I went straight from the supermarket to my attorney’s office with the records from the sale of my old home. Four years earlier, I had transferred nearly $210,000 toward Vanessa and Preston’s house after they promised me a permanent ground-floor suite and written ownership protection. The paperwork showed something Vanessa had apparently forgotten: my contribution had not been documented as a simple gift. An agreement prepared at the closing gave me a recorded financial interest in the property. My attorney explained that I could not simply throw anyone out or take the house, but I could formally demand an accounting and pursue repayment or a buyout of my share.
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