Access rights to house you no longer live in but still own

[tgm1974]

Is it against the law to enter the house you used to live in with your ex wife and children even though you still own the property with her (she wont buy me out) along with also having a key to the property and a key is always left in the porch within a small basket (not the safest place but who am I to judge)

[craft1948]

When my friend and her husband split up she was told she could change the locks to stop him entering the property as it was no longer classed as his 'domicile'.

[madmaggot]

You have to arrange for access; you can't just go barging in whenever you want. If you are reasonable in your damands she has to agree.

[tgm1974]

He sometimes has to go in to help the kids with their stuff when they are coming to stay with us ..... up to now nothing has been said.

Recently he has requested all his policy and endowment dets from her so he can get his finances in order. She has refused to give him any info as he wouldnt help her with something stupid, recently, so whilst she was in work the other day, along with him picking the kids up, he went and got these details from her bedroom within her "paperwork box".

He has since discovered she has forged his signature on a few things and is contacting the police if she doesnt co-operate (as such)

[factor-fiction]

Hasn't this matter has been asked by you before in connection with allegedly forging signatures on a PPI misselling claim and I recall police were to be involved (but NO SOLICITORS), so maybe the police can advise on whether entry in this way is permissible

[tgm1974]

Yes that is me ... the reason I ask these questions via ANSWERBANK is to establish the information before contacting the Police. Find out if anyone is in the wrong to start with. We have contacted the Police about the forging so that is in hand ... just pre-judging stuff she will try and throw back at him now like entering the house he no longer lives in yet still owns and has a key for. If she was that bothered about him entering the house then surely locks should have been changed

[themas]

He is part owner of the house so he has every right to have a key and go into the house. The exception is if she has got a Court order banning him from doing so.

Whether he is in the right to look through her possessions (paperwork box) is another matter & I don't know the answer, but I would think he has a right to get his possessions from the house & he would have a pretty good case if he can successfully show she refused to let him have them.