Wasteful dissipation of assets is something that most divorce lawyers are familiar with. This concept refers to the intentional or reckless waste of assets during divorce, and it can come in many forms. Some of the most common examples include gambling away the family fortune, destroying shared vehicles, or smashing the kitchen cupboards. But even the most experienced divorce lawyers continue to be surprised at just how varied this misconduct can be – and a recent divorce has highlighted something that most spouses never even consider.
New York Man Accuses Ex-Wife of Ruining His $300,00 Wine Collection
In September of 2024, the Independent reported that a man from New York had accused his ex-wife of ruining his wine collection. According to him, this was quite an expensive collection – and it was reportedly worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The story began when the couple began fighting over a ski lodge in Upstate New York, a $3-million property with 6,200 square feet and various amenities.
One of the property’s most notable features is a climate-controlled wine room, which holds 400 wine bottles. Or at least, it once held 400 wine bottles. After the husband walked away from the divorce with complete ownership of the lodge, he went into the storage room to check on his wine collection. Unfortunately, he discovered that his entire collection was ruined.
How did this happen? According to the husband, the wine room lost power because of actions taken by his wife. He alleges that she removed both of their names from the electric and gas account tied to the property. With the account completely deleted, the energy company stopped providing power to the ski lodge. Not only did this remove the power supply to the wine room, but it also removed the husband’s contact information from the account. As a result, the carefully controlled climate in the wine room changed – and the husband was never informed by the energy company.
The husband claims that this was enough to completely “destroy” the wine collection. Wine aficionados know that once you open a bottle of wine, it only lasts for a few days. Unopened bottles can last for years – but only if properly stored. There is a “recommended drinking window” associated with various wines, but collectors may extend this window by a few years if they store the bottles correctly. In other words, the husband’s complaints could be valid – and his wine may no longer be drinkable.
The interesting thing about this story is that it takes the form of a lawsuit rather than a divorce. However, a situation like this could have easily led to a property division dispute if the “spoliation” had been discovered during the divorce proceedings. This would have probably been an easier way to deal with the damages, as the husband would have simply walked away with a greater share of the marital estate in order to make up for his ruined wine.
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