Ethics vs entitlement

Location: central ohio. Years ago I was married for a short time. We were kids. Got one of those predatory mortgages with horrible rates and balloons payments. As you could imagine money was tight. After 3 years we filed for voluntary ch 13. Wanted to keep our stuff and were willing to pay it all back. It was pretty miserable. We had nothing but the roof over our head. We divorced. Everything is divided 50:50.

He was ordered to sell the house and split the money which there wasn’t any. I didn’t hate him. He wanted to keep the house. Fine. Good luck. I’m not gonna push it. I regret not realizing it sooner. We both grew up. He was a good dad.

FF to last year. I hear he’s having trouble with his mortgage. That’s to bad. Then I find out, which it just never occurred to me, I was on the deed all those years as I wasn’t on the loan. He had a huge lean that I was partially responsible and seconds from foreclosure. I was telling an aunt about it and she asked if he didn’t have anyone to bail him out until it could be sold that way at the very least we wouldn’t be in debt. I forgot to mention I was pissed and wasn’t very nice upon learning of my debt. I think it’s understandable.

So we sat down and my aunt points out that me being on the deed was entitled to half. The only way she’s helping is if she gets paid back plus the 17500 I owed her. I know I know talk about balloon payment

We all agree. It’s a win for us all. House sold. I held my check he paid the aunt even still gave me a small “gift I guess” He ended up with about 75k.

My question is the other sub I discussed this in was terrible. It seams nobody could understand without me and the aunt we were in debt. No even no nothing. They heard that I didn’t force him into selling back then and I was LEGALLY ENTITLED

It just sounds bad. I feel like by not enforcing the divorce settlement that I had waved my right to it. Ethically I’m not entitled to anything monetary after we parted ways. How could you take half of something that you put nothing into. I understand it happens. I’m just polling a different demographic I guess. Was I wrong? Should I have helped him and took half? What would you have done? I’m not here to judge I just wanna see a percentage.