,” and had simply purchased the property together under a joint tenancy arrangement while they were still in a relationship. 

Unfortunately, things did not work out between them.

Following the breakup, she moved back in with her parents, while her ex-partner remained living in the condominium.

According to the woman, the two had initially agreed that selling the property would be the best way forward. The condo was put on the market and even attracted several interested buyers.

“There have been a few offers so far, and they are all within market range,” she said. “I agreed to the offers, as I want this chapter to be put to an end quickly. However, he has rejected all of the offers, as they are below his expected price.”

Clueless as to how this problem could be solved, she asked others for their advice.

She wrote, “I would like to seek advice on what can be the possible recourse? My name and CPF are tied to the property, and I can’t move on so long as he continues to reject the offers. I am using my CPF to pay for a portion of the monthly mortgage as well. Is it wise to stop this payment? What other ways can I do?”

‘Get legal advice’

In the discussion thread, several users advised the woman to make her ex-partner pay rent. 

“Get him to pay rent at 50% of the market rate for continuing his stay. It is a fair arrangement—you don’t lose out on your investment, and he has the added pressure of rent to consider against his desired price,” one comment read.

Another suggested that if her ex-partner refuses to pay rent, she should just “move back in and make life ‘miserable’ for him so that he’ll be desperate to sell.” 

In response to this suggestion, the post author said: “I have tried getting a rental, but the other party refused. I thought of stopping my CPF payments, property taxes, and MCST payments to put pressure, but I don’t know if this escalates to the high court or whether this will affect the outcomes. Plus, I am guessing the bank and IRAS will come after me/the other party if it is left unpaid.”

One user offered another solution, saying, “You need to start by discussing the joint tenancy with your co-owner and decide on your real share of the property. Offer him an option to buy you out. Or the reverse.”

Some users, however, believed that the post author should consult a lawyer about this. 

One wrote, “Get legal advice. If reasonable market rate offers are coming in and he’s rejecting all of them, you may need a legal route to force a resolution. I wouldn’t stop CPF/mortgage payments without consulting a lawyer first.”

In other news, a local employer is seeking opinions online after claiming her newly hired Indonesian domestic helper gave “rotting” food to her elderly grandmother, stored large amounts of food in secret, and ate it privately inside the bathroom.

In a post published on the r/askSingapore forum on Sunday (Jun 7), the employer said she had found around “10–15 plates and containers” in the bathroom cabinet.

Read more: ‘Should I give her more time?’: Employer says helper fed grandmother ‘rotting food’