A judge ruled Tuesday in Pennsylvania that Jon Gosselin needs to return $180,000 to his joint bank account with estranged wife Kate, her lawyer says.
Kate has alleged that Jon left her just $1,345 in a joint account that originally had a balance of $230,000. She said on The View that she uses that account to pay the family's bills.
Kate's attorney Mark Momjian says in a statement: "The remaining sum of $55,000, which Ms. Gosselin used for household bills and expenses relating to the children, will be subject to further determination by the arbitrator at a later date."
Jon's attorney Mark Heller, however, asserts that Momjian's statement "mischaracterizes the facts and fails to address … that there has been no determination or proof" that Kate spent the $55,000 on family expenses.
"Nor has there been a determination concerning the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Kate has failed to account for in violation of the arbitrator’s order," Heller says in a statement. "It may very well be determined that very substantial sums of money which Kate has failed to account for might have been misapplied and misused by Kate. As of now, Jon Gosselin chooses to give Kate the benefit of doubt, but we are all anxiously awaiting her compliance."
Jon, 32, has until the next hearing date, Oct. 26, to return the money or a judge can begin contempt proceedings against him, the site reports. Kate is also required to provide accounting of past expenses by the same date.
Kate says, "As difficult as this has been for me, I am pleased that the court has ruled fairly on behalf of myself and my children. Now that this matter has been ruled on, I look forward to returning to private arbitration, as we have agreed to do, to resolve any remaining issues."
