Al Ain court rules vehicle belongs to ex-wife after husband fails to prove agreement to return it
Al Ain: The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial and Administrative Cases has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a man against his ex-wife seeking the return of a car valued at about Dh114,000, ruling that the vehicle legally belongs to her as it is registered in her name.
The man asked the court to order his former wife to transfer ownership of the vehicle to him and hand it over, while also taking the necessary legal steps to complete the transfer. As an alternative request, he sought the return of the Dh30,000 down payment he had made, along with the instalments he paid, and requested that the remaining financing obligations be transferred to her name.
He also asked the court to appoint an expert to examine electronic correspondence and the vehicle financing file in support of his claims, and to order the defendant to pay court fees and expenses.
The plaintiff said that during their marriage, his wife requested a vehicle for family use. He obtained financing to purchase the car, paid a Dh30,000 down payment and continued to pay the monthly instalments. Although the vehicle was registered in her name, he claimed there was an understanding that it would be returned to him if requested.
According to court documents, he argued that after their marriage ended, he asked his ex-wife to return the vehicle and transfer ownership to him, but she refused. He relied on bank records, dealership receipts and copies of phone messages to support his case.
The defendant requested that the lawsuit be dismissed, arguing that the vehicle was a valid gift from her former husband and that there had never been an agreement to return it at a later date.
During questioning, the plaintiff told the court that he registered the vehicle in the defendant’s name because there were traffic violations registered against him. He stated that he had paid about Dh109,000 towards the vehicle and remained responsible for the outstanding instalments.
However, he acknowledged that there were no witnesses or written documents proving the existence of an agreement allowing him to reclaim the vehicle.
The defendant maintained that the plaintiff had purchased the vehicle and gifted it to her outright. She said he had asked her to visit the dealership and personally handed the vehicle over to her, denying any arrangement under which it would later be returned.
In its judgment, the court stated that the vehicle licence clearly showed that the car was registered in the defendant’s name, making her the legal owner.
The court found that the plaintiff had failed to provide evidence proving the existence of an agreement requiring the defendant to return the vehicle and therefore dismissed the case.
The man was also ordered to pay court expenses and Dh300 in legal fees.
Source: Emirates 24|7