Court Opinion

ID: 9728127
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:59:16.158981+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:46.072861
License: Public Domain

RILEY, Judge,
dissenting with separate opinion.
I respectfully dissent from the majority's decision to remand this cause to the trial court with instruction to re-divide the marital real estate consistent with Indiana Code section 831-15-7-5. While I agree with the majority that this cause should be remanded to the trial court with instruction to assign a value to the residence located at 211 North 8th Street and include it in the marital estate, I would instruct the trial court to equally divide the marital estate between Doug and Lisa.
The trial court, in its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, concluded very clearly that "5. The [clourt shall presume that an equal division of the marital property between the parties is just and reasonable." (Appellant's App. p. 22). Furthermore, I do not agree with the majority's conclusion that the "trial court intended to deviate from an equal division of marital property[.]" Op. at 125. Not only did the trial court fail to state any reasons to deviate from the equal division of the marital estate, there is absolutely no evidence in the record that the trial court was considering or intending an unequal division of the marital estate in favor of Doug. Therefore, I would instruct the trial court to equally divide the marital estate.