Court Opinion

ID: 9689317
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 18:27:28.121579+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:46.933124
License: Public Domain

DONIELSON, Judge
(dissenting).
I acknowledge that our review of this matter is de novo pursuant to Iowa R.App.P. 4. However, due to the complexity of this litigation I am convinced that the trial court carefully considered all the evidence in arriving at the provisions of its decree. The remedy fashioned by the majority would increase the debt already placed upon Gene Sparks of $311,217.48 to $396,217.48 by adding 10 annual installments of $8,500 with 10% interest on the unpaid balance. Such an increase to his already burdensome debts might cause a forfeiture of the Sparks family farm and hence deprive Dale and Dean, the Sparks children, of any future interest.
In this very difficult financial situation the majority has made little or no improvement in the overall disposition of this case. The factual situation here is strikingly similar to In re Marriage of Callenius, 309 N.W.2d 510 (Iowa 1981), in which this court had fashioned a second guess remedy which also failed to improve the trial court’s disposition in any significant manner. Therefore, I would simply affirm the trial court’s decree which I believe was equitable to both parties.