Opinion ID: 2581416
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the magistrate has the authority to enforce the payment of community debts and the equalization payment

Text: Sherry argues that the magistrate should have specified a time for Stephen to make the equalization payment and to pay the community debts.
The magistrate ordered Stephen to pay $4,306.50 to Sherry to equalize the division of community property. Subsequently, the magistrate entered a judgment for the equalization payment and accrued interest, totaling $4,419.55, and ordered that the legal rate of interest would accrue from the date of the judgment until paid. A judgment is subject to execution at any time within five years after the entry. I.C. § 11-101. A party may request the court to issue a writ of execution if the judgment is not paid. Id. It is unnecessary to remand this issue to the magistrate. Sherry may obtain a writ of execution on the judgment if it is not paid.
On May 18, 1999, Sherry filed a motion to enforce the decree of divorce alleging that Stephen was delinquent in payments to several of the community creditors, that creditors were contacting her personally regarding payment, and that her credit rating was suffering as a result. She sought an order from the magistrate specifying a time frame for Stephen to satisfy the community debts. The magistrate held a hearing on this and other issues on May 26, 1999, but made no indication of how the court would rule. Subsequently, however, the magistrate entered an order stating, [f]or reasons addressed by the court at the hearing, the court denies the motion. This appears to be a reference to a statement from the hearing [b]ut, so I'm saying that where that isn't in the Decree, and the time to move to reconsider the Decree has passed, can the Court now just go back and change the Decree? There is no direct ruling at the hearing or statement of reasons to deny the motion. At issue is the ability of the court to enforce its own orders. Stephen was ordered to pay the community debt. At the time of the hearing, Stephen was not paying the community debt. Sherry brought a motion to enforce the magistrate court's order. By dismissing Sherry's motion, the magistrate apparently held there was no jurisdiction to do so. Such a ruling is erroneous. The court has the authority to enforce its order. The method of doing so is within the discretion of the court entering the order. This Court will not prescribe the method of enforcement, only that the magistrate has the authority to enforce its order.