11 Reimbursements for Improvement on a Family Residence | Richard Ross Associates

Home improvements are not an uncommon part of home ownership, but it can make matters more complicated during a divorce settlement, especially if those improvements were paid for by separate property funds.

Separate property is anything that was acquired before the marriage, after the date of separation, or received through gift or inheritance. If these funds were used to pay for improvements on the family residence, they may be reimbursable, however not necessarily for the whole value. The judge will usually only declare the amount reimbursable by the amount of which the improvement increased the value of the residence. For example, adding a pool to the family residence may have incurred a cost of $100,000, however it only added an additional $40,000 worth of value. Therefore, only $40,000 would be reimbursed after the sale of the property. Any additional proceeds remaining after reimbursement would be divided equally between the parties.

Often times a property appraiser will need to be brought in to evaluate the fair market value of the home as well as the added value of any improvement under separate property claims.

Certified Family Law Specialist Richard Ian Ross has been practicing Family Law in California for almost 40 years where he has relied heavily on his background in psychology and interpersonal relations to consistently deliver exceptional results on behalf of his clients in all family law matters including divorce, child custody, move-away, asset protection, support and other domestic matters. Richard has built his firm, Richard Ross Associates, based on this experience and prides himself on building a team of knowledgeable colleagues who will do the same.