However, it does underscore the Court s general dislike in dealing with property issues. There are any number of ways to creatively divide household furnishings and personal property when disputes occur. In some cases, the parties may make a list and alternately choose an asset. In other cases, parties may bid on each item of property and the highest bidder both receives the asset and has that value credited to him or her as part of the property division. This may result in an payment from one spouse to the other to equalize the value of the assets received by each.
Mediation is always a potential option for such divisions.
These are called non-marital assets. Under Minnesota Statutes 518.54, subd. Any asset acquired as a gift to one, but not both parties. This places a significant burden on any person making a non-marital claim. It is essential that any and all documents including documents of title, receipts, or canceled checks that support your non-marital claims must be provided.