Michigan Lady
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Michigan. I have signed the divorce papers and divorce was to be final on 7/21/05 in Mich., but 2 days before, I recieved papers from a law firm in Az. that I was jointly being sued for husband's credit card debts in that state as I have inherited property there and resided there for a year with my S.T.B.X. This is now the second debt I have been held liable for there that he incurred without my knowledge. The credit cards are in his name only, opened when he resided in Mi., but since he changed his address on them to my Az. address, the creditors are coming out of the wall since he has made no effort to pay them in 3 yrs. and has not worked. I believe the charges are cash advances for gambling debts. In the divorce papers he agreed to pay his own credit card debt, but I know he has no intention of doing so as he went bankrupt in 1998. My lawyer was on vacation during the week of July 21st and had no idea I had been served with these papers, so I myself went to court and showed them to the judge, after my atty.'s secretary contacted my husbands atty. to ask that he adjorn the divorce until my atty. returned, which he refused to do, so he and my husband showed up and tryed to get the divorce pushed through anyway. The judge did adjourn the proceedings until Aug. 17th, pending credit reports to be ordered by my husband to show all of his debt. This is a real mess, because when I spoke with the Az. law firm, they indicated to me that if the debt was incurred during the marriage, no matter what the Mi. divorce papers state, if these other credit card co.'s sue in the state of Az., because I have property there, and it is a community property state, I can and will be held liable for his debts. Then I would have to come back to Mi. to sue him here for contempt of court. I am supposed to pay him for the equity in the marital home within 90 days of the divorce being final, but I know there is more debt accumulated by him (I figure around $15,000.00 worth), and believe me, I have enough of my own debt to pay, as I have to pay my own credit card bills which are around $30,000.00 because of this damn divorce as I was ordered to pay all the expenses on the houses as he was not working and abandoned me. This sucks! I can end up having to pay ALL the debts because I have inherited property which these co.'s are going after in Az. I have already paid 2 of them, which I will deduct from what I have to pay S.T.B.X., but, I am demanding the others are notified and paid prior to him getting his final settlement payment in 90 days. I am also having trouble with my lawyer and the judge in Mi. regarding the community property issue in Az. and the equitable property issue in Mi., since Mi. is where the divorce was filed. Anybody have any suggestions on how to handle this? In addition, my S.T.B.X. rented a room with his ex girlfriend in Fl. and made the agreement before the divorce was filed, so I can possibly be held liable for that too. Should I get something from her stating I am not involved in this agreement?. This mess has cost me around $5,000.00 more in atty. fees, my credit is being ruined and I am furious!. I need to prove to Mi. court that I will be held liable without incurring more litagation....HELP!