Latest news with #MichaelFlores
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Divorced couples are living together — with their new partners — to help take care of the kids and save money
Three isn't a crowd to Megan Meyer, her husband, Michael Flores, and her ex-hubby, Tyler. It's just the smartest way to coparent. But the Gen Zers aren't some trendy throuple. And no, Tyler and Michael are not 'brother husbands' or some other twist on 'sister wives' that would share Megan like a family-style entrée. Instead, the trio is among the growing number of nonconformist folks who, rather than divvying up mommy and daddy duties after divorce, are putting their past problems aside and happily cohabitating for the benefit of the kiddos — and their wallets. The platonic threesome lives together, rearing their tots — Megan and Tyler's 3-year-old daughter, Ryann, as well as Megan's 18-month-old son with Michael — under one roof. 'It's a [lifestyle of] convenience,' Megan, 25, a stay-at-home mom from South Carolina, told The Post. 'It brings my daughter's parents into the same house again, and, financially, it just makes sense.' She and Michael, a project manager, save $1,000 per month by splitting the cost of their 1,800-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom abode with Tyler, 26, who works in law enforcement. And while it works for this happily unorthodox family, Kerrie Mohr, a NYC relationship therapist of 25 years, warns that the economic, albeit atypical, arrangement absolutely isn't for everybody. 'Both parents must have enough emotional maturity to live with their ex, as well as his or her new partner,' advised the Tribeca-based expert. The psych pro tells The Post that her practice, A Good Place Therapy, has seen an increase in cohabitating co-parents since the pandemic — especially in Gotham, where it's cheaper to bunk with an ex (even if they do come with a new plus-one) rather than going it alone. Savings aside, Mohr says the well-being of the children should remain everyone's central concern. 'For this living situation to benefit the kids, all of the adults must be healed from the wounds of their former relationship in order to embark on a new [co-living] relationship,' she advised. 'Setting respectful boundaries, coming up with clear communication strategies and focusing on your 'Why?' are all key for success,' continued Mohr. 'Your 'Why?' is your North Star, the reason you're setting aside your issues and sharing a household with your ex and their new partner.' For Tyler, Ryann, whom he calls 'daddy's little girl,' is his North Star. 'When Megan and I first split, it was extremely difficult living apart from my daughter,' he tells The Post. 'I spent many lonely nights crying.' After their four-year marriage ended in 2023, Megan and the baby left the home they shared with Tyler in Tennessee and relocated to California. There, Megan rekindled a romance with Michael, her high school sweetheart. The pair married and soon became pregnant with their son. But when Tyler couldn't find work or affordable housing in the Golden State, he and the newlyweds agreed to become housemates in Hilton Head, South Carolina. And despite a bit of bickering between the exes, Michael says their uncommon, yet cozy setup is sweet. 'Megan and Tyler argue like siblings. That'll never change,' Michael teased, noting, however, that he and his wife's former spouse are buds. 'We started playing video games, going to church as a family and eating meals together,' said Michael of his and Tyler's now 'rock solid' connection. 'We became friends by being dads.' And to avoid any in-house awkwardness, Megan and Michael limit public displays of affection to the privacy of their bedroom. Tyler, who's currently single, refrains from entertaining potential girlfriends in common areas. Rian Geller, 41, from Houston, Texas, and her wife Tiffany, 42, abided by similar house rules when they, along with their two preteen children, moved in with Geller's ex, Adam, 48, in 2022. 'It was awkward at first,' said Geller, who ended her years-long romance with Adam to marry Tiffany in 2021. Despite their breakup, Adam welcomed the couple, as well as Tiffany's kids, Brianna and Cutter, from a previous relationship, into his four-bedroom, lakefront residence free of charge. 'We all parent the kids together,' gushed Geller, a professional dog walker. She and Tiffany recently moved into their own home — but Adam visits every Sunday for family dinners. 'Adam is the kids' father figure, and he and Tiffany are best friends.' Cohabitating co-mothers Taylor Marie and Jessi Green, of Alabama, enjoy a similar bond. Marie, 29, a nurse and mom of three boys, married Green's ex-husband, Taylor Lee, 31, a long-haul truck driver, in 2023. That June, the pair opted to co-reside with Green, 31, a mom of two girls — including a daughter Anna, whom she shares with Lee — and her new husband, Corey, 32, also a trucker, for the sake of their combined brood of five. The little ones range in age from 10 to 2 years old. Anna, the blended crew's eldest child, loves her new normal, telling The Post, 'It's really fun because I don't have to switch houses like I used to, and now I'm with my whole family, living with all of my siblings at once.' Ensuring that the tween, as well as her little sister and three younger brothers, experience a happy, stable childhood is the glue that's bonded the once-feuding adults together. 'Initially, we didn't get along or coparent well,' said Green. She and Lee divorced a decade ago. 'But, with our husbands constantly on the road, they're only home four days each month, we decided living together and raising our kids as one big family would just make life easier.' And less expensive. 'We evenly split our $4,500 monthly bills, we also share the cost of groceries, school supplies and clothes for the kids,' said Marie. She and Green routinely give social media fans glimpses into their unconventional setup via their TikTok profile, @CheaperbyTheCoparents. 'We treat all the kids the same,' Marie assured, 'everyone is loved and treated equally.' 'They have four parents, all of their siblings and a huge extended family,' said Green. 'It's all about love and unity.'
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Illinois man paid $20K to have asbestos removed from his attic — but the crew refused to finish the job
When Michael Flores paid $20,000 to remove asbestos from his attic, he didn't expect to find the toxic material still there — or to learn that the crew had never obtained a license in the first place. Flores had bought the 100-year-old Ottawa, Illinois, home with plans to turn it into a vacation rental near Starved Rock State Park. Knowing the attic was filled with vermiculite insulation — a material often containing asbestos — he hired a local crew to remove it safely. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) But after the crew from Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC declared the job done, Flores went to check for himself — and was stunned. The dangerous insulation was still sitting in the attic. He sent photos of the leftover material to the company, expecting them to fix the issue. Instead, the owner insisted the work was complete. 'I was like, 'No, that's impossible.'' Flores told CBS Chicago. Flores called in another contractor for a second cleaning. That expert confirmed the attic was still hazardous and 'too dangerous for anyone to be here working.' Flores paid an additional $8,000 to finish what should have been done the first time. Whether you're a homeowner or a contractor, it's the kind of nightmare scenario that makes you ill — pay out the money to eliminate a serious health threat, only to discover the danger is still present. And Flores couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. When Flores later reviewed security footage from his garage, he was disturbed to see workers without proper protective gear — a clear breach of safety protocol. The vacuum being used didn't appear to contain the asbestos at all — it seemed to be blowing dust, likely full of fibers, back into the air. Suspecting something was wrong, Flores contacted the vacuum's manufacturer, who confirmed it wasn't designed for asbestos removal — only standard insulation. Flores ultimately escalated the issue to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), submitting camera footage, videos of his attic, and the email from the vacuum manufacturer. More than 200,000 people die each year worldwide from asbestos-related diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Toxic asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can cause devastating illnesses like mesothelioma, lung disease, and even death. The United States account for between 12,000 and 15,000 deaths each year. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it Internal emails from the IDPH, obtained by CBS Chicago, revealed that employees knew Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC 'stretched the truth.' But Flores was out of luck. Under Illinois law, asbestos abatement licenses are only required for public buildings, commercial properties and multi-unit residences. That means companies like Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC can legally take on single-family home jobs — no license required. CBS Chicago contacted agencies across the country and found inconsistent rules. About 25 states responded, many with murky policies that don't regulate asbestos removal in private homes. Only seven states — Maine, Maryland, New York, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia — require a license for any asbestos removal, including single-family in private homes. Dr. Arthur Frank, an environmental and occupational health professor at Drexel University, called it a dangerous loophole. "It doesn't matter if it's a household or a commercial entity, or anyplace else,' Frank told CBS Chicago. 'If there's asbestos, you need to remove it properly and safely, and somebody ought to be regulating it. As little as one day of exposure has given some people and some animals mesotheliomas.' Asbestos removal is serious work — and hiring a properly certified professional is critical. If your state requires a license, confirm the company holds one and ask for individual asbestos removal certifications. Make sure they're certified by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Before the job starts, ask the contractor to walk you through the full abatement process. A reputable contractor should include an initial inspection, sealing off the area with HEPA filtration, minimizing airborne particles with a wetting agent, a final clearance test and proper disposal of all materials. As always, check reviews online with the Better Business Bureau and on contracting sites. For as large — and expensive — as asbestos removal, don't hesitate to ask for recent references. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A woman lives with her husband and ex-husband to save money. It's been surprisingly beneficial for their kids.
Megan Meyer has lived with her husband and ex-husband for nearly a year. They co-parent under one roof, saving them money and time. Meyer, her husband, and her ex plan to live on the same property until her daughter is an adult. In the summer of 2024, Megan Meyer and her ex-husband, Tyler, were stressed. It had been an eventful year for the former spouses. They split in September 2023 after three years of marriage and had to figure out how to co-parent their daughter. A few months after the separation, Meyer reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Michael Flores. Soon, they were expecting a son together. Meyer, 25, Flores, 26, and Tyler, 25, whose last name was omitted to protect his and Meyer's daughter's privacy, all agreed to settle in South Carolina to raise their children. Meyer, a stay-at-home mom and content creator, has family in the state, and Tyler found work as a police officer. Meanwhile, Flores works in the tree industry. When they moved to South Carolina, Tyler lived about 30 minutes away from Flores and Meyer, who eventually wed in June 2024. He saw his daughter often, but the financial and emotional realities of the move were weighing on all three parents. As they adjusted to their new life, Meyer thought of a way to solve their problems: she, her husband, and her ex-husband would live under one roof. The financial strain of moving and the cost of living in a new area led Meyer to consider alternative housing situations for her family. "Every time my ex and I would exchange our daughter, we would just constantly be complaining like, 'Oh, it's so expensive,'" Meyer told Business Insider, pointing to day-to-day costs like gas and rent. Meyer's son was due at the end of the summer in 2024, and she knew life would only get more expensive when he arrived. Meanwhile, Meyer's daughter was struggling with her parents' separation. "The transition was really hard on our daughter," she said. "She had just turned 2, and the back and forth was just so hard for her." As she thought more about their situation — and saw that Flores and Tyler were getting along surprisingly well — Meyer decided to approach Tyler about merging their households. "I finally was just like, 'What if we all got a place together?'" Meyer said. She was worried that the thought of living with her and her new husband might upset Tyler, but to her surprise, he was thinking the same thing. "He was like, 'You know what, I wanted to mention something about this last week, but I was scared that you would get mad,'" Meyer told BI. By July 2024, the three had signed a lease on a three-bedroom, three-bathroom house, which BI was able to review. Nearly a year later, Meyer said living with her ex and her husband has been the best thing for her family. Meyer had some initial anxiety about sharing a home with her ex when they first moved back in together. "I was 8 months pregnant at the time, so I was like, 'Am I going to be emotionally stable enough for this?'" she told BI. "But it actually ended up being so much easier than I had ever imagined." Tyler works a two-days-on, two-days-off schedule, and when he isn't working, the three function like one family unit. Meyer said it's "pretty laid back," and they now "coexist as one big family." "On the days that he's off, we'll all usually eat meals together, and then we'll either all go to the pool together or go on walks together," Meyer said. "Sometimes, my ex will just take my daughter somewhere, and my husband and I will have some time to hang out at the house." Tyler's schedule also ensures Meyer still gets one-on-one time with her new husband, who was a huge source of comfort for her through the transition. "My husband is just like my safe space, so even if my ex did something that ticked me off, my husband would cool me down," she said. It also helps that Flores and Tyler have developed a close relationship. The pair are unlikely friends, as Meyer documents on their shared TikTok account, jokingly called "notbrotherhusbands." Still, Tyler does refer to Flores as his brother, as seen in one video. When it comes to raising their kids, all three parents are hands-on with both children. Tyler doesn't parent Flores and Meyer's son, but he has babysat him several times. Meyer said her daughter is thriving now that she's living with both parents, and having her two children living together has also been a big benefit. "I love seeing our daughter become a big sister, and having her around all the time has been great for my son," Meyer said. "He's starting to play and engage with her more, and it's been really great just seeing that bond." Meyer said the living situation works so well for her, Tyler, and Flores because they all did substantial "personal growth" before moving into the same house. "There was a lot of work that was put into mending our co-parent relationship, healing ourselves of the reasons that we had split in the first place," Meyer said, adding that they addressed any "resentment" and "bitterness" before the move. The three of them hope to continue living on the same property until their daughter is an adult. They plan to stay in their rental home for another year and are saving money to buy a house with land in 2026. They plan to eventually have a family compound, and they envision Tyler living in a tiny home while they build him a full, separate house. "If Tyler were to get a tiny home on the property, our daughter probably wouldn't have a room there, so he could come and go from the 'main house' as often as he wanted," Meyer said. "A family compound is the goal," she added. Read the original article on Business Insider
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Man says company's asbestos removal from Illinois house was improper and incomplete, and state can't help
You have likely seen the ads on CBS Chicago — lawyers looking for cancer patients who are deathly ill because of asbestos. A viewer reached out to CBS News Chicago, afraid he would get sick. He has been through a tangle with asbestos, and he ran into to a loophole in state policy that could leave anyone vulnerable. When Michael Flores purchased a more-than-century-old house in Ottawa, Illinois, it was supposed to be a vacation rental — a peaceful oasis by Starved Rock State Park. But it went from charming to alarming. Flores knew that asbestos lingered at the top of the house. It was insulated with vermiculite, a gavel-like insulation material that is known to contain asbestos. Flores also knew he would have to fork over several thousand dollars to remove the dangerous material before rehabbing the house. Only after that could families book the house as their lodging for getaways. "We just don't want to put people at risk," Flores said. Flores paid nearly $20,000 to have the material removed. He thought he had put the asbestos concerns to bed, but there were still piles of vermiculite left behind after the work was done. "Did I just get scammed?" Flores said. "Like, why did I pay $20,000 and there's still all this asbestos up there?" Flores took videos showing piles of asbestos-containing material still in the attic after hiring Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC to have it removed. The Aurora, Illinois-based company's owner insisted his $18,758.25 job for removal of asbestos was completed. "I was like, no, that's impossible," said Flores. So Flores decided to get another opinion from a different contractor — who said with the remaining asbestos, the attic was still dangerous "for anyone to be here working." Shock and anger followed. It cost Flores another $8,000 for that second company to clear what was left behind — as he fought for that nearly $20,000 refund from Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control. Meanwhile, he got curious and looked at footage of the Clean Air workers from a driveway camera on the garage. "I saw workers without protective gear on, with not proper facemasks on," he said. The footage also showed a bag spewing dust into the air — particles that more than likely contained asbestos. "That made me investigate further because I'm like, well that's not right," Flores said. So Flores emailed the manufacturer of a vacuum used for the job — asking if the equipment was appropriate for sucking up asbestos. An email in reply from Wm. W. Meyer & Sons Inc. said, "The Versa-Vac and bags are not intended for asbestos removal. They are only made for insulation removal and do get very dusty during use." Flores sent that information, surveillance footage taken from the driveway camera, and one of the videos of the attic to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Internal emails between state employees said, "I knew something was wrong," and "I guess he was truthful with his answers, but the pictures and videos indicate he stretched the truth A LOT!" — referring to the owner of Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control. But the IDPH staff also said the department had "no authority since it was a single family home." It turned out Illinois requires licenses for asbestos work in commercial, public, and large residential buildings. But there is no license mandated for asbestos removal in houses. That means Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control remains on the IDPH approve list, and the state's hands are tied from taking any action against the company if warranted. "It just seems strange that it's like almost impossible to hold a company accountable for something that could potentially kill people," Flores said. CBS News Chicago wondered just how strange Illinois asbestos regulations are. All 50 states were asked about their rules, and about half responded — with answers that were all over the place. Most interestingly, seven states — Maine, Maryland, New York, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia — mandate a license for anyone to remove asbestos from anywhere. This includes office buildings, schools, and houses too. But nine states — Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas — have limited policies. People who clear out asbestos in those states have to follow strict rules, but those rules and the consequences for violating them are not in play if the removal happens at a single-family home. "That sounds like a loophole in regulations that is totally inappropriate," said Dr. Arthur Frank, an environmental and occupational health professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Frank has researched asbestos for more than 50 years. "It doesn't matter if it's a household or a commercial entity, or anyplace else. If there's asbestos, you need to remove it properly and safely, and somebody ought to be regulating it," said Frank. "As little as one day of exposure has given some people and some animals mesotheliomas." Mesotheliomas are cancers. It was last year when Flores shared with CBS News Chicago the cellphone videos of his attic with vermiculite still visible after the first asbestos treatment. But when CBS News Chicago started to investigate, Flores received a cease-and-desist letter from an attorney for Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control. Nervous, Flores canceled our interview. But he said he feels comfortable coming forward now. "I think it would be really great for there to be some kind of governmental changes to kind of regulate better," he said. Flores is suing Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control. The company declined an interview through its attorney, who "categorically denies" all allegations of wrongdoing.
