SERENA Williams’ stepmom will find out this week if the home that’s been in the family for nearly 20 years is to be sold to pay off her $400,000 debt.
Former ᵴtriƥper Lakeisha is said to have rekindled her relationship with Serena and Venus’ dad Richard, 81, after he called off their long divorce battle.
Lakeisha Williams, pictured with Richard, could be set to finally lose their home this weekCredit: instagram/keisha.dylan.williams
Their home remains empty with overgrown grass in Palm Beach Gardens, FloridaCredit: The U.S. Sun
Serena Williams is listed as the owner of her dad’s current property, which she purchased in 2015Credit: Getty
She previously admitted to faking the title deeds on their four-bed property in Palm Beach, Florida, into her name – and took out a massive loan with a “hard lender” named David Simon.
She blew the $255,000 loan on “fast food and frivolities” and a disastrous trucking business, according to court docs, and failed to keep up with repayments.
A seven-year legal battle ensued with Simon’s debt at one point standing at over $620,000 including attorney fees and interest – with the judge ordering the house to be sold at auction.
But Lakeisha, who at 45 years old is nearly half Richard’s age, postponed the sale for three years by repeatedly filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy – and failing three times as she couldn’t keep up with the approximate $10,000-a-month payments.
The last one was tossed out in May and Simon has filed a motion to amend the final judgment and set an auction date between 20 and 35 days from the judge granting the motion.
The pad is worth $1.4 million and Simon is first in line to be paid from a list of over 20 creditors.
Judge Luis Delgado is due to hear the case on June 18 – although it seems to be a formality that he will agree with Simon’s motion.
In the motion, Simon’s legal team claims that the debt now stands at $436,113 with Lakeisha having paid off $178,595.
BANKRUPTCY BIDS
Attorney fees total $131,718 and costs at $2,395 from the epic legal battle, which resulted in hundreds of hours of work for various lawyers at $400-an-hour.
Lakeisha could file for Chapter 13 yet again, but this would add more legal and court costs.
She’d also have to prove that her situation has changed and can afford to keep up with a repayment plan.
If she refiles, her automatic stay – protection from creditors – will only last 30 days.
As it stands, Lakeisha hasn’t tried to refile for bankruptcy a fourth time.
In Simon’s deposition, he revealed she approached him initially for a loan after seeing a “for sale” sign on his $79,000 Volvo semi truck tractor.
Simon would only sell the truck to Lakeisha if he had property as collateral, which was in Richard’s name, so Lakeisha transferred the deeds into her name by faking her husband’s signature.
She then borrowed further amounts, according to filings.
Court docs from Lakeisha’s deposition showed that she’d forged Richard’s signature once before, so that she could sell his 1999 Bluebird Wanderlodge Motor Coach, worth $45,000, to buy food for herself and their son Dylan.
“Mainly, I was broke by my husband [who] did not help me. It was my son and I not getting any money, so I had to sell it so I can eat and my son can eat… we didn’t have anything,” she said.
‘REKINDLED ROMANCE’
Richard’s legal team denied the accusation and his son Chavoita LeSane has threatened for over a year to file an elder abuse suit, which is yet to materialize.
He told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive interview, “I can’t remember how long it was into the relationship as far as my dad starting to have financial headaches, like, ‘What’s going on with my social security checks?’
“Lakeisha took the Mercedes, she took the bus, she took money, what else was it? The motorcycle.
“There are so many things that she stole or forged documents for him. That’s considered elder abuse.
“We’re just putting all of it together, it’s a lot. This whole situation has been frustrating.”
Recently the couple, who married in 2010 and filed for divorce seven years later, called off their divorce in May.
Richard’s son claimed they are not back together and he simply couldn’t attend court due to his health concerns and plans to refile.
But in a shocking twist, Lakeisha’s lawyer claims they are now back in a “romantic and 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual relationship” and living together as a family having reconciled.
“Richard Dove Williams and his wife Lakeisha Williams have a son and are raising him together,” attorney Sara Lawrence said.
“They are a family. Lakeisha works and Richard often takes care of their son.”
“Lakeshia and Richard Williams have a romantic and 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual relationship. With their son, they are a family. They live together. They go on family trips to Disney together,” she continued.
The U.S. Sun previously revealed that Richard now lives in an $815,000 property minutes from his old home, which is dilapidated and stands empty.
His new one-story house is listed in Serena’s name and was bought in June 2015, according to property documents.
Richard Williams, now 81, called off his divorce in May after a seven-year battleCredit: Getty
Recent photographs show abadoned cars at the property and piles of discarded itemsCredit: The U.S. Sun
Lakeisha has previously shown off a glam lifestyle on Instagram which left her in debtCredit: Instagram/@keisha.dylan.williams
