amarante

I think Ashley is deliberately confusing about the status of her financial negotiations just as Mia is deliberately confusing about the business takeover by the other owners. Despite Mia's ridiculous attempts to explain it away the takeaway is that Mia was NEVER the CEO or actually ran the company in any manner. There are of course ways to squeeze shareholders out in a closely held corporation like this must be but it isn't as simple as simply cutting off access to a bank account. Sometimes like a stopped clock Mia actually tells the truth as when she "smugly" told Ashley that she continued to engage in non-traditional sexual behavior in a marriage (not sure how else to phrase this) because that was he she snared Gordon and that was the only way to keep it. She was basically telling Ashley that Ashley had no *right* to want to become more traditional. I think Ashley is both a gold digger and an idiot. I just cannot be convinced that she actually "loved" Michael Darby as my test for whether it is true love is whether someone would be with this man if they had no money and the answer is most obviously no. I think that people under-estimate how difficult it is to get a really wealthy guy to put a ring on it which is why you get the most common scenario of young pretty thing married to rich older not particularly attractive man. Ashley will get child support and probably a relatively modest lump sum payment. I think her reference to "spousal support" is that if in the future she becomes destitute, then he would be required to provide her with a modest stipend. This is actually the "law" in many jurisdictions - i.e. that you can be forced to support an ex who is otherwise destitute. Obviously this would only occur in extreme situations when someone is homeless

Her parents owned homes in Phoenix so I would imagine that logistically it was easier for her to move there. She said her parents spent the winter in Phoenix so I imagine proximity to her family was also a factor.

Except if you have a multi million dollar INCOME you will still come out ahead because your income taxes would be more than property taxes. Property taxes are less of a cost factor to the ultra wealthy than the middle or 3rd upper middle class. Also property taxes are pretty high in many suburban areas that have high income taxes. For example, taxes in the suburbs or New York City are high and you are taxed New York City taxes if you work in the city. Residential property taxes in New York City actually are relatively low because there is a very strong commercial tax base. But a place like Scarsdale will have high property taxes as will suburbs in New Jersey and Connecticut

I wonder how much they were paid (BRAVO or the realtors) to essentially provide a half hour or more of promotional advertising for a boring development in Vegas. And Vegas is indeed a Mecca for very rich people because of no state income tax. I believe Florida also doesn't have state income tax. I know this because my best friend's husband comes from a family where the father sold a business for half a billion or so about 20 years ago and so the family which had been residing in the NY/NJ metropolitan area all bought principal residence in either Vegas or Boca. My friend stayed in Los Angeles because they would rather have a good life and pay a bit more in taxes since what was left after taxes was still millions. Of course the thing about older people retiring is that merely living in a house that large is exhausting because of the extreme distances between the various living areas and of course even if you have staff, you still have to have the energy and desire to manage them. I know this - again - because when the parents got to be a certain age, they down sized to a more manageable home. Still gracious by ordinary standards but not 10,000 square feet. There is so much new building in Vegas for the very wealthy, that the older expensive homes don't keep their value because people can purchase a new home. Unlike metropolitan areas like Manhattan or the west side of Los Angeles, there is no particular need to pay more to live in a specific neighborhood and renovate. At least for the most part since there is always a new development. I did get excited that the lunch was at Xian which is my go-to Chinese restaurant. Not very authentic Chinese food but it is good quality and is essentially just your typical Chinese neighborhood place albeit in the heart of Beverly Hills but it is a good place to watch the natives in their natural habitat. 😂

FWIW people in Los Angeles LOVE Spanish Colonial and there are people who do lovingly restore Spanish Colonial homes even though it doesn't make economic sense. Of course you can't enforce what someone does to a home but you can get a sense of what they intend to do with it. In some of the desirable neighborhoods in LA all the homes except for the old Spanish Colonials will be bought for their tear down value.

It grates on me as does the frequent "me and him" misuse. I am never sure who is the illiterate - the actor or the writer? Or was it deliberate in order to provide character insight - i.e. that the person with the terrible grammar isn't highly educated as a character. In terms of the ghost boundaries, I guess the writers can make up any characteristics they want. I had never read the Ann Rice vampire novels or seen the Tom Cruise movie so when I saw the recent television version of Interview With The Vampire I was confused since I had read the Bram Stoker novel and of course seen the Bela Lugosi movie numerous times so I had always assumed vampires operated under certain "rules".

Tracy's house on Curson is still on the market - reduced $100,000. It is quite expensive for the neighborhood which doesn't have the cachet of more desirable locations. Of course location location location and the house would be more expensive in a better location. Still one of the basic rules of prudent home purchases is NOT being the most expensive home on the block which that one surely is. It's not a bad area. Ozzie and Harriet actually lived there and there are some gracious old homes along those streets. Originally when Hollywood was developed, there were mansions built but those have almost all been torn down with a few existing as schools or equivalent. The Tutor listing is across the street from Wattles Park. Flagg's listing in Bel Air is still available. I thought De Gournay wallpaper was expensive - had never heard of Gracie but when I went to the Grace site, there was an article with photos of Nancy Reagan, Marlena Dietrich and some others in rooms with the wallpaper. Mostly decorated by Elsa De Wolf who was a famous decorator of the early 20th century - she died in 1950. I wonder if Flagg will find someone to restore it rather than just to knock it down. https://www.dirt.com/gallery/showbiz/directors/old-hollywood-director-ernst-lubitschs-bel-air-house-1203584117/lubitsch_belair8/ https://www.joshflagg.com/property/268-bel-air-rd-los-angeles-ca-90077/

I also think the dedicated guest room is also a question of economics. Growing up I didn't know any family that had one room that was used only when guests slept over. There might be a den with a sleeper sofa but in some urban areas even a separate "room" is a luxury as the sleeper sofa is in the living room. Vacant bedrooms only happen when children move out either for college or permanently. If can imagine situations in which a dedicated guest room makes sense - i.e. family lives abroad and the parents actually visit for extended periods of time. But generally if family visits most people are okay with ad hoc informal arrangements - i.e. kids move into sleep together and someone takes a kids' bedroom as a scenario.

Because the police back then didn't get involved with custodial interference cases just as they also didn't treat domestic violence seriously. Also she didn't have the financial resources to hire an attorney even on a limited basis. And as I recall she also said that she was afraid she would be killed if she actually went to Alaska and attempted to get them back.

It is not that strange for homes in the Northeast which have winters to have a pool especially in a family home where children would be using it all summer. Buffalo might have colder winters than New Jersey but the reality is that "swimming weather" is pretty much the same - roughly the time period from Memorial Day to Labor Day however harsh the winters are. Most of them are above ground pools like the one in Buffalo which are less expensive and aren't meant for swimming so much as playing in water when it is hot. Smaller and not as much water needed to fill. Lots of them in certain neighborhoods even in places like New York City. That backyard was particularly well done but very specific to whoever designed it with that huge expanse of concrete and the oasis effectively hidden from view. Most people want their beautiful backyard to be visible from the house because it provides a "view"

I don't mean to make generalized gender statements especially with a gay wedding but I do think in terms of wedding preferences Nicholas is analogous to the bridegroom in a heterosexual wedding. Amrit's mother said that Amrit ALWAYS wanted the large Indian wedding. Even as a child he was fascinated by it and so I think this wedding was as much about his fantasy wedding as much as his parents wanting the large wedding. Left to his own devices, I do think Nicholas might have either eloped or had a much smaller wedding in which there were elements of both cultures but not a three day Bollywood extravaganza. And I do reiterate that I also think that viewing the acceptance by Amrit's family has got to be painful when contrasted with his family. His parents are showing up grudgingly but don't really want to acknowledge they have a gay son. His sister isn't even willing to show up because she is against the marriage completely. This is just in his face even though he can ignore it for the most part since the contrast isn't so blatantly in his face.

Most of the men have ugly faces and bodies which to me aren't particularly attractive as I am not into the Frank type of steroid look. Evan and the new woman's husband actually have attractive faces and if I am recalling correctly actually have good bodies - i.e. athletic without being bulked out through steroids and pumping heavy iron. To me it is the male equivalent of over filled faces and lips. I just find it aesthetically displeasing. But the faces - Louie, Paul and Frank are especially unattractive. Shoot me but Gorga actually has a decent Italian face. I mean Pacino and DeNiro have those kinds of Italian male faces and they are not unattractive.

And he will earn every penny. As the saying goes, marry for money and you will earn it. 😂😂

She looked so good last night on WWHL without the extensions and a very sleek modern style. But I also don't understand how woman who get the extreme plastic surgery with the puffy shiny faces and the duck lips look in the mirror and think they are aesthetically attractive. And my god I thought Jen's nose job was terrible but there is a new housewife on the show whose nose compares to her nose as being one of the worst nose jobs I have seen.

Even Amrit acknowledged that Nicholas is experiencing a lot of pain in terms of comparing his family's essential rejection of him versus Amrit's family - and indeed the larger Indian community of Aunties/Uncles embracing gay marriage even though gay marriages also is not part of their tradition. Last season Amrit's grandmother was told and was able to feel glad that Amrit had found love and a life partner. Nicholas' parents are truly awful. So they have grudging agreed to be at the wedding despite signaling that this is something they will do DESPITE their feeling it is morally wrong. However the rest of the family including his sister will not even attend the wedding to show their complete disapproval of gay marriages. The only family member who is actually embracing the marriage and genuinely happy he has found love is an aunt who evidently ran away from wherever these horrible people are located to Chicago and leads a life in which gay is not grudgingly accepted. All of this is playing out while these huge and exhausting event is being planned - and in front of cameras. Most people planning a wedding or other huge life change can have moments when they are snippy or otherwise having some type of emotional behavior driven by the stress and latent emotions being stirred up.

I think one can differentiate between the two wives who were interviewed and whatever girlfriends or others who came into his life later. First wife who lost her sons - he was a charming guy who had returned from a Missionary stint with the LDS. Her sons were pretty young when she escaped from him and then he kidnapped the children. She evidently hired lawyers who told her that based on the facts she was pretty powerless to do anything. I think she said that she had no money working as a waitress. Second wife also married what seemed to be a normal guy - and then had difficulty leaving. At one time it domestic abuse wasn't treated at all seriously by law enforcement - and I suspect it was even worse in the kind of "religious" small towns they lived in where the "patriarch" of the family was accorded wide discretion in terms of discipline. Her account of what she had to do to make her escape - with the aid of some kind of organization that specifically helped abused women flee was terrifying. The most dangerous time for a woman in an abusive relationship is when they attempt to leave. Pregnancy is another high risk - especially for women who aren't married to the father of the child. What I have more difficulty understanding is how women allow themselves to be abused by boyfriends when there isn't the same kind of financial pressure there is when there are children involved or when there is marriage and so there are often financial implications that have to be dealt with. The first time any man ever hit me; attempted to control me or otherwise act in a suspicious manner I would be gone - and hopefully before he had invested enough emotional energy in the relationship to hunt me down and punish me for leaving.

There has got to be more back story to most of these as some just don't make sense as any kind of rational move. Couple moving from a cold state in the US (maybe Idaho?) to Costa Rica - but not the popular coast line but a theoretically less discovered part in the center of the country. He was a contractor who had recently been fired. She worked in a fertility clinic. They had two children who appeared to be early teens or tweens. He said he was currently enrolled with an agency which was teaching him some kind of web development - sounds pretty scammy to me as nothing in his past indicated an IT background. She had quit her job - liked the medical field but knew that wouldn't be possible in Costa Rica. They claimed that they still owned two homes and that rentals on those properties were covering their expenses. As I recall they were shown a fabulous place - had a pool; a view and lovely inside but it was too expensive at $1200 per month so they opted for something not particularly nice for $1000. I can't imagine actually moving to a foreign country and having such limited financial resources that $200 per month was make or break. I am not for people being profligate but if my resources were that limited I would stay where was - wife continued to work - husband went back into construction or something related or just any job that someone is able to make money - can't imagine heading off to Costa Rico with two children and no way to make a living.

I have to believe there is more to what is going on with the house and the alimony than Ashley is actually stating. She claimed that she had forced Michael into signing a new prenup (or whatever it is called during marriage) that was more favorable than the actual prenup There actually is no reason for Ashley to receive spousal support since she makes and has been making a very high salary - let's assume that her income from the show is $500,000 per season plus all of the ways she monetizes social media. True she hasn't started an actual business the way some housewives had but I don't really think most of them are that lucrative anyway - with some exceptions. Michael Darby is on the hook for child support and that is based on his income as well as Ashley's income. The court always has the final say in terms of what the appropriate level of child support is and if Ashley lost all her income she would have the right to go back to court and get it adjusted so that the children received a lifestyle commensurate with Michael's income. I am not shocked that Ashley doesn't "own" the house. That was probably a negotiated decision in terms of how the marital assets were divided. I honestly don't believe that Ashley had no attorney because Michael isn't stupid enough to not have Ashley get representation because otherwise any agreement they came to would be easily negated - you need competent representation plus access to the finances in order for even a prenup to be upheld - let alone financial agreements for a divorce. Maybe I am lacking in reproductive knowledge, but the whole issue of menopause was very bizarre because when you have a hysterectomy - at any age - you go into menopause. It is known as "surgical menopause". Also Gizelle is 52 and she is most likely already experiencing menopause - or at least peri menopause.

As I wrote, I googled the information and that was the pay range for mail carriers employed by the USPS in Maine. When I went to the specific site, it also mentioned the health insurance which is the Federal Health Insurance Plan which is as good if not better than most plans currently offered by corporations. From Dr. Google - Portland Maine - USPS https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=U.S._Postal_Service_(USPS)/City/Portland-ME

As I posted the USPS still has fixed pensions which is a rarity and a HUGE benefit. Fixed pensions are common for most government workers which is how they compete with the private sector. As I posted, the top salary for a mail carrier in Maine is about $75,000 and since the HH had been working for 25 years one assumes he is making the top salary. He didn't say he was retired either - just that he had been working for 25 years. They could still have a comfortable lifestyle - especially with all of the other benefits - 26 days of PTO plus legal holidays; 401 (k) matching; very good health insurance with the premiums fully paid

According to Professor Google, a mail carrier for the USPS in Maine makes between $45k - $74k per year. Despite not being a completely government agency, I am fairly certain they still have excellent health insurance compared to most plus good retirement and other benefits like paid time off - vacation and/or sick leave - fixed pension which is super rare and a great benefit; 26 days of paid time off plus 10 legal holidays; 401 (k) generous matching. https://about.usps.com/careers/working-usps/benefits.htm Also foster parents aren't responsible for medical costs which can be a big expense for parents especially dental.

A licensed massage therapist could do well - and a postal worker would probably also be doing well especially in a state like Maine. Anyone who actually goes to a "natural doctor" is probably willing and able to pay for all of the quack remedies she will sell. The issue would be building up a client base of fools. Also people receive money for foster children and that is additional income.

Not an expert in Florida family law but Lisa has not been living in that house for 15 years. They bought a property on Star Island but then fought for years to be permitted to tear down the existing house and then built the new house. I am thinking maybe she has lived in the house for five years if that long. It is not at all uncommon for divorced couples to sell the home they have been living in. There are separate issues of spousal support/right to assets accumulated during marriage versus a prenup AND the completely separate issue of child support because you cannot make prenup agreements for children because a court will always determine the appropriate level of child support. In general a wealthy parent will be required to pay a very high amount of child support because that is the lifestyle the child would have had without the divorce. Although child support typically ends at 18, it is quite common for wealthy individuals to be required to pay for college - graduate school and even agree to set up trust funds and make wills that guarantee the children a certain minimum percentage.

Not to mention that Alexia has consistently done truly awful things like accusing Nicole of sleeping with every doctor or Adriana’s date as being married or Julia kissing a man. I doubt the lawyer was offended as he seemed to think all of the women were unbelievable and he just looked bemused with more of a what the hell expression and hoping that his reputation wasn’t ruined by appearing in that shit show.

Chicago has a requirement that all city employees live in the City so they couldn't move unless and until he left the police force. He said he had been on the police force for 8 years and obviously didn't want to make the Army a career. Presumably he enlisted and then left after one tour. They owned a home in Chicago as they discussed how it compared to the ones they were looking at. I imagine they owned because there would have been no reason to rent. I would imagine they got a fair amount of equity considering how much housing prices rose during that period. They seem to have made both a lifestyle decision and economic decision. Probably it made more sense to have him be the stay at home parent since a CPA makes a lot of money. Lots of police leave the force since it is so stressful. When the kids become old enough to not need full time child care, he would still be young enough to start another job or career - he could even theoretically join the police of a small town as a lot of cops actually retire and take jobs with suburban and rural police departments.