Opinion ID: 886701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Whether the District Court erred by reapportioning a percentage of the marital estate in its amended findings to Sherri after it had mistakenly doubled Steve's share of the marital estate.

Text: ¶ 27 Steve argues the District Court abused its discretion in reapportioning a percentage of the marital estate in its amended findings after inadvertently counting the value of the real property twice against the portion of the marital estate awarded to Steve. Steve asserts the District Court rewrote its findings to award Sherri a similar percentage of the marital estate after it acknowledged it had double charged $258,357 against Steve's share of the marital estate. Specifically, Steve contends the court initially awarded Sherri a cash equalization payment of $75,000 and 57% of the marital estate. The court then amended its findings, changing the cash equalization payment to $55,000 and awarding Sherri 59% of the marital estate. Further, Steve maintains the District Court erred in its amended findings by rejecting the testimony of Steve's expert, Mark Schickendantz (Schickendantz), who provided valuations of Steve's property for distribution purposes in favor of Bourdeau's fictitious estimates. ¶ 28 Sherri counters the District Court did not abuse its discretion in amending its findings and redistributing the marital assets to accurately reflect the testimony at trial. Sherri asserts the District Court correctly adjusted the cash equalization payment and percentage of the marital estate to mirror the experts' testimony at trial. Sherri contends the difference between the equalization payment of $20,000 and 2% change in her share of the marital estate was not an abuse of discretion. ¶ 29 We review a district court's division of marital property for abuse of discretion. In re Marriage of Engen, 1998 MT 153, ¶ 26, 289 Mont. 299, ¶ 26, 961 P.2d 738, ¶ 26. ¶ 30 We conclude the District Court did not abuse its discretion by reapportioning a percentage of the marital estate in its amended findings to Sherri after it had mistakenly doubled Steve's share of the marital estate. In its Amended Findings of Fact and Judgment, the District Court recognized that it erroneously counted $258,357 in real property twice against the portion of the marital estate awarded to Steve, necessitating a revision of its previous findings. ¶ 31 In reconsidering its findings concerning the marital estate, the District Court studied the testimony of Schickendantz, a certified equipment appraiser, regarding values on the business's equipment before, during and after the marriage. In its Amended Findings, the District Court stated, [t]he Court finds this hard asset appraisal to be biased in favor of the Respondent and that it is necessary to make adjustments in order to accomplish an equitable distribution of the marital estate. Presumably relying on Sherri's expert's testimony at trial as well as Steve's expert's estimates at trial, the court then proceeded to itemize the premarital value of the assets as well as their amortization over the nine-year marriage, considering revised estimates of the assets' worth over the course of the marriage. The District Court then revised its original estimate that all of the equipment owned by Northwest Precision should be valued at 50% of their original value to a higher estimate of 58%. The court then awarded Sherri an increased portion of the total asset value for the end of marriage valuation of Northwest Precision. ¶ 32 Having found an increased value in Northwest Precision, the District Court determined a cash equalization payment of $55,000 from Steve to Sherri was necessary to achieve an equitable distribution of the marital estate. ¶ 33 We have recognized that district courts face a considerable task in determining an equitable distribution of the marital estate. In the final analysis, it is not a question of whether we would be persuaded to reach a different conclusion after considering the same evidence. Rather, the test is whether the district court had adequate evidence to support its conclusions. In re Marriage of Haines, 2002 MT 182, ¶ 23, 311 Mont. 70, ¶ 23, 53 P.3d 378, ¶ 23. In this case, we conclude the District Court's findings are supported by substantial evidence and are not clearly erroneous. Accordingly, we affirm the District Court's marital estate share awarded to Sherri.