He has paid a substantial amount of the bills, taxes, and insurance. No document in the record reflects daughter's claimed ownership. The trial court thus deemed the mobile home to be marital property and counted it as part of the husband's property award. The trial court awarded the homestead to wife, based in large part on the fact that she has lived there and has expended pension funds, life insurance funds, and other borrowed money to preserve it. No other major assets were involved in the property division.
Husband appeals the trial court's property division and spousal maintenance award.
A. Mobile Home Husband contends that the trial court erred in determining that the mobile home used by the parties' daughter was a marital asset and counting it in his share. He claims he has no ownership interest in the mobile home and only assisted his daughter's purchase of it by arranging a loan from his brother and handling the actual transaction. The trial court was well within its discretion in finding that the mobile home was a marital asset to be distributed in the property division. The trial court must make an equitable, but not necessarily equal, division of property. Husband did not request a sale of the home at trial, but rather seems to suggest it on appeal because of his dissatisfaction with the property division in general, and particularly because wife was awarded half of his pension benefits in addition to the house.