Opinion ID: 884607
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Did the District Court abuse its discretion in awarding Linda maintenance of $1,000 per month?

Text: ¶ 22 Andy also argues that the $1,000 per month maintenance awarded Linda by the District Court was unreasonable and excessive. Andy contends that, in addition to erroneously imputing $1,000 of trust income to him, the District Court also erroneously inflated the income he received through his employment at Williston Basin. We review a district court's award of maintenance to determine whether it is clearly erroneous. In re Marriage of Brandon (1995), 271 Mont. 149, 152, 894 P.2d 951, 952-53. ¶ 23 Andy contends that nothing in the record supports the District Court's finding that his annual gross income at [Williston Basin] is approximately $36,000. We disagree. Linda admitted into evidence the child support worksheet, which was completed using figures from Andy's child support affidavit. This worksheet listed Andy's annual gross income, presumably including his annual trustee income of $12,000, as $49,616. Further, Andy's 1994 tax return (the most recent return he had prepared prior to trial)listed Andy's income from wages, salaries, and tips as $36,368 and total income as $48,676. ¶ 24 Andy asserts that his actual take home earnings from working at Williston Basin are approximately $1,950 per month. However, at trial, he presented the District Court with no evidence to support this assertion. The District Court noted in its denial of Andy's motion to alter and amend: [Andy's] income was determined in an approximate amount in part because he failed to present evidence of current tax returns, detailed accounting and valuation of benefits. We determine that the District Court's finding that Andy's annual income from Williston Basin was $36,000 is not clearly erroneous. ¶ 25 The District Court found that with his salary from Williston Basin, his health insurance and retirement benefits, the $1,000 per month trustee fee, and the value of the truck, maintenance, fuel and insurance provided him under the terms of the trust, Andy's net monthly income was $3,600. According to his own testimony, Andy's monthly expenses, including $500 in child support, total $1,500. The District Court found that [Andy] still has sufficient income to meet his needs and provide for the needs of [Linda] and awarded her $1,000 per month in maintenance. The record contains substantial evidence to support these findings. ¶ 26 We hold that the District Court's award of maintenance was not clearly erroneous.