Dione W. David v. Richard G. David

Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided April 10, 2013·No. CA-0012-1051·Unknown

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT

12-1051

DIONE W. DAVID

VERSUS

RICHARD G. DAVID

**********

APPEAL FROM THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF IBERIA, NO. 113919 HONORABLE CHARLES LEE PORTER, DISTRICT JUDGE

ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX CHIEF JUDGE

Court composed of Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux, Chief Judge, Billy Howard Ezell, and James T. Genovese, Judges.

AFFIRMED AS AMENDED.

Ed W. Bankston P. O. Box 53485 Lafayette, LA 70505 Telephone: (337) 237-4223 COUNSEL FOR: Defendant/Appellant - Richard G. David

L. E. “Tony” Morrow, Jr. The Law Offices of Tony Morrow 323 East University Avenue Lafayette, LA 70503 Telephone: (337) 233-9515 COUNSEL FOR: Plaintiff/Appellee - Dione W. David THIBODEAUX, Chief Judge.

The defendant, Richard G. David, appeals the trial court’s judgment

of partition of community property. He asserts that his former spouse, the plaintiff,

Dione W. David, was allocated more in assets and reimbursements than the

amounts authorized by law. For the reasons that follow, we affirm as amended the

judgment of the trial court. We do not consider Dione’s request for attorney fees

based on her assertion of a frivolous appeal as no Answer was filed to Richard’s

appeal.

I.

ISSUES

We must decide:

(1) whether the trial court manifestly erred in partitioning the community assets and liabilities under La.R.S. 9:2801;

(2) whether the trial court manifestly erred in awarding reimbursements claimed by the parties.

II.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Richard and Dione David, domiciliaries of New Iberia, Louisiana,

were married for thirty-six years. At the time of their divorce, there were five

businesses and nine pieces of real estate at issue for partition. Richard and Dione

stipulated to appraised values of six of the nine real properties, the values on eight

vehicles and other movables, Richard’s reimbursement of mortgage, tax, and

insurance payments on some community properties, and Dione’s reimbursement of

attorney fees. The parties also stipulated that four of the businesses, David Mortuary, Inc., David Marble and Granite, Inc., Beau Pre Memorial Park

Cemetery, and Limousines, LTD, were the separate property of Richard David.

The community’s business, Dede’s Wholesale Florist, Inc. (Dede’s),

was run primarily by Dione throughout the marriage, and she was given occupancy

and use of the store location at 1203 Trotter Street in New Iberia. This asset is

next door to the David Funeral Home and became the greatest source and subject

of discord, restraining orders, and alleged abuses between the parties. Dede’s also

had a closed-down, non-operating store at 110 Glaser Drive in Lafayette, which

was considered rental property.

The community’s other New Iberia assets include rental houses at

6605 Old Spanish Trail (sometimes referred to as ―OST‖ or ―Highway 182‖

property), 407 Dahlia Street, 407 Wayne Street, 4208 Northside Road, and 508

Prioux Street. The community’s family home was located at 506 Prioux Street.

Richard was given the use and occupancy of the family home as his residence.

The parties stipulated, by consent judgment, to Richard’s waiver of expense

reimbursement claims and to Dione’s waiver of rental reimbursement claims on

this property. The couple also owned a two-story camp at 111 Cove Row,

Cypremont Point, Louisiana. Richard was also given use and occupancy of the

camp.

On the above-described community property, Richard asserted 331

claims for reimbursement of expenses totaling $305,572.00. Before trial, the court

engaged the services of a hearing officer, Paul Landry, to meet with the couple and

their attorneys to address occupancy issues and the reimbursement claims of the

parties. The hearing officer conferences (HOC) on reimbursement claims were

held over four days, immediately preceding trial, during which Richard’s 331

2 claims and documentation were individually discussed, then grouped and

categorized on spreadsheets, providing easier access during trial, and providing the

HOC evaluations and recommendations on each claim.

After a lengthy trial, the trial court issued a four-page judgment of

partition of community property. Richard appeals the trial court’s allocation of

community assets and liabilities, the appraisals of the camp, its contents, and

contents at other locations, the amount of certain ―mortgage‖ debt, and the trial

court’s awards of reimbursements to both parties.

III.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

An appellate court may not set aside a trial court’s findings of fact in

absence of manifest error unless it is clearly wrong. Stobart v. State, Through

DOTD, 617 So.2d 880 (La.1993); Rosell v. ESCO, 549 So.2d 840 (La.1989).

IV.

LAW AND DISCUSSION

Richard contends that the trial court erred in partitioning the

community property under La.R.S. 9:2801 which requires ―that each spouse

receive[] property of an equal net value.‖ La.R.S. 9:2801(A)(4)(b). He asserts that

the trial court allocated seventy-eight percent of the community’s net assets to

Dione, in the amount of $891,084.94, while allocating only twenty-two percent of

the assets, in the amount of $249,123.40, to himself. We disagree with Richard’s

analysis, though we have found some mathematical errors and omissions in the

3 judgment. Accordingly, we affirm as amended the trial court’s judgment of

partition.

Preliminary Matters

As a threshold matter, we find no merit in Richard’s attempts to revise

the mathematical schedules in the trial court’s thirty-page written reasons for

judgment. This is a voluminous case, and there are various mathematical errors in

the trial court’s working tables that do not appear in the final judgment. The

appellate court reviews the judgment, not reasons for the judgment. Johnson v.

Henderson, 04-1723 (La.App. 4 Cir. 3/16/05), 899 So.2d 626. In general, if the

appellate court believes that the trial court reached the proper result, it will affirm

the judgment. Id. Here, Richard corrects and revises only certain figures in the

trial court’s reasons and omits others. We amend the judgment, not the reasons.

We further note that, pursuant to La.Code Civ.P. art. 2128, Richard

has designated ―such portions of the record which he desires to constitute the

record on appeal.‖ Accordingly, we must render a judgment which is just, legal,

and proper, based upon the record on appeal, but we cannot receive new evidence.

La.Code Civ.P. art. 2164. Richard has attached numerous exhibits to his appellate

brief, but the attached exhibits are not part of the record on appeal. C&B Sales &

Serv., Inc. v. Slaughter, 04-551 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/20/04), 885 So.2d 683.

This is also true of memoranda and exhibits that appear in the record

just because they were filed in the trial court record; however, if they were not also

introduced into evidence, we cannot consider them as part of the record on appeal.

See State ex rel. Guste v. Thompson, 532 So.2d 524 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1988); Leyva

v. Laga, 549 So.2d 914 (La.App. 3 Cir. 1989).

4 Here, the designated record contains documents that were filed into

the record after the last day of trial on August 10, 2011. The record is not to

remain open after trial except for very limited filings specifically identified and

allowed by the trial court. See Dugas v.

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