Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Maryland

After 20+ years of marriage, I left my husband in 2000 after he attempted to kill me. We owned a home together. When he first filed for a divorce he wanted everything. I refused and countered his proposed requests through my attorney. He did not want to settle and did not proceed with the divorce action. We have been in regular contact with each other via e-mail and through our children. He recently requested permission to sign my name to refinance the mortgage on the house. I told him that I would be willing to sign the house over to him. Before we could discuss what I expected, he had papers sent to me for me to just sign over the house to him without a discussion of monetary settlement. I responded to him and let him know that if we were at a point that we were going to sell the house and move on with our lives, then we needed to completely resolve everything by getting a divorce. He then informs me that he had been divorced from me since 2003. That he divorced me on the grounds of abandonment because he did not know how to reach me. WOW! Can you believe this? I am at the same address that the original divorce papers were served to, the same e-mail address that and physicla location that he has continously contacted me in the past. Needless to say, I did not sign the paperwork giving him ownership of our home. I told him that he could get a loan and buy out my interest in the house or sale it and we could equally divide the proceeds. He went into a tirade in his e-mail response to me. Now 3 weeks later I get a complaint for sale-in-lieu of partition and for contribution. The complaint states that we are no longer Tenants by Entirety because of the divorce, which he obtained by misrepresentation of the truth, and.that we now own the property as Tenants in Common. How can this be? We owned a property that we sold prior to purchasing the home in question of which all the proceeds from that sale was used as a downpayment on the present home. During our marriage I made the marjority financial contribution towards all that we owned. My husband was a jealous, controlling, cheater and liar and now he gets to walk away with everything because he lies and manipulates the court system. What kind of justice is this? Is there anything I can do?


Asked on 12/19/10, 7:45 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Phillip M. Cook Cook Legal Services, LLC

YES, there is something you can do, you can hire a Maryland family attorney IMMEDIATELY. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. Part of me feels like you aren't ready to divorce this person. Why?

Best of luck.*****The above is for informational purposes only and does not create an attorney-client privilege.*******

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Answered on 12/24/10, 8:38 pm


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