Help Emily escape an abusive situation
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Hi everyone, I’m asking for help in this dire and life threatening situation. My abusive and unstable ex has kept me financially and emotionally hostage for the last two years and has now returned to threaten my safety. I am being forced to leave the state to escape his abuse and the financial debt he’s forced on me is the biggest looming cloud of control after him as a physical threat. I ran a successful pet care company for 6 years in which I gave him 49% ownership. I had 100% financial responsibility (name on all business loans, forced to take out personal loans, utility accounts, lease etc). When we split up, he kept me hostage in the home I ran the company out of, put me through horrific abuse and held the business that I cared about more than anything over my head as I fought to keep it alive to keep the animals safe, pay bills and uphold my contracts. He carelessly took massive owner draws while I completely stopped paying myself and took side jobs to be able to afford gas, food and other basics. My priority was taking care of the company and animals. After 9 months I was able to move off of property (I had a last minute out, packed everything up in less than 30 min and escaped). From there he started rerouting all money from the company to his personal funds but with all accounts (like utilities) of the business are still in my name and I have been forced to keep contact with my abuser to beg each month to get those bills paid, including keeping the lights and water on for the home he still lives in with the company and all of the 50+ animals that are there. At this point I am facing the reality that I need to pack up and leave, but I cannot do so without some sort of plan to address the money owed that ranges from a small personal loan with $665 remaining, utility account of $3200 remaining to the largest of $28,000 SBA loan that are all in my name that he will never take any responsibility for. Those debts will drown me. I am talking to bankruptcy lawyers and doing everything I can to get debt relief. I’ve filed for restraining orders more than once and filed many police reports. The best that they can do is encourage me to leave the city and get as far away from this person as possible. Funds will be used to tackle the utility debt first and then debts smallest to largest. The utility account is most important because that is directly tied to keeping the animals safe. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your help.
Organizer
Emily Rose
Organizer
Austin, TX