Is Joint Ownership Of Property By Couples A Great Thing?
Joint ownership of property as the name implies is a form of ownership of a property by two or more persons. When couples have joint ownership of a property, it means that they both share equal access and rights to the property. As such, none of the parties can make a decision about the property without the consent of the other party. This means that a husband cannot sell or transfer any property by will that he owns together with his wife and vice versa.
While some persons feel comfortable with having joint ownership of property with their spouse, others do not. Reasons for these choices differ from person to person. Let’s take a look at the views of some people on couples having joint ownership of property
Mr. Shayo Williams, a data annotator is of the opinion that couples should not jointly own properties. He believes that joint ownership of a property is a difficult thing to do. According to him “It is true that we are married but it is better to acquire properties separately to avoid issues. Nobody is praying for an unfortunate incident but we should carefully weigh the options before making a decision. She might wake up tomorrow and say that the property that we both paid for belongs to her family.”
Another man simply identified as Mr. Ekundayo also shared similar views. Although he is not married, he does not agree to married couples having joint ownership of property. He said “Women of nowadays are not trustworthy enough to jointly own property with. It isn’t a big deal if couples of the older generation decide to own properties together, but one will only be digging his grave if he decides to do that with a lady now.”
Miss Osemudiamen Idahor, an OAP, had a different view. She believes that joint ownership of property is a concept that should be embraced by all married couples. She said that it is a demonstration of faith and trust in each other. She said “I can’t marry someone who doesn’t believe in the joint ownership of our home. I don’t understand how people who claim to love each other can’t own a home together. If you are married and your spouse doesn’t think that it is a good idea to own a property together, then what is the essence of the marriage?”.
In agreement with Miss Idahor’s view, Mr. Damilola Odeseye, a business development manager, said that if he didn’t trust his wife enough to co-own a property with her, then he wouldn’t marry her. With the concept of oneness in marriage, he said “Couples share their children and every other thing, so why can’t they co-own a property? My wife and I are one, so having joint ownership of our home is not only a good idea, it is also for the benefit of our children”
Doris Ohomina, an auditor, also agreed to the concept of joint ownership of property with her husband on the basis that their full names are clearly written on the documents. According to her, “I agree, on the condition that our names are written boldly on the documents. For example, Mr. Michael Jameson and Mrs. Doris Duke Jameson NOT Mr. & Mrs. Jameson. Anyone can be Mrs. Jameson but not Mrs. Doris Duke Jameson.”
From the legal perspective, engaging in joint ownership of property is considered appropriate in Nigeria. If you’re considering co-owning a property with your spouse, both of you must adequately understand and analyze the process before deciding to take the step. Make sure that you both get the advice of a lawyer and be sure that the full names of both parties are written on the documents as joint owners of the property.
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