His ex-wife is
claiming everything

Dear Tita,

I fell in love with Ronie even though I knew he was separated from his wife, Lani, with whom he had two daughters.

He told me that she left him because he was not earning enough to give her everything she wanted and so she relocated to Iloilo with her daughters where she met and fell for a rich married Chinese businessman. She and her kids were now living with the businessman. I felt sorry for Ronie and we decided to build our future together. We pooled our resources to put up a small business. Our efforts and sacrifices paid off and our small business grew until we were able to expand it.

With my Pag-IBIG housing benefit, we bought a house in a nice subdivision. Ronnie was a wonderful partner and an astute businessman. He called me his “lucky charm” as his luck changed for the better when we fell in love. He kept giving me lot of expensive things for our house and nice jewelry for me. I was so happy sharing my life with this loving man.

The trouble began when his ex-wife Lani came to Bacolod. She told Ronnie that the Chinese businessman left her as he had gone broke. She was now penniless and wanted Ronnie to give her money to put up her own business. When he refused, she got mad and began threatening him to give her what she wanted or else…She even went around saying awful things about me to discredit me in the community. Her two grown-up daughters would keep calling me on the telephone, warning me to leave their father.

This affected Ronnie so much that his BP (blood pressure) shot up and he had frequent migraines. The pressure was too much for Ronnie and he suffered a severe stroke. A few days later, he died in the hospital.

Lani and her daughters took over claiming they had all the right. I was too grief-stricken to go against them and they withdrew Ronnie’s bank account. My bleeding ulcers bothered me so much that I had to be hospitalized. When I went home, I learned that after Ronie’s burial, Lani and her kids came to our house and took our things with them. She has started proceedings to claim Ronnie’s business and assets, being his legal wife (Ronie never had their marriage annulled). She even wanted to take over my house but it was a good thing that it is under my name and mortgaged to my Pag-IBIG Fund.

I am still grieving over Ronnie’s death. What is your advice?

GRIEVING PARTNER

Dear Grieving Partner,

Go over your receipts for your things. If she took anything that was paid for by you, she has no right to get them. Consult a lawyer about her claim to Ronie’s business since it was put up by both you and him.

You should have prepared for this eventuality when he was still alive and made sure you would be protected. Under our laws, the legal wife and kids have the right to the husband’s estate. This problem has come up even with prominent families. As far as the business is concerned, if it is a partnership, Lani and the kids can claim Ronie’s share.

I know it is so unfair, but that is the law.

TITA