A couple in the midst of a divorce is making national news after the man began living outside of his million-dollar home. According to reports, the man’s wife kicked him out in March of this year before officially filing for divorce in June, but he refused to leave the front yard.
The 69-year-old man has apparently acknowledged that he does have the money to stay in a hotel, and that people have also offered him a place to stay, but he says that his “emotions are with this house.” While many in the neighborhood have come to his aid by dropping off food, his estranged wife is attempting to combat this with signs asking the neighbors not to feed him or bring anything on the property.
The local authorities are apparently very familiar with the couple, having been called to the house a reported 30 times in the past six months. However, despite his wife’s wishes, they cannot currently remove him from the property entirely because the house is still listed under both names. According to reports, the man’s wife is attempting to get a restraining order against him. He was reportedly arrested for domestic violence previously, and the woman was able to get a protective order against her husband last year.
This couple is just one example of the difficulties that can develop during the divorce and property division process. Despite what is often portrayed in the media, getting a divorce is usually a fairly lengthy process, taking months or even years to finalize. If you have ongoing issues with your spouse during this time or are unsure what to do about living arrangements while the property division is being worked out, talking to a family law attorney can help.
Source: People, “Divorce Leaves Texas Man Living on Front Yard of His Million-Dollar Mansion,” Alex Heigl, Oct. 07, 2015