‘Blurred a lot of lines’: Inflation forces divorcing pair to live together
- Michael, Danielle Tantone lived together two months after divorce decision
- High mortgage rates and rent rates force the two to stay living together
- Husband: "It blurred a lot of lines for us, took us on a roller coaster"
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(NewsNation) — The cost of living, high inflation and a volatile housing market have many married couples who are on the rocks facing a hard truth and a difficult decision. Those who want to get divorced or separate for a time might not be able to afford it, forcing some to stay living together under the same roof.
Michael and Danielle Tantone were married nine years before recently deciding to end their marriage. The two quickly realized it was too expensive for them to live apart. They spent the next two months living under the same roof.
“It wasn’t a decision so much as it was just a reality,” Danielle Tantone said.
Mortgage rates are over 7% and the average cost of a home has hit record highs, the Wall Street Journal reported. Plus, renting isn’t an option either as rates have risen more than 9% over the last two years.
She explained that it was impossible to find a one-bedroom apartment under $1,500 a month at the time she had asked for a divorce. She couldn’t afford it, and Michael Tantone couldn’t afford the house payments on his own either.
“It’s currently worth less than we paid for it, so we are forced to short sell,” Danielle Tantone said.
Michael Tantone said living with his estranged wife was one of the biggest challenges, explaining that they both struggled with it for the time Danielle Tantone was still living at their home. After two months, she decided it was time for her to find her own place due to the difficulty of the situation.
“It blurred a lot of lines for us and took us on a roller coaster for two months of emotions and it was very difficult,” Michael Tantone said.
Starting the divorce process while still living together as though they were married made the entire experience difficult, he explained.
Danielle Tantone said the divorce is a work in progress, and that it is a more complicated thing than just asking to separate and it being over with.
Michael Tantone said the key to trying to keep a divorce as amicable as possible is to remember why a couple got married in the first place rather than fixating on why the divorce is happening. However, he understands that everybody’s situation is different and not all divorces present that option.
