Court orders man to return over MVR 1m his ex‑wife spent developing his land

A magistrate court in a northern island has ordered a man to pay more than MVR 1 million to his ex‑wife after she proved she had spent her own money to develop his land while they were married.

The woman filed the civil suit seeking MVR 1,026,440, the amount she said she invested in building a house on her then‑husband’s land, along with a request for a share of the land itself.

The case, lodged three years ago, proceeded without the husband’s participation. According to the judgment, he did not respond to any court summons or filings, leading the court to issue a ruling in his absence this March.

The magistrate court ordered the man to pay the full MVR 1,026,440 within two weeks. However, the court did not issue a decision on the woman’s request for a portion of the land.

The ruling was delivered by the Chief Magistrate of the island’s Magistrate Court.