Seattle woman lives in a 4-foot-wide 'spite house' — all because of one surprisingly petty dispute with her ex-husband

The famous 101-year-old Seattle "spite house" is only about 55 inches wide, but the unusually tiny house has a story of its own. Well, legend says it was built right after an ugly divorce settlement in 1925. The woman who built it lived right beside it in a much larger home with her ex-husband for years. However, following their separation, the court allowed the man to retain the house, leaving the woman with only the front yard, which was far too small to build a home. Frustrated, the owner decided to build a house anyway to block her ex-husband's view, as confirmed by Susan Kaucic, Bushwick Real Estate. 

Despite the tiny space, the house has a kitchen, a living room, a family room, and two bathrooms, making it fully functional. Each floor has an area of only 430 square feet, which is quite small to fit in so many rooms. Emily Cangie, the former owner who bought the spite house back in 2019, said she had a very comfortable stay in the house and compared the bathrooms of the tiny house to the "closet-like" toilets often found in New York City. Moreover, in a home tour video shot in 2023, Cangie told Kirsten Dirksen, a YouTuber, how women back in the day struggled to buy a property without a male co-signer. This, she explained, could have been a driving force, motivating the original owner of the spite house to build her own space. "So, I imagine, she went, 'Well, I own it, and therefore, I am going to use it because I don't have a whole lot of choices,'" she added. 

The Seattle house has witnessed many owners over the years, and last July, another buyer bought it for $745,000, according to a report by FOX 13. Realtors said the house was up for sale in May and was originally listed at $799,000, two months before it was finally claimed by its new owner. What began as a spiteful revenge from an ex has turned into a major attraction today. 

A study by I-Fen Lin and Susan L. Brown on gray divorce found that, as compared to men, women suffer more financially. Researchers followed people for a decade (2004-2014) and found that women's standard of living reduced by 45% after a divorce, whereas men's dropped by only 21%."These declines persisted over time for men and only reversed for women following repartnering, which essentially offset women's losses associated with gray divorce," the study found. It means even after 100 years, women, just like the original owner of the spite house, encounter lifestyle degradation following a separation.

Meanwhile, reacting to the story behind the "spite house," @lindagrible3235 commented, "This isn't stubbornness. This is the case of a woman who was willing to stand up to bullies who think they can pay anyone off to get what they want. I wish more people stood up to people like this." Similarly, @asterthestarkid wrote, "It's a symbol of 'my home is my castle.' I have seen situations in which older people were pressured to sell their homes despite wanting to immortalize their history, community, life, and relationships. Unfortunately, the emotional stress of moving out of a home where so many memories were made can be catastrophic, with the person 'giving up' on life. Sending love and light."

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