Diane Andryshak of Middletown, New York, came home to the shock of her life.
Her husband, James Rhein, had bulldozed their home to the ground with all her things inside AND without turning off any of the utilities. He also failed to mention these plans to his wife prior to following through.
Surprisingly, the couple had no marital issues at the time of the bulldozing, though the way Andryshak now talks, that may not be for long. Her husband was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and released on $300 bail.
She is staying with family and friends until she figures out what her next steps will be — no word on whether that will be deciding to file for divorce or not, but at this point, it would be hard to blame her.
Her husband claims he is a “good husband,” who tried contacting her before doing what he did and who made this decision because of a “weak foundation” discovered during renovations.
We’re not sure a court would see things the same way should she decide to pursue the divorce papers.
For starters, Rhein made a major life decision for both parties without receiving input from his spouse. That’s strike one. Strike two is that he took an action that endangered the safety of the general public in not shutting off utilities and bulldozing the home without first clearing his wife’s things out of the location. These are not the actions of a rational person and much more closely resemble the activities of a vengeful spouse. Worse for him, the house was completely in her name.
Finally, if it was an “attack” on his spouse, it came with absolutely no warning or provocation. Andryshak is essentially in a place where she can pursue divorce forms against a spouse who, in the court’s eyes, is anywhere from vindictive to unbalanced (and maybe both).
Lesson: don’t do things that can make your spouse want to divorce you and get you arrested at the same time. It doesn’t put you in a good position if your spouse decides to go through with it.