Ohio court orders man to share house sale proceeds with former partner
Ashley A Lokash will receive $41,466.50 following an appeals court ruling regarding a written agreement signed in 2021.
An Ohio appeals court ruled in favour of Ashley A Lokash on October 26, allowing her to receive $41,466.50 from the sale of a house in Niles. The ruling follows a dispute with her former partner, James R Cline, over a written agreement they signed in September 2021.
The couple had planned to marry and decided to invest in the property, which was registered in Cline's name. Under their agreement, Lokash could spend up to $40,000 on improvements and would be reimbursed for her spending before any remaining proceeds were divided equally.
The relationship ended in March 2022, and Cline put the house up for sale in September 2022. When the property was sold in December 2023, the settlement company held $55,568.51 aside due to the disagreement over the $71,897.61 total amount involved.
Cline argued that the agreement should not be enforced because Lokash had not spent enough money to improve the house. He claimed she had not fulfilled her part of the arrangement by contributing only a small amount compared to the $40,000 limit.
The judges found that the agreement set $40,000 as a maximum contribution rather than a requirement. They noted Lokash had spent $1,191.34 on materials, including paint and carpeting, and ruled that Cline could not deny her the money because he chose not to use the materials.
Lokash was awarded $11,035.38 as reimbursement for expenses and $30,431.12 as her half of the net proceeds. Cline is entitled to the remaining money, including the $15,000 already paid to him.