Though the money never materialized, Mendenhall's lawyers became convinced that Garvey was attempting to hide income through his current wife, Candace.
The Garveys stated in court papers that Candace Garvey was the sole owner of Garvey Management Group Inc., which oversaw Steve Garvey's public speaking services.
Though the company grossed more than $900,000 in 1999, the Garveys said Steve Garvey received only a fraction. The vast majority of the profits went to Candace, whose assets, they argued, were separate and not subject to Mendenhall's child support claim.
Mendenhall's lawyers also discovered documents related to the purchase of the Utah house in which Candace stated she had more than $2.5 million in stock, according to court records.
The Garveys argued that those assets were hers alone, acquired when the couple temporarily separated. But a judge ruled that the assets were community property under California law, meaning Garvey's half-interest could be considered when calculating child support.
In addition to finding that Garvey should pay increased support, the judge ordered him to pay $165,000 to Mendenhall's attorney and accounting expert. With interest, the debt has since grown to $235,000, records show.
As the case unfolded, Garvey was also sued by two of his own lawyers.
One was from the law firm of Jaffe and Clemens, which he owed $196,000. He negotiated a settlement with the firm in 2004 in which he agreed to a deferred payment of $100,000. That amount is due at the end of June.
Last year, having failed to pay all the court-ordered child support to Mendenhall, Garvey was found in contempt and faced possible jail time. Unable to afford an attorney, he represented himself. He told Superior Court Commissioner James D. Endman that any time behind bars would do irreparable damage to his reputation, which he banked on to earn a living.
"I'm at the mercy of this court," Garvey said.
Endman spared Garvey a jail sentence, but warned him of the consequences if he were to be found in contempt again.
"No more breaks," he told Garvey. "OK?"
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Times staff writers Mike Hiserman and Steve Henson contributed to this report.
