During a breakup, former couples usually have two choices: be kind and move on or take the other one for everything they’re worth—if you are feeling particularly vindictive, that is. I feel Ariana Madix is in the mood to do the latter to her ex Tom Sandoval. And I can’t say I blame her because Tom is a cad! Vanderpump Rules fans will recall that Tom was outed back in March for having a months-long secret affair with Rachel Leviss, leading to Scandoval.
After learning she had been betrayed, there was no way Ariana was going to allow that type of disrespect. But now, both are still living in their shared Valley Village home. The couple have been using Tom’s assistant, Ann, to carry messages back and forth. So, what exactly is going on with their finances?
Sandoval’s Claims
During a recent episode of VPR, Tom claimed he was being forced to move money between accounts to pay for the mortgage and other utilities. According to Tom, who I am not sure can be totally trusted, he has been left with the burden of home ownership. He says it has been hard to get his share back from Ariana, claiming she “hadn’t paid any of the bills for, like, fu*king eight months.”
Tom went on to tell the cameras, “I’ve been pretty much paying for everything out of all my accounts. Mortgage, gardener, cleaning, utilities, everything. It’s kind of like pulling teeth to get Ariana to pay me back.”
Though Tom was responsible for his relationship with Ariana falling apart, it’s understandable that he’d be bitter about Ariana not fulfilling her financial obligations. By Tom’s account, it seems Ariana is being petty by withholding her half of the bills. But is Tom telling the truth? Ariana certainly doesn’t think so.
Ariana Has Her Reasons
It turns out Ariana has a good excuse for not handing over the money. She clapped back at Tom’s accusation during the Vanderpump Rules After Show. “I have asked repeatedly…for an itemized breakdown of said bills that he’s talking about because we would always put money into a joint account and then have that account be the one that was hooked up to all these different things,” Ariana claimed.
According to Ariana, she’s been begging Tom for a breakdown of their bills for “years.” However, because he wouldn’t comply, the couple kept maintaining their joint account. “Bills just come out of it automatically, and then, oh, the balance is getting low; we both go put the same amount of money in that account,” Ariana said.
The process changed when the couple refinanced in 2021. Ariana claimed, “The account that the mortgage started coming out of was no longer the joint account; It was his account. And then that was at the same time that he got his HELOC loan that I co-signed. So, basically, I had asked for this itemized breakdown for so long, and he would be like, ‘Oh, you owe X amount of money,’ and I’m like, ‘How did you figure this out?'”
Tom is upset that Ariana isn’t covering her half of the bills, but if Ariana’s claims are true, Tom has no one to blame but himself. After everything he put her through, it’s understandable that Ariana wouldn’t take his word about what she owes.
Dream Nightmare Home
The Valley Village dream home had a pool and everything, but it has become a nightmare. I don’t understand how or why a former couple would have to reside in the same space, but here we are. Tom has made statements regarding wanting to keep the home. He essentially wants to buy Ariana out, but she has noted that is not her wish. So what happens? In reality, neither one should have bought a home that they each couldn’t afford on their own.
If they were to sell the mini-mansion, both would have to agree on a sale price, then sell it, pay off the mortgage, and split the remaining profit. If Tom took extra liens out of the home, he would be expected to fully satisfy them before the title of the home is even released.
California is a community property state. This means that generally, any property a married person acquires while married is considered community property. Unlike married couples, tenants-in-common do not have a right to survivorship. Ariana is well aware the market is not great, but even if she were to move out, she would still be responsible for her half of the mortgage. It feels as if the former couple is actually going through a divorce. It might be easier to force a sale, but for now, she has to sit and wait.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TOM AND ARIANA’S FINANCIAL CONNECTIONS?
