Chapter 23 - Helena sues me
Helena’s civil claim against me survived her criminal conviction.
The slap was still mine.
Claims:
Battery.
Emotional distress.
Medical costs.
She also alleged:
Wrongful interference with Aurum.
Defamation.
Improper seizure/control of vehicles stored at my property.
Some claims weak.
The battery claim was not.
I slapped her.
My diversion did not erase civil liability.
Her documented medical costs:
$780.
Therapy claimed:
$6,400.
Lost business because of my slap?
Hard to separate from her criminal case and records.
Defamation?
I had not publicly accused her.
Interference?
I called police and cooperated with lawful orders.
Privilege and causation defenses strong.
We mediated.
Helena demanded:
$250,000.
My counsel offered:
$15,000
to resolve the battery and narrow personal claims without admitting broader business liability.
Mediator worked.
Final:
$24,000
personal payment from me.
Mutual release of personal tort claims.
No confidentiality preventing cooperation with authorities or discussion of public court facts.
No Aurum debts transferred to me.
No vehicle claims.
I paid.
Did I resent it?
Yes.
Was it fair that someone who hurt Leo received money from me?
That was the wrong question.
I had hit her when I no longer needed force.
My conduct had its own account.
I did not get to erase it because hers was worse.
Then Helena’s claim to the garage.
She argued Aurum had an oral commercial license to use six bays and I terminated without adequate notice, causing storage relocation costs.
I had allowed temporary use.
No written lease.
She paid no rent.
Could an implied license create notice obligations?
Maybe.
We documented that police/safety circumstances required immediate suspension, and later vehicles were moved under court-approved arrangements.
Her business claim for relocation costs remained.
Amount:
$41,000.
My lawyers offered:
Nothing initially.
The judge encouraged mediation.
Eventually:
$9,500
from me representing part of neutral transport/storage costs for vehicles I had voluntarily allowed on property before the dispute.
Again.
May you like
Not because Helena owned my garage.
Because facts contain obligations even when relationships end badly.
