Since Marsha and Ted filed joint tax returns, and he could not be located, she was liable for all the monies owed to the city, state, and Uncle Sam.
She consulted with a tax attorney, and after months of pleading the case, an agreement with all parties concerned was reached. She would only have to pay half of what was owed in property and back taxes.
The original owner of the apartment building got his property back. It took over a year to get all of this turmoil straightened out.
In the meantime, Ted and his sisters were nowhere to be found. It was as though they had evaporated into thin air.
If she thought the worst was over, a shock more painful than an unexpected blow to the head was about to occur.
Once Marsha settled into her new place, it was time for her to take a break from all the madness that had consumed her during the last year. She decided to go to Nassau, made reservations to leave on a Wednesday morning and planned to stay for about two months.
After arriving on the island, Marsha inhaled a mouthful of fresh air, and it felt good. All of her trials and tribulations were behind her. In her exuberant state, she could not wait to get to her oasis. She grabbed a cab and was home in ten minutes. When she got to the door, her key would not fit into the lock.
"That's strange," she uttered to herself.
There were voices coming from the pool area, and as she got closer, she did not recognize the couple there.
A tall woman approached her and asked if she could be of assistance.
Marsha answered, "This is my house, and who are you?"
The woman, with a bewildered look on her face, replied that she and her husband were the owners of the house.
Marsha stood there as though she misunderstood what the woman said and replied, "I beg your pardon. This house belongs to me; it was given to me as a wedding gift from my parents who were the original owners."
The woman said, "I beg to differ. My husband and I purchased this house about a year ago from the previous owners; perhaps your parents neglected to tell you this. We have the deed to the house, which I'd be happy to show you."
The woman then went into the house, came back and showed Marsha the legal document that established the couple as the rightful owners.
Then Marsha said, "But that's impossible. I was the previous owner and never sold this house to anyone. Moreover, from whom did you purchase this house?"