In accordance with the judicial interpretations of the Civil Code, property jointly funded and purchased during cohabitation for joint living purposes shall be co-owned by both parties in proportion to their contributions. When dividing the property, the contribution certificates and the living expenses shall be comprehensively determined, and neither party shall have the right to dispose of all the items privately without the consent of the co-owners. If one party removes household appliances privately and appropriates the jointly owned property, the other party has the right to sue for the return of the property or for the co-owning party to compensate the corresponding share of the contribution based on the depreciation value of the appliances.

  Complete evidence is the core of rights protection. The parties shall retain all procurement certificates: offline shopping receipts, online order records, and payment transfer records can directly prove the contribution situation; if the payment is not made directly, transfers to the other party for purchasing household items and written communications in chat records regarding cost sharing and property co-ownership can also serve as auxiliary evidence; witness testimonies from neighbors and friends can also support that the household appliances were purchased during the cohabitation period.

  Upon discovering that household appliances have been removed privately, prioritize resolving the dispute through negotiation. Organize the complete set of consumption certificates, verify the contribution ratio of each appliance with the other party, negotiate to determine the ownership of the items, or have the party in possession of the appliances pay the corresponding depreciation price to the other party. Throughout the negotiation process, save chat and recording records, sign a simple written agreement after reaching an agreement to prevent the other party from regretting it later.

  If the other party refuses to return the property or is unwilling to pay compensation, the injured party may bring a property dispute lawsuit to the court with the evidence. The court will calculate the depreciation residual value based on the use years of the appliances and divide the rights and interests according to the actual contribution ratio of both parties, ordering the party that removed the appliances to return the corresponding items or to pay a one-time depreciation compensation.

  In practice, it is necessary to distinguish between gifts and jointly owned property. Jewelry and small gifts singly funded and gifted during the dating period belong to gratuitous gifts and cannot be reclaimed after breaking up; however, large household appliances purchased specifically for cohabitation and jointly invested by both parties do not fall under the category of gifts. When calculating the compensation amount, the full original price will not be used, and a reasonable depreciation based on the usage wear will be deducted.

  Purchasing household appliances during cohabitation is a joint investment of both parties. The end of the romantic relationship does not mean that the ownership of jointly owned property belongs to one party. Properly keep the consumption and communication certificates, negotiate amicably with the other party if the property is removed privately, and if the negotiation fails, resort to litigation for rights protection. This can clarify the property shares and also minimize the property loss caused by breaking up to the maximum extent.