Shepard v. Shepard, Unpublished Decision (1-24-2001)
Shepard v. Shepard, Unpublished Decision (1-24-2001)
Opinion of the Court
On January 19, 1996, Ms. Shepard filed a complaint for divorce in the Medina County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division. A hearing was held, commencing on March 3, 1998, during which both Mr. and Ms. Shepard presented evidence regarding the division of property and the custody of their minor children. On April 15, 1998, the court granted the parties a divorce based on grounds of incompatibility. See R.C.
1. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR IN THE DIVISION OF PROPERTY.A. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR AND ABUSED ITS DISCRETION BY FAILING TO INITIALLY DETERMINE MARITAL AND SEPARATE PROPERTY.
B. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR AND ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN FAILING TO AWARD THE APPELLANT HIS SEPARATE PORTION OF THE APPRECIATION IN THE REAL ESTATE PARCELS LOCATED AT BELLE STREET IN LAKEWOOD AND LANCE ROAD IN MEDINA.
C. THE TRIAL COURT [sic] PREJUDICIAL ERROR AND ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN DIVIDING THE MARITAL ESTATE BASED ON INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.
In his first assignment of error, Mr. Shepard contends that the trial court erred in its division of the Lance Road and Belle Avenue properties. Essentially, Mr. Shepard argues that the parties did not supply the court below with sufficient evidence for the court to accurately determine the value of the separate property on the two aforementioned properties, and therefore, the trial court, sua sponte, should have instructed the parties to produce additional evidence of valuation. We disagree.
It is well-settled that a party seeking to establish that certain real property or a portion thereof as separate property has the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence. Peck v. Peck (1994),
THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR WHEN IT AWARDED APPELLEE ONE-HALF OF APPELLANT'S FIDELITY GENERAL MOTORS PERSONAL SAVINGS PLAN AFTER PAYMENT OF THE OUTSTANDING LOANS WITHOUT IMPLEMENTING A MEANS FOR THE REPAYMENT OF THE LOANS AT THE PRESENT TIME.
In his second assignment of error, Mr. Shepard contends that the trial court erred by not setting up a mechanism for paying the debt on the Fidelity General Motors Personal Savings Plan ("savings plan").1 We agree.
In divorce proceedings, the trial court must divide marital property in an equitable manner. R.C.
In the present case, Mr. Shepard presented evidence setting forth the debts due and owing on the savings plan as of August 31, 1997 and stipulated that he had been making payments toward these loans. During the hearing, Mr. Shepard asked that the court give Ms. Shepard a share of the savings plan after subtracting the loans; however, in its judgment entry, the trial court ordered that "[t]he parties shall divide equally by QDRO [qualified domestic relations order] or other appropriate order, [Mr. Shepard's] Fidelity General Motors Personal Savings Plan, Stock Fund and Income Fund after pay-off of all loans." (Emphasis added.) Although the court listed the "[l]oans against General Motors savings plan" as joint debt, rather than separate debt, the court did not explicitly allocate this debt between the parties.2 It was error not to do so. See Robinson v. Robinson (July 17, 2000), Madison App. No. CA99-12-031, unreported, 2000 Ohio App. LEXIS 3190, at *6.
We note that had counsel presented more evidence, the trial court's task would have been much easier. Nevertheless, we conclude that the trial court abused its discretion by failing to explicitly set forth the allocation of the marital or joint debt regarding the savings plan, and therefore, we remand this case to the trial court for a determination of this narrow issue. Mr. Shepard's second assignment of error is sustained.
THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR WHEN IT AWARDED APPELLEE SPOUSAL SUPPORT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE FACTORS SET FORTH IN O.R.C.3105.18 OR DETERMINING THE NEEDS OF THE APPELLEE.
In his third assignment of error, Mr. Shepard avers that the trial court committed prejudicial error when it awarded Ms. Shepard spousal support3 without considering the factors set forth in R.C.
A trial court may award reasonable spousal support in a divorce action after a property division is effectuated. R.C.
(C)(1) In determining whether spousal support is appropriate and reasonable, and in determining the nature, amount, and terms of payment, and duration of spousal support, which is payable either in gross or in installments, the court shall consider all of the following factors:
(a) The income of the parties, from all sources, including, but not limited to, income derived from property divided, disbursed, or distributed under section
3105.171 [3105.17.1] of the Revised Code;
(b) The relative earning abilities of the parties;
(c) The ages and the physical, mental, and emotional conditions of the parties;
(d) The retirement benefits of the parties;
(e) The duration of the marriage;
(f) The extent to which it would be inappropriate for a party, because he will be custodian of a minor child of the marriage, to seek employment outside the home;
(g) The standard of living of the parties established during the marriage;
(h) The relative extent of education of the parties;
(i) The relative assets and liabilities of the parties, including but not limited to any court-ordered payments by the parties;
(j) The contribution of each party to the education, training, or earning ability of the other party, including, but not limited to, any party's contribution to the acquisition of a professional degree of the other party;
(k) The time and expense necessary for the spouse who is seeking spousal support to acquire education, training, or job experience so that the spouse will be qualified to obtain appropriate employment, provided the education, training, or job experience, and employment is, in fact, sought;
(l) The tax consequences, for each party, of an award of spousal support;
(m) The lost income production capacity of either party that resulted from that party's marital responsibilities;
(n) Any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant and equitable.
R.C.
In its decision, the trial court states that the spousal support award was made upon consideration of the factors set forth in R.C.
Judgment affirmed in part, reversed in part, and cause remanded.
The Court finds that there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common Pleas, County of Medina, to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(E).
Costs taxed to both parties equally.
Exceptions.
___________________________ WILLIAM G. BATCHELDER
SLABY, J. WHITMORE, J. CONCUR
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.