In re the Marriage of James E. Parsons and Bobette C. Parsons

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 3, 2014
Docket32159-2
StatusUnpublished

This text of In re the Marriage of James E. Parsons and Bobette C. Parsons (In re the Marriage of James E. Parsons and Bobette C. Parsons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re the Marriage of James E. Parsons and Bobette C. Parsons, (Wash. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

FILED

JULY 3, 2014

In the Office of the Clerk of Court

W A State Court of Appeals, Division III

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION THREE

In re the Marriage of: ) ) No. 32159-2-III JAMES E. PARSONS, ) ) Respondent, ) ) and ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION ) BOBETTE C. PARSONS, ) ) Appellant. )

FEARING, 1. In this marriage dissolution action, the trial court distributed the

parties' community property equally; awarded the wife, Bobette Parsons, $3,500.00

maintenance per month until Bobette dies, remarries, or reaches the age of 66 years old;

and ordered the husband, James Parsons, to pay Bobette $1,154.34 in monthly child

support. Bobette appeals, asking for a raise of maintenance to $8,500.00 per month or a

remand to the trial court for an increase in the maintenance amount. Bobette also argues

the trial court erred when it failed to factor bonus income of James and contributions to

James' tax sheltered investments by his employer when calculating James' income for

purposes of calculating child support. We affirm the maintenance award. We vacate the

child support award, and remand for recalculation, on the ground that the trial court did No. 32159-2-III In re Marriage ofParsons

not include in its estimation of James' income every source of that income.

FACTS

Bobette and James Parsons met in college, and soon married on January l3, 1979.

The couple separated on October 1,2009. Bobette and James have three children

together, two grown and a teenage daughter who lives with Bobette. The daughter was

16 and a sophomore in high school when the court granted the Parsons' divorce on June

5,2012.

Bobette Parsons earned a bachelor's degree in natural resource planning and a

master's degree in soil science. James Parsons earned a bachelor's degree in fisheries

and a master's degree in genetic and cell biology.

Bobette Parsons worked as a hydrologist with the Forest Service for seven years.

She then worked as a soil conservationist with the United States Department of

Agriculture (USDA). Upon the birth of the first child, Bobette took time from work and

then returned. Upon the birth of the second child, Bobette and James Parsons agreed

Bobette would remain at home to care for the children. Bobette did not work from 1992

through 2007. She now works full-time for the USDA in Hilo, Hawaii, earning $54,000

a year.

After graduate school, James Parsons worked for a trout farm in southern Idaho

where he assisted in spawning fish. During his eight years at the farm, he created a trout

genetic research program. James then oversaw research for a different trout farm. In

No. 32159-2-III In re Marriage ofParsons

1998, with encouragement from Bobette, James accepted employment from a third

company, Troutlodge, Inc., first earning $75,000 a year.

James Parsons' annual income has increased since 1998. He received $85,000 in

2000; $98,000 in 2003; $161,000 in 2006; and $182,000 in 2009. James now serves as

Troutlodge's Senior Vice President for Technical Services and President of the Marine

Division.

In 2005, James Parsons purchased an 8.97 percent interest in Troutlodge Real

Estate, LLC, an affiliated entity, for $210,000. In order to purchase this interest, James

borrowed $105,000 from the marital couple's shared retirement accounts, and borrowed

the remaining $105,000 from Troutlodge officers. Bobette believes that the Troutlodge

entities have grown, and will continue to grow, rapidly.

In 2011, James Parson earned a salary of$134,000 and earned bonuses of around

$88,000. That year Troutlodge also contributed $22,000 to James' Putnam 401 (k)

retirement plan. Finally, Troutlodge contributed a distribution of $5,900, dividend of

$11,218, and interest payment of$7,290 to James' Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

At trial, both Bobette and James Parsons admitted to living beyond their means.

Bobette declared monthly income of$3,921 after taxes and monthly expenses of$8,402.

James declared monthly income of$14,183 after taxes and monthly expenses of$16,675.

PROCEDURE

James Parsons petitioned for divorce on January 14, 2010. After a trial, the court

entered a decree of dissolution on June 5, 2012.

In the divorce decree, the trial court awarded James the couple's entire interest in

the two Troutlodge companies, valued at $521,593 in the aggregate. In order to distribute

the community property equally, the trial court ordered James to assume $172,858 in

community liabilities and pay Bobette a transfer payment of$185,797 within five years,

interest accruing at four percent. The monthly cost of servicing the community liabilities

is unknown. As for the transfer payment, the court ordered:

[James] may make as transfer payment to [Bobette] funds from his Troutlodge 401KJIRA accounts. Payment by transfer of IRA or by lien on residence will be at her option, not his. The Court reserves jurisdiction to enter any orders to facilitate transfer if necessary.

Clerk's Papers (CP) at 481. Ifpaid over the course of five years at four percent interest,

the amortized monthly cost ofthe transfer payment to Bobette is about $3,400.

The trial court awarded maintenance for Bobette Parsons at $3,500 monthly as

follows: the court ordered James Parsons to pay monthly, from January through June of

each year, $2,500 per month, and, from July through December, $4,500 per month. The

difference is the result of Troutlodge paying James bonuses July through December of

each year. The maintenance award continues until Bobette dies, remarries, or reaches the

age of66 years old, which will occur in 2022. The court granted maintenance because of

No. 32159-2-111 In re Marriage ofParsons

James' current income, his larger earning capacity, the length of the couple's marriage,

and Bobette' s being a homemaker and out of the work force for years.

The trial court also ordered James Parsons to pay Bobette $1,154.34 in child

support. On the Child Support Schedule Worksheet, the court listed James' "Wages and

Salaries" as $18,500 per month, but omitted an amount for "Interest and Dividend

Income," "Business Income," and "Other Income." CP at 466. On the worksheet, the

trial court declared, "Father's income is calculated using his 2011 income of $222,000

and actual taxes paid in 2011." CP at 469.

The trial court ordered James Parsons to pay child support until their teenage

daughter reaches the age of 18 or as long as the daughter remains enrolled in high school,

whichever occurs last. The court reserved the right of Bobette Parsons to petition for

postsecondary support.

LAW AND ANALYSIS

On appeal, Bobette Parsons contends (1) the trial court's maintenance award is

insufficient to place her and James in roughly equal financial positions for the rest of

their lives; and (2) the trial court failed to consider James' deferred compensation,

dividends, interest, and bonuses when it estimated his income for purposes of setting

child support.

Maintenance

James Parsons initially asserts that Bobette Parsons' appellate briefs two-

paragraph argument for increased maintenance does not satisfy RAP 10.3(a)(6). The rule

requires parties to provide "argument in support of the issues presented for review,

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