August 26th arrived. As scheduled. As it does every year, reliably, regardless of whether Dorit has signed anything. Paul Kemsley dialed in by video conference — from his birthday party. Yes. His birthday party. Nothing communicates "I am taking this foreclosure hearing very seriously" quite like appearing via Zoom from what is presumably a very nice event somewhere fabulous while a judge decides the fate of your $6 million property. Happy birthday, PK. The cake had better have been worth it.

If you are just joining us — welcome, and also, where have you been. Part 6. Part 5. Part 4. You are now in Part 7. Same house. Same judge. Same electricity bill. Different outcome.

HOW WE GOT HERE — A Brief Recap For Anyone Who Has Been Living Normally.

August 6th. PK showed up in person. Dorit called in by phone — from wherever she was, which was not Los Angeles, which was not a courtroom. They spent all day trying to settle. They got very close. And then the whole thing nearly collapsed. Not over the mortgage. Not over the attorneys collectively owed a small fortune. Not over the suspended LLC that has apparently never filed a tax return in its life.

The electricity bill.

Dorit wanted it paid immediately. PK said 30 days. The attorneys were in shock. The matter was continued to August 26. She bought herself three weeks. Over a utility bill. The Chanel, presumably, was still current.

Then on August 14, Paul rushed back to court on an emergency motion — he wanted to force the sale immediately, take control of the property, get the listing signed. The judge did not even take argument. There was already a hearing on the 26th. Wait for it. Dorit's attorney argued there was no emergency. The court agreed. Paul left empty-handed.

August 26th arrived. As it was always going to.

WHAT HAPPENED TODAY — In The Order It Actually Happened.

Dorit agreed to sell. Two weeks ago her attorney was in court arguing there was no emergency, no urgency to list. Today, with the judge ready to rule, Dorit agreed to sell. The timeline speaks for itself. We will leave it there.

Paul's team arrived with a wish list: house listed by October 1, Dorit out by November 1, reimbursement for money already advanced, reimbursement for future payments he makes to stabilize the property, Dorit to pay rent, house to be presentable for showings. A complete and ambitious wish list from a man dialing in from his own birthday party.

Dorit addressed the judge directly. She had things to say. Two years, she told him. For two years, Paul promised to pay all the bills in lieu of formal support. So while Paul's team is asking why Dorit hasn't been contributing anything toward the property — there is your answer. Served with a side of receipts and a well-timed direct address to the bench.

When the judge asked when she could vacate, Dorit said November 1 is doable. She would strongly prefer to wait until after winter break — uprooting the kids mid-school year is harder on the family. Reasonable. Or extremely convenient. Depending on your read of the room. The judge was not particularly moved either way. He told both sides, with what we can only imagine was considerable personal restraint, that they are making this harder than it needs to be. He is not wrong. He has never been wrong about that. They have been proving him right for months.

THE LLC THAT TIME FORGOT — Never Filed A Tax Return. Currently Suspended. Somehow Still Surprising People.

The Adlon property is held in an LLC. An LLC that has never filed tax returns. Not once. In its entire existence. The LLC is currently suspended. The judge had to stop the proceedings to ask how much it would even cost to reinstate it — because apparently nobody in that courtroom had thought to find out. The options on the table: reinstate it, which could cost a significant amount given the unfiled returns, or simply make Paul the manager and move on.

The court named Paul manager of the LLC. This is, it bears repeating, exactly what Paul went to court on an emergency basis two weeks ago to get. The judge said wait for August 26. Paul waited. August 26 gave him the LLC. The emergency was denied. The outcome was not. Sometimes the process works. It just does not work on Paul Kemsley's preferred timeline.

THE ELECTRICITY BILL — Yes. That Electricity Bill.

At the last hearing, Dorit held an entire day of negotiations hostage over who would pay the electricity bill. She wanted it paid today. PK said 30 days. The attorneys were in shock. The matter was continued three weeks.

The judge's answer on August 26: Dorit pays it. Herself. The mortgage that has been in default for months — Paul funds it. The electricity bill Dorit went to war over — hers. She bought herself three weeks over a utility bill she now pays out of her own pocket. We genuinely cannot make this up.

THE RULING — What The Judge Actually Ordered.

THE BOTTOM LINE — Paul Got What He Came For. Eventually.

Paul wanted the house sold. He wanted control of the LLC. He wanted the foreclosure stopped in favor of a proper sale. On August 26, he got all three. The cost: he has to advance the mortgage in the meantime on a property he does not live in, while his birthday party was presumably still going. Nobody said the long game was comfortable.

Dorit stays until November 1 at the earliest, pays the electricity bill she went to war over, and watches the house go to market. The October 1 spousal and child support hearing is still on the calendar — and Dorit's team has already filed to sanction Paul for attempting to delay it. That is the next battle. That is the one that will define what this divorce actually costs both of them.

Paul might want to save some birthday cake. Today was not the disaster it looked like at first glance.