Page 34 of Forever Endeavor

Sonny puffed out his chest with renewed confidence. “That sounds like good news.”

Don nodded. “It can be. In general, the legal owner has the right to take back the property and eject the possessor if they are unauthorized to be there, have defaulted on their rent or has done something to damage the property. Uh…I assume you haven’t, have you?”

“No sir, of course not.”

“Good. With squatter’s rights, the courts say that when someone occupies a piece of property and the owner does not exercise the right to recover it for a significant period, the possessor can, in effect, be considered the new owner.”

“Well, that’s encouraging, isn’t it?”

Don tapped his gold fountain pen on his desk. “But because it’s been only two years since your divorce was finalized, we’ve got a bit of a sticky wicket. You see, for the court to consider squatter’s rights, they also have to look at the statute of limitations specifying the length of time the owner has had to recover possession of the property. These time limits can vary, but in general, they’re between four to forty years. Two or three might fall short.”

Sonny’s shoulders slumped under the weight of doubt. “In which case, the house is hers and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Let me do some digging to see if I can find any legal precedents. What kind of timeline did Melissa give you?”

“She wants me out by month’s end so they can start on renovations before she—”Ugh.It made him sick to even think about that spawn of Satan, let alone dare speak its name. “She’s pregnant and due this fall. And before you ask, no, it’s not my kid.”

Don’s eyes widened. “Oh. That certainly does add a layer of complexity as well as urgency to the matter, Sonny. Fair warning, a judge may be more sympathetic to an expectant mother, but that doesn’t mean we won’t stand our ground and fight. I promise, I’ll do my best.”

“What do you suggest I do in the meantime? Start packing? Should I be looking for a new place? It’s not just me, my uncle needs to move out and find a place of his own, plus we have, I mean, I have a…” The words caught in his throat, his thought process momentarily derailed by a flashback of the morning wake-up call he gave Billie. “A guest staying with us.”

“Sonny, I can only tell you what I always tell my clients. The prudent thing to do is to hope for the best outcome but prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

Unimpressed, Sonny stood up. “I’m not sure what to say, Don, but it’s a damn good thing your mechanic doesn’t share the same philosophy.”

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