Case Title: MARRIAGE OF PARK

Citation: 

Docket Number: 80-154

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1980-12-03T00:00:00Z

Document:
No. 80-154 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1980 IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF: SHERYL L . PARK, Petitioner and Respondent, VS . STERLING C. PARK, Appellant and Respondent. ,Appeal from: District Court of the Third Judicial District, In and for the County of Deer Lodge, Montana Honorable John B. McClernan, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Michael J. McKeon, Anaconda, Montana For Respondent : C . F. Mackay, Anaconda, Montana Submitted on briefs: November 6 , 1980 Decided : Fry r . , . i 1, 3 1980 M r . J u s t i c e J o h n Conway H a r r i s o n d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n o f t h e C o u r t . S t e r l i n g P a r k a p p e a l s f r o m a D e e r L o d g e C o u n t y D i s t r i c t C o u r t o r d e r d i r e c t i n g h i m t o pay m a i n t e n a n c e and s u p p o r t f o r h i s w i f e and c h i l d r e n . The p a r t i e s w e r e m a r r i e d on A p r i l 20, 1 9 7 1 , i n Orem, U t a h . T h r e e c h i l d r e n w e r e b o r n o f t h e m a r r i a g e and w e r e o f m i n o r age a t t h e t i m e t h e cause was f i l e d i n D i s t r i c t C o u r t . A f t e r h e a r - i n g t h e c o u r t e n t e r e d a j u d g m e n t o r d e r i n g S t e r l i n g P a r k t o pay $ 1 3 5 p e r week f o r t h e m a i n t e n a n c e and s u p p o r t o f h i s w i f e S h e r y l and t h e c o u p l e ' s t h r e e c h i l d r e n . No s p e c i a l f i n d i n g s o f f a c t o r c o n c l u s i o n s o f l a w w e r e e n t e r e d w i t h t h e j u d g m e n t . The i s s u e we a r e a s k e d t o a d d r e s s i s w h e t h e r t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t j u d g m e n t i s s u f f i c i e n t and p r o p e r l y e n t e r e d . W e f i n d t h a t i t was n o t . R u l e 5 2 ( a ) , M.R.Civ.P., commands t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t t o f i n d t h e f a c t s s p e c i a l l y and s t a t e s e p a r a t e l y i t s c o n c l u s i o n s o f l a w . The f a i l u r e t o c o m p l y w i t h R u l e 52, M.R.Civ.P., i s f a t a l t o t h e v a l i d i t y o f t h e o r d e r . T h i s C o u r t d i s d a i n s i t s r o l e as t h e c o r r e c t o r o f m i s t a k e s t o o o b v i o u s t o q u e s t i o n . W e g r o w w e a r y o f c o n t i n u a l d i s r e g a r d o f t h e most b a s i c r u l e s o f p r a c t i c e and p r o c e d u r e . These r u l e s a r e c l e a r , and t h i s C o u r t e x p e c t s and demands t h a t t h e y be f o l l o w e d . The o r d e r i s v a c a t e d and and remanded f o r t h e e n t r y o f a p r o p e r o r d e r . W e c o n c u r :