Buying land

[Snowy79]

Buying land and putting it in your wife's name is a good legal way to do. You'll still have to ensure it's a clean title and it complies with all rules and regulations etc.

I think the issue comes in if she dies before you due to the good old Filipino inheritance rules or she decides to trade you in. You can't sell the house without her permission and vice versa but my money is on you not being in the house.

I'm no expert as I've no intention of getting married but from what I've read 1/2 of the estate naturally goes to any children, parents etc. Good luck if you decide you want to sell up and move on in life and the heirs don't want to sell.

[robert k]

4 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Lawyers and doctors.  Both think they are God and any 5 will give 5 different opinions.  Law and medicine are not exact sciences but I will give you that both of those professionals are very smart individuals so I don't discount what any of them say.  I just agree that one should not put some kind of divine faith in the council of any lawyer.  So once again I am on the same page as robert K.  Dang Robert, we should open a law practice.  

I almost did. One of the big hurdles is having a law library. I shelled out the money for an online law library. Knowing the law isn't all of it either. There are lots of little court etiquette that in my experience even lawyers don't understand very well. Of course there are very few fatal errors and even if you commit the worst faux pas, it usually means you have to dismiss the current case and start over, no biggie. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

6 hours ago, PaulB said:

if you are married why not let your wife buy the land?

Simple.  Count the number of foreigners who lost their wife and land due to marital separation.  Marriages are made in heaven but they are fought here on earth and sometimes you don't win.  In fact I would say "often" you don't win with a filipina.  You out a house in her name and you just gave her ammunition to keep you a P.O.W. for life but if she is a nice commandant then thats OK

 

[PaulB]

57 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Simple.  Count the number of foreigners who lost their wife and land due to marital separation.  Marriages are made in heaven but they are fought here on earth and sometimes you don't win.  In fact I would say "often" you don't win with a filipina.  You out a house in her name and you just gave her ammunition to keep you a P.O.W. for life but if she is a nice commandant then thats OK

 

I lost my house to my ex wife in the UK so I don't see the difference just for the Philippines? In my reckoning you should be planning for the relationship to work and I believe regardless of any legal support you may have if you split from you Asawa you won't get anything anyway.

[Snowy79]

14 minutes ago, PaulB said:

I lost my house to my ex wife in the UK so I don't see the difference just for the Philippines? In my reckoning you should be planning for the relationship to work and I believe regardless of any legal support you may have if you split from you Asawa you won't get anything anyway.

I'm pretty sure a lot on here have been in the same position, me included. I can't afford to lose again without having to return to the rat race and start all over again which is not what I'm prepared to do.

It all boils down to the good old mantra don't gamble with what you can't afford to lose. There's plenty of people over here in fantastic relationships and to those I take my hat off to them. We do tend to just hear the bad things sadly and I'm sure they are in the minority.

[Dave Hounddriver]

3 hours ago, PaulB said:

I lost my house to my ex wife in the UK so I don't see the difference just for the Philippines?

Ahhhh then let me tell you about Lee.   Lee, (never a member here), married a filipina and soon bought a house and lot in her name in Almeria, Biliran.  He thought it strange that she did not make it home after the wedding reception and thought it was due to too much partying but found out later she had spent their wedding night with her filipino live in partner.  As soon as the property was in her name she moved out on Lee and back in with her filipino partner.  Long court case later and she got the property, but was required to let Lee live in the tiny house on a small piece of the lot during his lifetime.

So does that happen in UK?  If so then nope, no difference, but I think they would call it a scam over there.  This is one case but there are so many similar ones.  If you see no difference between this and a first world country then do as you think fit. 

You mentioned:

3 hours ago, PaulB said:

In my reckoning you should be planning for the relationship to work

I suggest you need to realize that this takes 2 and in the Philippines there are a lot of girls who plan for the relationship to fail as soon as they get a house or money or a trip out of the country.  If you do not know anyone that has happened to then you have not lived here long enough.

So if you have a SOLID marriage proven through years of commitment and then decide to buy a house and lot then I agree with you 100% that there are good reasons for putting property in your wife's name.  But there are so many, many marriages that fail, even when the man plans for the relationship to work.

How many men lost their house to an ex in another country and came here anxious to do exactly the same again?  Isn't there a saying about once is a mistake but twice is stupidity?

[Reboot]

Well...I am divorced....but SHE is going to be the one to lose the house.

I am the one still living there.

Tried to kick me out when she said she wanted divorce.

After 3 days on my brother's couch, I decided this was ridiculous.

Went back home, told her that this was my house as much as hers. If she didn't want to sleep under the same roof, she could make her own arrangements.

"Your decision, your responsibility."

So she left 3 weeks later.

In the divorce settlement, I got the best lawyer in the county and played hard ball. Cost me a pretty penny but I got my fair half of the assets. She owes me more than $40k, and half of every house payment until the place sells ('ve been paying for the place since she split).

I've decided I am going to keep the place and forgive her debt (and she agrees to the arrangement), so I'll be calling that lawyer again to redo the settlement once I get back home. Then I refinance to get her off the mortgage, and she's out of my hair for good.

So I keep the house, and strike a blow for the brotherhood everywhere. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by Reboot

[Snowy79]

My Filipino partner was pissed off when I told her after we'd been going out one month that the only person I trust 100% is me. She told me she loved me and trust is important in a relationship. I soon pointed out that I loved my ex wife and I'm sure everyone else who was married and subsequently got shafted in a divorce case used to love their wife also.

If you've been shafted once buying a house for the next person you fall in love with is like buying new boots for the guy that's been kicking your butt.

[robert k]

3 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

My Filipino partner was pissed off when I told her after we'd been going out one month that the only person I trust 100% is me. She told me she loved me and trust is important in a relationship. I soon pointed out that I loved my ex wife and I'm sure everyone else who was married and subsequently got shafted in a divorce case used to love their wife also.

If you've been shafted once buying a house for the next person you fall in love with is like buying new boots for the guy that's been kicking your butt.

Reminds me of the thread where the guy said that if you love her you have to buy her a house or it isn't love. He had bought and lost a house before for a previous wife. He was bragging that he was going to buy the new SO a house....but he hadn't done it yet...and he hasn't reported back either. 

Another chimed in that he had bought a few houses and lost them to previous wives, like it was a badge of honor? He explained that it shows commitment. Sounded more like serial monogamy to me? As long as you buy them a house it's ok? In my opinion he's getting the same thing he could get from many women but he's paying too much. Maybe a harsh criticism but that's the way it seems to me. 

My question was why do you HAVE to put yourself in the position to be crippled? Isn't leaving a quarter million dollars cash, foreign property that provides an ample living enough? No! You have to buy them a house in the Philippines! Why? I think some people have a masochistic bent. I think you would have had some excellent input on that thread.

[mogo51]

On 2/24/2017 at 2:02 PM, robert k said:

So, taxes in the Philippines AND HK? Got to be a catch somewhere or many people would be doing it and it would be well known?

It all sounds too hard for me.  Having been up the 'company road' in Thailand, never again!!!