Hello Mabs
My boyfriend and I have been together for seven years, and we have a 4-year-old son. We live with our parents in the same neighbourhood, and I spend weekends at his house. Neither of us owns a car, and he had promised to pay Lobola for me before buying one. Now, he wants to buy a car to use for Uber as a second income, but he’s blacklisted and can’t get financing.
He’s asked me to take the car in my name, promising to pay the instalments and even signing an affidavit to confirm this. However, he doesn’t want our parents or friends to know. I love him, but I feel uneasy about making this decision. What should I do?
Mabs Answers:
This column may focus on car ownership, but as someone with younger sisters, I’d
strongly advise against taking such a big financial risk for a boyfriend or anyone you’re not married to. Sadly, I’ve seen many similar arrangements, and they end in tears. It’s also suspicious that your boyfriend keeps shifting his promises and uses the prospect of marriage to keep you hooked. Taking a car in your name means you are responsible for the payments, regardless of who is driving it. The financier owns the car until it’s fully paid off, and only then will the eNatis papers transfer ownership to you. If payments are missed, you will be held liable, and there’s no guarantee you can hold him accountable.
The secrecy surrounding this arrangement, especially his insistence on keeping it away from your parents, is also concerning. This sounds too risky. Protecting your financial stability and future should be your priority. Please consider consulting a legal advisor because an affidavit alone does not legally protect you against non-payment. You could also suggest that he seeks other options, like improving his credit score, saving for a deposit or finding a co-signer he is already financially tied to, such as a family member.
