Mexic v. Mexic

577 So. 2d 1046, 1991 WL 41074
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 28, 1991
Docket90-CA-1304
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 577 So. 2d 1046 (Mexic v. Mexic) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mexic v. Mexic, 577 So. 2d 1046, 1991 WL 41074 (La. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

577 So.2d 1046 (1991)

Ann MEXIC
v.
Simon MEXIC.
Simon MEXIC
v.
Ann MEXIC.

No. 90-CA-1304.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

March 28, 1991.

*1048 Phillip A. Wittman, Dorothy H. Wimberly, Stone, Pigman, Walther, Wittman & Hutchinson, New Orleans, and Peter J. Abadie, Jr., Metairie, for appellant.

Richard J. Tomeny, Jr., Metairie, for appellee.

Before KLEES, CIACCIO and LOBRANO, JJ.

LOBRANO, Judge.

The community of acquets and gains between Simon Mexic and Ann Mexic terminated on April 30, 1984. Pursuant to partition proceedings, the trial court allocated $1,050,334.05 in community assets to Simon, and $44,601.86 in assets to Ann. The court ordered that Simon be responsible for all community debts in the amount of $517,625.86. In order to equalize the net estates (i.e. $532,708.17 to Simon and $532,708.17 to Ann) the court ordered an equalization payment to Ann in the amount of $488,106.31. Further the court determined that Ann was due a net reimbursement from Simon of $96,693.23 for community funds received by him subsequent to the community's termination.

This matter was initially tried before a commissioner in September and October of 1987. Despite exceptions filed by both parties, the commissioner's recommendations were adopted by the trial judge and made the judgment of the court.

Simon Mexic perfects this appeal asserting numerous errors. He supports the majority of his arguments with the report prepared by Richard Kelley, C.P.A., appointed by the court. For the following reasons, we reverse in part, amend and affirm in part the trial court's judgment.

Allocation of Community Assets and Liabilities:

Simon argues that the court erred in allocating substantially all of the community assets and liabilities to him. He urges that such an allocation violates the intent and spirit of La.R.S. 9:2801, as well as the legally preferable partition in kind. See, Taylor v. Taylor, 473 So.2d 867 (La.App. 4th Cir.1985).

La.R.S. 9:2801 sets forth the procedure to be followed when spouses cannot amicably agree on a dissolution of the community. Subsection 4(c) provides for the allocation of assets and liabilities by the court. It requires that "the nature and source of the asset or liability, the economic condition of each spouse and any other circumstances the court deems relevant" be considered in making the allocation. Where the allocation results in an unequal net *1049 distribution, the court may order payment of an equalizing sum.

In Ziegler v. Ziegler, 537 So.2d 1207 (La. App. 4th Cir.1989) this court recognized the correctness of allocating the majority of community assets to the husband with a large equalization payment to the wife. In doing so we relied on the trial court's conclusion that the wife did not possess the qualifications to act as a general partner of the various partnerships comprising the bulk of the community real estate. We recognized the special circumstances involved in real estate partnerships of which the community owned an undivided interest. Those circumstances supported the impracticability of either liquidating the community interests or awarding them to the wife.

In the instant case, the record is clear that Ann has no business expertise in any of the community partnership ventures. Prior to their separation Simon handled all of the community investments, including the various real estate partnerships. He arranged for the community financing and was actively involved in the management of those investments. Since their physical separation Simon continued to manage all the community business affairs. The trial court found that "she was unaware of their business dealings during the marriage."

Simon argues that Ziegler is distinguishable because, unlike Mr. Ziegler, he is not actively involved in the management of the partnerships. He urges that Ziegler was the general managing partner of partnerships in commendam, and thus it would have been impractical to allocate any of those interests to Mrs. Ziegler. He further urges that Mr. Ziegler had substantial separate property to satisfy an equalization payment whereas he does not.

We disagree. First, the Mexic community is a partner in ordinary general partnerships, not partnerships in commendam. The evidence supports the conclusion that, as an ordinary partner, Simon, not Ann, participated on behalf of the community in the business decisions of each partnership. In fact, part of the land on which Frenchman's Creek partnership development is constructed was contributed by Simon from his separate estate. Second, La.R.S. 9:2801 authorizes the court to order the execution of a note or mortgage on community property to satisfy an equalization payment. This authorization suggests to us that there is no legal requisite that separate property be available before an equalization payment is ordered.

Clearly, the trial court's allocation in this case is not only authorized by R.S. 9:2801, but is the most practical under the circumstances. Those community assets awarded to Simon are already in Simon's possession or under his control and have been maintained or managed by him in the past. It would be most impractical, if not impossible, to attempt either a liquidation or division of the community interests in the various partnerships.

We find no error in the trial court's allocation of community assets and liabilities.

Trial court erred in the valuation of the community's real estate investments

Simon argues that the court's valuation of the community interests in the Frenchmen's Creek and Cypress Ridge partnerships is erroneous because the court failed to consider tax consequences of a sale and marketability problems.

a) Tax consequences

The trial court valued the community interest in the Cypress Ridge and Frenchmen's Creek partnerships at $247,821.00 and $488,524.83[1] respectively. Simon argues these figures should be reduced by approximately $260,000.00 to reflect the tax consequences occasioned by the recapture of investment tax credits associated with a sale.

The trial court rejected this argument as speculative. We agree. The value of the community interests in real estate partnerships *1050 should not and cannot be predicated on tax consequences of some future uncertain event.[2]

b) Marketability

Relying on this court's observations in Ziegler that the valuations of an unliquidated undivided interest in real property is rarely as great as the mathematical percentage of the interest in the property's value, Simon argues the trial court failed to take marketability into account. In support he urges that Kelley's report showing a value of $210,600.00 for Cypress Ridge and a value of $399,917.00 for Frenchmen's Creek is correct because it takes into account a discount for marketability. The trial court's values are $37,221.00 higher for Cypress Ridge and $84,700.00 higher for Frenchmen's Creek.[3]

We note that Kelley's valuations were made as of December 31, 1986, over two years after the community terminated. We further note that Kelley's testimony suggests a reduction of 15% because of the inability to market the community interests. Kelley testified that the 15% discount would be appropriate if the property were sold to a third party. If the property remained with either party the discount factor would be inapplicable. It is clear that the court accepted Kelley's valuations without the discount factor.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
577 So. 2d 1046, 1991 WL 41074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mexic-v-mexic-lactapp-1991.