Brother, Can You Spare $131,000?

Doug and Elizabeth Manchester are splitting

Local zillionaire couple Doug and Elizabeth Manchester are splitting, and she is petitioning the court for spousal support.

Some are noting an irony in the split, considering that Doug was such a high-profile contributor to the pro-Prop 8 supporters last year who opposed gay marriage.

The Manchesters -- as in "the Manchester Grand Hyatt" -- have five children and were married for 43 years when Elizabeth filed for divorce earlier in June. During that time, the Manchesters acquired homes in La Jolla; Del Mar; Indian Wells; Ketchum, Idaho; McCall, Idaho; Pinehurt, N.C., and Hawaii. In court papers, Elizabeth maintains that Doug has nearly $57 million in cash in the bank.

These days, Elizabeth is bunking down at the "Spindrift Residence" in La Jolla, as it's called in court papers. Life at the mansion is expensive, as you can imagine.

According to documents filed at family court, Elizabeth's expenses run to $131,625 a month, and she needs another $109,000 for taxes on that amount.

So where does all that money go? Nearly $10,000 a month for private schools for the kids, for starters. Then there's about $2,300 a month in membership dues for country clubs, etc., and more than $12,000 for travel expenses.

Then there's jewelry and clothing -- the most expensive category listed: $19,996 per month.

Also listed are the more mundane expenses we all have, except the numbers are enormous. Everybody's gotta eat, but at the Spindrift Residence, that costs a little more than six grand per month for groceries and household supplies ($4,901). And that doesn't include eating out: that's another $2,500. Don't forget the utility bill: SDG&E needs its $7,107. How about property taxes? Cut a check for $8,098.

Elizabeth needs some walking-around money, too ($6,466), and there are also, of course, miscellaneous expenses: $6,289.

A representative of Elizabeth's attorney Gerald McMahon said his office does not typically comment on pending litigation.

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