Opinion ID: 2207516
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: determination of income for child support

Text: Before Jerome may prevail on this issue, he must show that the trial court abused its discretion in setting his child support. Peterson v. Peterson, 434 N.W.2d 732, 734 (S.D.1989). We do not determine whether [we] would have made an original like ruling, but whether we think a judicial mind, in view of the law and circumstances of the particular case, could reasonably have reached such a conclusion. Havens v. Henning, 418 N.W.2d 311, 312 (S.D.1988). Under SDCL 25-7-7 (repealed March 1989) as it then existed, the trial court, pursuant to the statutory guideline, set Jerome's child support at $578 per month because his net income was at least $1,500 per month. Jerome argues that the trial court abused its discretion in arriving at his income figure to set child support. He claims three errors in arriving at the figure: (1) the trial court should have averaged his income for the last five years to arrive at an income figure; (2) the trial court improperly credited an ASCS payment to his income that he was required to repay; and (3) the trial court improperly credited income to him because of a loaner agreement for farm equipment with his father. We address them in that order. First, Jerome's attempt to read Studt v. Studt, 443 N.W.2d 639 (S.D.1989), to require five-year income averaging when a farmer is involved is not well taken. While it is true that the trial court in Studt used a five-year averaging method, there is nothing within the opinion that mandates it. More critically, there is nothing within SDCL 25-7-7 that requires income averaging. The statute as it then existed provided: For an obligor with net income above one thousand five hundred dollars, the child support obligation shall be established at an appropriate level. However, in no case may the amount of support ordered be less than the amount as provided at the one thousand five hundred dollar net income range. On a practical level, income averaging would have been an inaccurate means under these facts to arrive at an income figure. The trial court found that Jerome had padded his tax returns and sold grain under other people's names to avoid declaring it as income. Additionally, the loaner agreement on equipment disguised income that he should have received. It would have merely compounded the difficulty the trial court had in arriving at an income figure by using Jerome's inaccurate figures from the previous five years. Second, Jerome claims the trial court erred in including a $5,604 ASCS payment he received for grain, since he was forced to repay the majority of this money. The only evidence at trial that Jerome had to repay this money was Jerome's hearsay testimony. The judge chose not to believe his testimony. Since the trial judge had the opportunity to judge Jerome's credibility and weigh his testimony, we will not disturb his finding on the ASCS payment unless it is clearly erroneous. Hanks v. Hanks, 296 N.W.2d 523 (S.D.1980); Spaulding v. Spaulding, 278 N.W.2d 639 (S.D.1979); Isaak v. Isaak, 278 N.W.2d 445 (S.D.1979); Holforty v. Holforty, 272 N.W.2d 810 (S.D.1978). There is plentiful evidence, supplied through Jerome's own admissions on the witness stand, that he was less than truthful in supplying accurate data about his income. We do not find the trial court's finding that he received $5,604 as an ASCS payment was clearly erroneous. Hanks, supra ; Spaulding, supra ; Isaak, supra ; Holforty, supra . Third, Jerome claims the trial court overstated his income for child support purposes because it imputed income to him based upon the loaner agreement he had with his father. At trial, no specific dollar value was placed on the use of the machinery. There is no proof that the trial court imputed this income. Jerome now claims that any amount of increase in income he would receive from the use of this income would be offset by the amount it would cost him to rent this same equipment. Even without imputing income because of this loaner agreement, the record justifies the trial court's determination of Jerome's income. By Jerome's figures, he shows an income of $13,500. [1] He admitted in the past that he had sold grain under another person's name and received $750.83. The trial court also found that Jerome had padded his business expenses with personal items. Taking Jerome's admitted income of $13,500 and adding the $5,604 ASCS payment, which the trial court legitimately did with the evidence in front of it, Jerome's income was at least $19,159. This set his monthly income at $1,578. The trial court set Jerome's child support at $578, which was a conservative figure. Since his income exceeded $1,500 per month, the trial court could have set it at a higher figure under the then existing SDCL 25-7-7. We do not find that the trial court abused its discretion in determining Jerome's income and setting appropriate child support. Peterson, supra .