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Mrs. Beatty met her husband, Michael Beatty, in 1974 in
Cockeysville, Maryland, at a restaurant where Mr.
Beatty was working as a manager. In 1976, Mr. Beatty
was transferred to Prince George’s County, Maryland,
and purchased a house. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Beatty
moved in. They married in 1978. From the beginning of
their marriage, Mrs. Beatty had no involvement in the
family finances. She did not have or maintain checking
accounts in her name. She did not discuss the family
expenses with her husband; and was not involved in any
financial decisions. In 1977, prior to their marriage,
Mr. Beatty purchased a deli and bakery business, which
he incorporated as “MKB Donut and Deli, Inc.” He
financed the business with an SBA loan. As a result of
rapid growth and poor management, Mr. Beatty fell
behind on his withholding tax obligations, and soon
found himself facing federal tax liens and foreclo-
sures. Mr. Beatty’s business filed for bankruptcy
protection in 1980. He eventually lost everything.
Having lost his business and all of his savings, Mr.
Beatty was left looking for a way to support himself
and his wife. A friend that was opening a bar in Ocean
City, Maryland, offered to pay Mr. Beatty to help get
the place in order in time for Memorial Day weekend
(1981). Mr. Beatty agreed and he and his wife rented a
room in Ocean City for $35 a night. When Mr. Beatty
arrived at the bar, he learned that the bar was not
permitted to have live entertainment. Mr. Beatty
offered to provide deejay services during the busy
holiday weekend. His friend accepted, and what was
intended to be a one-time “gig” turned into a new job
that lasted the summer of 1981. Mrs. Beatty helped in
any way she could, from carrying equipment and pulling
records, to doing her husband’s laundry and getting him
ready for each night. This continued until September
1981. As a result of his summer engagement, Mr. Beatty
obtained jobs with various colleges in Maryland and
Pennsylvania, as well as some bars and nightclubs in
the Baltimore metropolitan area. At this point, the
bank had foreclosed on the house purchased by Mr.
Beatty in 1976. The Beatty’s packed up their belong-
ings and moved into a smaller apartment in
Cockeysville, Maryland. Again, Mr. Beatty handled all
the financial aspects of the relationship, including
the apartment application process, paying the rent,
paying household.
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Last modified: November 10, 2007