Should married women buy property in husband’s name or theirs?

In India, if a man buys property in the name of his mother or wife, it could be because of some financial gains says a 2015 report on ‘The Economic Times’.

The report ‘Why you should buy property in your wife’s name’ which was originally written for a real estate media house -Mega Bricks, states that “Property buying has mostly been dominated by the males in the society. However, due to mighty tax benefits and rebates, the male home buyers are not shying away from registering the property in a female’s name; be it their wife or mother.”

In Nigeria, property buying is also dominated by the males; however there are no extra financial gains to be made by registering it in a woman’s name.

Recently, a post in a social media forum generated reactions when it called out married women who didn’t register property in their husband’s name as irresponsible.

Against these backdrops, and streamlining it to married women, LifeXtra sought people’s opinion on the question: when buying property, should married women register it in their name or in the name of their husbands?

Stanley Ebosie, an Abuja-based data analyst, pointed out that different conditions would warrant different responses.

He said, “In an ideal situation, for people that are matured and take their marriage seriously, it should be co-ownership of property. But when things are bought in the name Mr. and Mrs., this decision is largely up to the woman.”

He however stated that “She shouldn’t buy things in the name of the man though” unless she is giving it to him as a gift.

He also added that she can buy the properties “in the name of her kids.”

Buchi Onyegbule, an On-Air-Personality, is emphatically against buying the property in the husband’s name. He however has no issue if she is gifting him such property.

He said “It’s fine if she does, as a gift, but not a property she intends to own. Then, even if it’s a car, it should be in her name or as a joint unit.”

A medical doctor, who simply identified himself as Hillary, said “It depends on the peculiar situation of the family. If the family has a single treasury, it will be poor judgment for her to buy in her name especially if other properties are bought in another name which, most likely in Nigeria, will be in the husband’s name.”

“However, if there are separate purses for the spouses, buying in her name is most expedient especially with our current rising quest for material things,” he added.

“But in all, if there are no threats of forfeiture like with a loving mate, court wedding, and monogamy etc, buying in the man’s name will strengthen conjugal trust and promote harmony in no small measure.”

He also added that “When the husband does in her name, it has similar effect” of promoting harmony.

Clarifying further, Hillary said “When your wife knows she is your next of kin or you know you are her next of kin it’s more relaxing than when her father, or your brother is your next of kin.”

A literary enthusiast, who wanted to be simply known as Ulo, told LifeXtra that “everybody should buy in their father’s name or in their children’s names, referring to both husbands and wives.

A lawyer, Saidu Muhammad Lawal, in a brief response said “She should buy in her name; the husband could be her preferred next of kin.”

A young Abuja resident doctor, who pleaded anonymity, had a contrary view. She said a woman shouldn’t buy properties in her husband’s name.

Narrating an incident where a man married the house help and threw the wife out of her own house with a suckling baby, she added “He left her with nothing and took all her property which were in his name.”

The young doctor said “Before we are spouses, we are humans, competitive, smart, malicious, good and evil. We fall in love, we fall out of love and not even marriage vows can help us.”