Opinion ID: 1166304
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Col Hughes' Campaign Debts

Text: Col. Hughes ran an unsuccessful race for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Mexico in 1973 and early 1974. There were debts owed on the campaign at the time the divorce was filed. Mrs. Hughes attempted to have the trial court declare these to be the separate debts of Col. Hughes. The court did not make a specific finding to that effect but listed the debts in the conclusions of law as being debts incurred by the parties during their marriage. Also, there was no finding or conclusion to the effect that the debts were not community debts or that there was good reason for them to be classified as Col. Hughes' separate debts. The court concluded that the campaign debts would be paid by Col. Hughes alone. We find no substantial evidence in the record upon which to base a conclusion that Col. Hughes alone should be responsible for these debts. The calculations should reflect an equal division of these debts between the parties. Col. Hughes in his cross-appeal also alleges that the division of the community property favors the wife to the extent that she was awarded $27,117.36 more than was received by Col. Hughes. The claim is a legitimate one. He claims that the trial court in its findings and conclusions gave Mrs. Hughes credit for the $48,000.00 debt owed on the 120 apartments twice, once by deducting it from the total value of the apartments, and once by listing it as a debt. Two further mistakes were discovered in the court's calculations, a $3400.00 payment that should have been assigned solely to the husband on the debt against the ranch, and a debt in the amount of $693.26 due Peat, Marwick & Mitchell for the preparation of the parties' 1973 income tax return, which should have been divided between the parties. Col. Hughes reasons that the court either committed error as a matter of law by failing to list the 120 apartments at their appraised value of $160,000.00 or failing to divide all of the other debts equally. We agree, and hold that one-half of the $27,117.36, or $13,558.68, in assets should be transferred from Mrs. Hughes to Col. Hughes to offset this difference.