marion: A sincere thanks for a very enjoyable posting! I know that sounds somewhat patronizing and condescending, and I do apologize as that is not my intent. Rather I have enjoyed the back and forth trememdously, as well as being able to watch some of the intellectual horsepower that this board boasts on full display.

It also makes me realize that “The Battle of the Sexes” remains as fiercely contested as ever with no end in sight.

I also find myself in the unenviable position of wanting to say something, but it appears that everyone else has already beaten me to the punch.

Arty: As an aside, if you owned the house on entering the marriage, it is yours. The State of California makes a very clear delineation between assets derived during the course of a marriage and those owned by the respective parties when they came in.