Court Opinion

ID: 9530667
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:02:21.481597+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:12.227445
License: Public Domain

BAILEY, Judge,
dissenting
A Standard of Review of Property Distributions upon Dissolution
We are to apply a strict standard of review with respect to a dissolution court’s distribution of property. Coffey v. Coffey, 649 N.E.2d 1074, 1076 (Ind.Ct.App.1995). The party challenging the property division must overcome a strong presumption that the court complied with the statute and considered the evidence on each of the statutory factors. Id. The presumption that the divorce court correctly followed the law and made all the proper considerations in crafting its property distribution is one of the strongest presumptions applicable to our consideration on appeal. In re Marriage of Stetler, 657 N.E.2d 395, 398 (Ind.Ct.App.1995).
We will reverse a property distribution only if there is no rational basis for the *782award, that is, if the result reached is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances before the court, including the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. McGinley-Ellis v. Ellis, 622 N.E.2d 213, 217 (Ind.Ct.App.1993), pertinent portion summarily affirmed, 638 N.E.2d 1249, 1253. We will also reverse where the trial court has misinterpreted the law or has disregarded evidence of statutory factors. Coffey, 649 N.E.2d at 1076. However, that the same circumstances may have justified a different property distribution will not permit us to substitute our judgment for that of the divorce court. Fiste v. Fiste, 627 N.E.2d 1368, 1373 (Ind.Ct.App.1994); DeHaan v. DeHaan, 572 N.E.2d 1315, 1325 (Ind.Ct.App.1991).

B.Systematic Exclusion of Property from Marital Pot

The majority concludes that the trial court improperly excluded from the marital pot the property acquired by gift and inheritance from Chris’ family. (Op. at 781). Certainly, Indiana’s “one pot” theory prohibits the exclusion of any asset in which a party has a vested interest from the scope of the trial court’s power to divide and award. Hann v. Hann, 655 N.E.2d 566, 569 (Ind.Ct.App.1995). The systematic exclusion of any marital asset from the marital pot is erroneous. See Wilson v. Wilson, 409 N.E.2d 1169, 1173 (Ind.Ct.App.1980). Nevertheless, although the trial court must include all assets in the marital pot, it may appropriately ultimately decide to award an asset solely to one spouse as a part of its just and reasonable property distribution. See Coffey, 649 N.E.2d at 1077.
As noted by the majority, the trial court in the present case expressly included the property acquired by gift and inheritance in its valuation of the net marital estate at $2,009,-476.30. (Op. at 777). The trial court then entered detailed findings supporting its conclusion that the statutory presumption in favor of an equal division had been rebutted — a conclusion that the majority agrees is supported by the evidence. (Op. at 781). Quite simply, the trial court did not exclude property from the marital pot.

C.Disregarded Evidence of Relevant Statutory Factors

The majority also concludes that the trial court improperly considered only one of five statutory factors in arriving at its 86-14 division. (Op. at 780). However, the majority omitted the following emphasized language from the last trial court finding it set out:
54. Husband, as shown by the evidence, had and will continue to have a greater earning ability than Wife. The marital residence, because of the Corporate involvement, could not be awarded to Wife. Since Wife has custody of the minor children, Wife and the minor children will need to establish a new family residence. Wife, who has no work experience other than homemaker and has no college education, will need time to establish herself in the job market and maintain her responsibility for being the mother and custodian of the children. Therefore, the Court took these items into consideration in determining the division of the marital estate.
(R. 153) (emphasis supplied); (compare Op. at 779). Thus, the trial court expressly took the other relevant statutory factors into consideration in its determination of a just and reasonable property distribution. See Finley v. Finley, 422 N.E.2d 289, 300 (Ind.Ct.App.1981) (holding that the trial court properly considered both spouses’ relative contributions to the marriage in the determining a just and reasonable distribution of marital property).

D.Conclusion

I readily agree with the majority that the facts and circumstances as viewed from our perspective would certainly have supported a distribution more favorable to Mila. However, as noted above, such a determination will not permit this court to substitute its judgment for that of the divorce court. Fiste, 627 N.E.2d at 1373; DeHaan, 572 N.E.2d at 1325. As the evidence supports the trial court’s detailed and thoughtful findings which in turn support its determination of a just and reasonable division of marital property, I cannot conclude that the trial court’s judgment is clearly erroneous. See Stetler, 657 N.E.2d at 398-99 (holding that a proper*783ty distribution based on special findings will not be reversed unless the record is devoid of facts or inferences to support the findings or that the judgment is unsupported by the findings). Therefore, I would affirm the divorce court’s property distribution.