Brave Little Gerda Passes Through the Door

[Gerda]

I had court today. It was supposed to be the end of the 120 days the bad judge gave H to market the property. I had my loan preapprovals and the bank appraisal, just as the judge had ordered. It was HER order that said that after the 120 days, I had the right to buy him out at the bank appraised value as long as I had my preapprovals. I HAD IT ALL READY. My lawyer had told me he would be filing a motion to get the listing down so I could refinance but he just never got it done before the status conference. (He is not very good but that's all I got for now.) And two days ago, H's lawyer filed ANOTHER MOTION to put me in jail, evict me, appoint a receiver to run my business and the sale of the house, etc., because of his claim that I blocked the broker. I spent the 120 days bending over backwards and hired an agent to be there every time specifically so I would never be accused of blocking it. But he twisted everything, redacted emails to make it look like we didn't cooperate, and even -- and this makes me want to cry -- included a photo of my son half naked asleep in bed as proof that I had planted my son there during a showing to block a sale. It was the kind of photo that parents would look at and say, "Oh, our beautiful sleeping boy," and he turned it in for everyone to look at in that disgusting way.

My L told me that the judge hadn't signed the motion and we only had to focus on the fact that we were ready to fulfill the order. Instead the whole thing opened with her saying to H's lawyer, "Well, Mr. L, I'm about to find you in contempt for filing another contempt motion, but explain to me why I should grant your requests for emergency relief." They lied and lied and the judge listened. Then my L spoke and she listened but she said she thought it was very strange that my bank appraisal was 2/3 of the asking price H had, and that she thought appointing a receiver was a great idea since the parties couldn't agree and there must be some truth to the accusations. My L said that the bank appraisal was the same as the previous ones and that the house hadn't sold because it was so overpriced by H but she just kept saying she didn't know if he would really be getting his full equity this way even though IT WAS HER ORDER. No one asked about the kids, about me paying for college for our son, nothing. H's evil broker was even sitting in the courtroom and my lawyer didn't object! My L did get a little more vehement than usual when it was his turn, saying that we can refute all the accusations but that we needed to focus on the order already in place, we had endured the abuse and insults and troubles of the 120 days, and it was over, and I was ready to the buyout, we just needed her to make them take the listing down.

Judge said something about her order and then laughed and said, "But I'm the judge, so I can change my order anytime."

She said we had to prove to her why a receiver wasn't a good idea, since I could just go through the receiver to buy my house, and the receiver could ensure the agent was above board since he had picked his girlfriend's boss, etc. She said we had to file all our papers by October, and that H could continue this marketing nightmare in the meantime, and she understood I couldn't get the financing but that was my problem.

I can't even explain all the details without throwing up, but basically she refused to allow me to follow her own order!

I can't get my loans without the listing coming down, and I can't get out of this mess without the loans. I can't even abandon ship and run away from it all and let H have everything because only my name is on the mortgage, and I have no way to pay it except with the rentals.

He literally has me trapped.

I feel like I have come so far, have moved on, am hopeful about my life, myself, etc. And I can't get free.