Legal Question in Family Law in California

Any earnings that are acquired during the course of the marriage are considered community property unless other special provisions are followed in accordance with the CA Family Law act.

With that being said, any money that is gifted to or inherited by a spouse during the course of the marriage can be considered that spouses separate property. If the recipient spouse can trace the remodeling money to its original separate source, the spouse can be entitled to reimbursement. More information concerning the details of your situation should be shared with an experienced family law attorney to get more precise answers to your question.