A Dubai court has ordered a woman to repay Dh421,848.38 to her former husband following a legal dispute over a jointly owned property acquired during their marriage.
The case involved a residential unit purchased in January 2017 for Dh1.45 million, financed through a mortgage loan and registered under both parties as equal co-owners.
Following their divorce in 2022, the former husband filed a lawsuit, claiming he had solely financed the property using personal funds, including the down payment, registration fees, and mortgage repayments.
Court-appointed experts confirmed that the husband had made the payments, while the woman failed to present sufficient evidence to support her claim that she had contributed financially.
The court rejected the request to cancel the title deed and transfer full ownership, citing UAE law that grants absolute authority to real estate registry records unless fraud or forgery is proven.
However, the court upheld the husband’s alternative claim based on unjust enrichment, ruling that the woman benefited from the property without доказating her financial share.
As a result, the court ordered her to repay half of the total amount paid by the husband, equivalent to Dh421,848.38, with 5 percent annual legal interest from the date the case was filed until full payment is made.
The court also dismissed additional claims related to past and future loan instalments due to insufficient evidence and ruled that claims on future payments were premature.
In its final decision, the court directed the woman to pay the amount with interest and shoulder a proportionate share of legal costs and attorney’s fees, while dismissing all other claims.
