Thread by @latimes

Bill and Melinda Gates own mansions across the country.

Their most impressive estate — which includes a trampoline room — sits in Medina, a small Seattle suburb.

When the couple divorces, who will get the 66,000-square-foot mansion? @jflem94 reports: latimes.com/business/story…

Valued at more than $130 million, the tech-savvy mansion — dubbed Xanadu 2.0 — spans 66,000 square feet and racks up a yearly property tax bill of more than $1 million.

The tax bill alone dwarfs Southern California’s median home price of $630,000 in March.

📸: NearMap

Depending on how the divorce proceedings play out, the futuristic smart house — which boasts a 60-foot swimming pool, library with secret doors and trampoline room — could potentially surface for sale. latimes.com/business/story…

According to divorce documents, the couple asked the court to divide their assets based on a separation contract.

The document was filed in King County, Wash. — a key detail because Washington is one of nine community property states. latimes.com/business/story…

In community property states, divorcing couples are required to equally split all assets acquired during their marriage, said Colleen Sparks, a family law attorney. latimes.com/business/story…

If Bill and Melinda can’t reach a compromise to buy the other out of the Medina mansion, Sparks said, a court could force a sale of the home, bringing to market one of the most notable estates in the country. latimes.com/business/story….

Because their houses were purchased after their marriage, it should be a 50/50 split, said Ellen Griffith, a real estate agent who deals with divorcing clients.

But it comes to down who has the best lawyers. “They can both afford the best of the best." latimes.com/business/story…