Divorce and property division are difficult things for a couple to go through. A woman is waiting for police to remove her from a Jacksonville home she has known for 27 years. The house is the center of a long-running property division battle between the woman and her former husband.

The once-married couple purchased the three-bedroom house in 1985. Four children and seven years later, the husband and wife separated permanently. The wife stayed in the home, raised the children and attempted to keep up the mortgage payments.

A few late house payments created a problem. The ex-husband's credit rating was too low for him to qualify to buy another house. He signed a quit-claim deed eight years ago to release his legal attachment to the marital property.

The wife was then required to sell or refinance the property in her own name. The mother of four's modest salary as a distribution worker did not meet the qualifications mortgage lenders demanded.

A judge in the county where the ex-husband lived ordered the sale of the marital property in 2006. The ex-wife dug in her heels and went to court, sometimes in her own defense because of lack of funds for legal fees.

Last summer, a Jacksonville Circuit Court judge acted on the ex-husband's request to force the sale of the property. The home was ordered to be sold.

A real estate investment company purchased the home at auction last fall. The mother and now grandmother of six stayed in the home and continued to make mortgage payments. She is $11,000 away and three years from paying off the original mortgage. The ex-wife claims she is not going to budge until authorities come to remove her.

There are better ways for a divorcing couple to handle a division of assets. Consulting with family law attorneys can usually help lead to a negotiated settlement.

Source: Jacksonville.com, "Close to paying off home, Jacksonville woman waits for eviction," Steve Patterson, Feb. 3, 2012