Serena and Venus Williams’ childhood home, where Serena learned to play tennis, will be taken over to settle the $600,000 debt of her stepmother, Lakeisha Williams, after her attempts to declare bankruptcy were unsuccessful. This is the latest development in a legal dispute that has been ongoing for years involving Lakeisha and the $1.4 million Palm Beach property. Lakeisha accumulated the debt through a failed trucking business and excessive spending, following her separation from Richard Williams, the father of the tennis stars, in 2017.
Lakeisha repeatedly filed for bankruptcy to avoid repaying the debts, but her most recent attempt has failed, resulting in the impending sale of the Williams’ childhood home to settle the outstanding amount. The property, which includes a tennis court where Richard trained his daughters, is now in a deteriorating condition. Richard, who has faced health challenges, including strokes and dementia, had moved Lakeisha into the house after their marriage in 2009.
The couple, who have a son named Dylan, parted ways in 2017. Richard accused Lakeisha of “ꜱtеаling” the house and forging his signature to remove his naме from the property records, leaving only her naме on the paperwork. Despite the split, Lakeisha continued to reside in the house, but it went into foreclosure in 2021 following legal action initiated by a mortgage lender.
Lakeisha has filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy multiple times to delay the foreclosure, but all attempts have now been dismissed. She has consistently failed to make the $10,000 monthly repayment to the lender, resulting in a debt reaching $620,000. Judge Mindy Mora’s dismissal of Lakeisha’s bankruptcy bid means she will lose court protection, and the house will be sold. The majority of the sale proceeds will be used to pay off Lakeisha’s debt to the lender, with some funds allocated to 20 other creditors.
Richard purchased the house in 1995 for $355,000 with the intention of using it as a training camp for Venus and Serena. He built two tennis courts and dedicated himself to coaching his teenage daughters to become sports stars. Richard and his ex-wife Oracene Price, the mother of Venus and Serena, divorced in 2002.
In bankruptcy filings from 2022, Lakeisha listed additional debts, such as $2,697.55 owed to the Palm Beach County Tax Collector for property taxes and $7,600 owed to the IRS. She declared total assets of $682,923.43, with the house accounting for $588,197, although real estate estimates value it at around $1.4 million.
Despite her financial difficulties, Lakeisha reported a monthly income of $15,972.93, including net income from rental property or a business, family support payments, and Social Security. Her monthly expenses were listed as $2,542, leaving her with $13,430.73.
The dilapidated condition of the once-magnificent home, where Lakeisha still resides, contrasts with her reported income and financial troubles. The property, located in an exclusive community dominated by well-maintained equestrian properties, has fallen into disrepair, with a chipped metal gate, diгty white fencing, and deteriorating features like the front door and gable.
