Chapter 3 - Richard’s LLC
My sister Megan lived twenty minutes away.
She had two spare bedrooms.
Enough.
The children slept eventually.
I did not.
At 8:30 the next morning, Richard’s attorney emailed me the deed.
I called my own lawyer first.
Her name was Priya Shah.
Thirty-nine.
Family-law attorney with enough financial experience to understand when divorce and accounting were about to collide.
I told her:
“Before anything else, I need to know whether I own my house.”
She replied:
“Send the deed.”
Ten minutes later:
“You don’t.”
No comfort.
No softening.
“The record owner is Bennett Residential Holdings LLC.”
“Can Greg own the LLC?”
“Maybe membership interest. We need operating agreement.”
Richard sent that too.
Ownership:
Richard Bennett — 70%.
Eleanor Bennett — 30%.
Greg:
0%.
Chloe:
0%.
The company owned three residential properties.
Our house was one.
I asked:
“So Greg lied?”
Priya said:
“About ownership, based on what you’re telling me, yes.”
“What about my payments?”
“Different question.”
Then Richard called.
I let Priya join.
He explained.
Five years earlier, after Greg and I had our first child, Richard offered the house.
No rent.
We would cover:
Property taxes.
Homeowner-related insurance reimbursed to LLC.
Routine maintenance.
Utilities.
Approximately $1,100 to $1,400 per month depending taxes and repairs.
No purchase agreement.
No accumulating equity.
No family mortgage.
Richard believed Greg had told me.
“I specifically said this gave you breathing room to save for your own house.”
I almost dropped the phone.
Save?
Every month I had paid $2,600.
Sometimes more when Greg said taxes increased.
“What did Greg pay you?”
Richard paused.
“The LLC received quarterly reimbursement.”
“How much?”
“Usually between three and four thousand dollars per quarter.”
Quarter.
Not month.
My contribution alone exceeded that.
I looked at Priya on screen.
She had stopped taking notes.
Richard continued:
“I did not know Greg was telling you it was a mortgage.”
“Did Eleanor know?”
“No.”
“Chloe?”
He hesitated.
“She knows the LLC owns the property.”
Not same.
“Did she know I thought we were buying it?”
“I don’t know.”
I did.
Eventually I would ask.
But first:
May you like
bank statements.
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