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Her Husband Believes The Government Isn't Real And That They Don't Have To Pay Back Anything. So They Didn't And Now Owe $900K In Total

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Her Husband Believes The Government Isn't Real And That They Don't Have To Pay Back Anything. So They Didn't And Now Owe $900K In Total

A woman named Mary from Charlotte, North Carolina, called into a recent episode of “The Ramsey Show,” hosted by George Kamel and Ken Coleman, to explain how her husband’s fringe beliefs nearly destroyed their finances, and may still ruin their future.

He Said They Didn’t Owe Anything. Then the IRS Came Calling

“He got into the sovereign citizen thing about seven years ago,” Mary said. According to her, the movement claims the U.S. government is illegitimate and that Americans don't actually owe taxes, mortgages or loans. Some believers even think their Social Security numbers are tied to secret government accounts worth billions.

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Mary said her husband fully bought in. “He stopped paying our taxes, he stopped paying our mortgage and our car loans,” she told the hosts. She didn't find out until the sheriff showed up with foreclosure papers.

By the time she took over the finances, Mary discovered they owed more than $500,000 to the IRS—and that’s not including $170,000 left on their mortgage, $50,000 in car loans, $20,000 on a home loan, $65,000 in student loans, $30,000 in unpaid contract labor, and $60,000 to $70,000 in medical debt.

“They repossessed my car,” she recalled. Then, after getting the car back and not paying the loan back for another seven months, they came out with foreclosure papers again.

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Despite earning around $300,000 a year through his commercial contracting business, her husband refused to use his income responsibly. “He says he doesn’t care about money,” Mary said, but admitted he still spends freely. “We have no savings.”

Kamel was direct: “This guy doesn’t seem like he cares about providing for you. Seems like he’s more into his little conspiracy group.” 

“I don’t see a guy who loves you,” added Coleman.

Mary said she now controls the household finances, and her husband has agreed not to make purchases without her permission. But she’s overwhelmed. “I was a stay-at-home mom for 25 years,” she said. She also recently lost her job as a worship leader due to what her church called “safety concerns” related to her husband’s legal trouble.

“Even they see the writing on the wall,” said Kamel.

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The hosts laid out a plan: prioritize paying off the IRS, consider selling the house to access equity, and completely separate finances from her husband. They also recommended freezing his credit to prevent future damage and consulting a lawyer.

“This is beyond bananas. You are very unsafe,” Coleman told her. “He can say he loves you, but this is not the act of love.”

They closed the segment by offering her a free financial coaching session. “You’re the best woman in the world. I think most women would have long since left this clown. You've got to fight for you right now with everything you've got,” Coleman said.

Read Next: How do billionaires pay less in income tax than you? Tax deferring is their number one strategy.

Image: Shutterstock

 

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