Scheetz v. Scheetz

509 N.E.2d 840, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2777
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 24, 1987
Docket2-785-A-229
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 509 N.E.2d 840 (Scheetz v. Scheetz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scheetz v. Scheetz, 509 N.E.2d 840, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2777 (Ind. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinions

BUCHANAN, Judge.

CASE SUMMARY

This is a consolidated appeal arising from a dissolution proceeding in which the trial court simultaneously granted a Trial Rule 60(B) motion and a motion to correct error filed by the appellee Sandra Marie Scheetz (Sandra) thereby allowing her the opportunity to present additional evidence as to the value of the marital property. Petitioner-appellant John Michael Scheetz (Michael) appeals alleging that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to act on the motion to correct error and the T.R. 60(B) motion. Also, in an interlocutory appeal, Michael claims the trial court lacked jurisdiction to award Sandra appellate attorney fees.

We reverse in part and affirm in part.

FACTS

The evidence most favorable to the judgment establishes these facts. On June 2, 1983, Michael filed a petition for dissolution of marriage with the Hamilton Superior Court. After extensive discovery and numerous continuances, trial was held in June of 1984. Michael and Sandra had acquired numerous assets during the course of their fifteen-year marriage, and they devoted most of their efforts at trial to establishing a value for these assets. A dispute arose at trial concerning the admissibility of an appraisal of a Florida property owned by a partnership in which Michael had an interest. A Florida real estate expert hired by Michael appraised one of the partnership properties, the Raintree parcel, at $2.8 million. Michael disclosed the contents of the appraisal to Sandra's attorneys during discovery. At trial, however, Michael chose not to introduce into evidence the appraisal of his expert. Attempts by Sandra's attorneys to introduce the appraisal of Michael's expert were rejected by the court as hearsay. Michael testified that the Raintree [842]*842parcel was valued at $1.9 million; Sandra's expert estimated the worth of the property at $1.89 million.

On August 29, 1984, the trial court entered a dissolution decree in which it determined that Sandra's and Michael's total net worth was $783,208. Both Michael and Sandra complied with the property distribution ordered in the decree. Sandra filed a timely motion to correct errors on October 29, 1984, raising nineteen allegations of error.1 On January 18, 1985, before the trial court ruled on her motion to correct error, Sandra retained new counsel and filed a motion for relief from judgment pursuant to Ind.Rules of Procedure, Trial Rule 60(B). Sandra listed nine bases for relief in her T.R. 60(B) motion requesting that the trial court admit additional evidence and that it enter a new division of property. The first eight grounds are premised on Sandra's mistake or exeusable neglect in presenting adequate evidence at trial valuing the marital assets. The ninth ground requests relief on equitable grounds. On April 11, 1985, Sandra filed an amended, verified motion for relief from judgment raising the same grounds as her earlier T.R. 60(B) motion.

On May 22, 1985, the trial court, after hearing oral argument by the parties, found that valuation evidence presented by Sandra was immaterial or inadmissible. The trial court found Sandra failed to introduce relevant evidence on virtually all of the marital assets of substantial value because the assets were not valued as of the date that Michael filed his petition for dissolution of marriage. In order to remedy the prejudice suffered by Sandra as a result of finding Sandra's valuation evidence to be inadmissible and immaterial, the trial eccurt entered a memorandum decision de-seribing its action as a grant of both Sandra's motion to correct errors and her motion for relief from judgment.

The following excerpts capture the essence of the trial court's findings and conclusions:

"Whether under Trial Rule 60(B)(1) or 60(B)(8), Trial Rule 59, or the general equitable power of this Court, this Court has the authority, within the sound exercise of judicial discretion, to re-open the case in order to accept additional evidence.
[[Image here]]
7. Because [Sandra] did not sumbit [sic] evidence of the value of Century 21 Scheetz Co., Inc.; the residence; Scheetz & Singleton, Inc.; Grandview Associates Ltd.; Westgate Associates Ltd.; or Rain-tree Associates Ltd. as of a date or on the date of final separation of the parties, the Court had no alternative but to accept the evidence submitted by [Michael] as to each of these assets.
[[Image here]]
13. Because of the vast disparity in [the] two appraisals [of the Raintree property], and because the appraisal by [Michael] cannot be. considered to be disinterested and objective, the Court finds that additional evidence should be submitted upon the valuation of these Florida properties as of June 2, 1983.
[[Image here]]
17. Because of the lack of any other relevant evidence, the Court was required to accept the valuation of the Century 21 Scheetz Co., Inc. prepared by Bruce D. Allman, offered by [Michael]. However, after re-considering the evidence, particularly the valuation report [Michael's Exhibit] and [Sandra's] Motion, the Court finds that the valuation report is incomplete, and the Court requires further evidence in order to determine the value of this marital asset as of June 2, 1983.
[[Image here]]
20. At the hearing on [Sandra's] Motion for Relief from Judgment, [Sandra] submitted certified copies of records from the Department of Metropolitan Development, Division of Development Services regarding the re-zoning of [40 acres of [843]*843real estate owned by Scheetz & Singleton, Inc.].
[[Image here]]
22. Based upon these certified records of the Department of Metropolitan Development, which were not a part of the evidence in this matter, the Court finds that it should reconsider its Finding of Fact 50, [finding that land was not rezoned for residential development as of June 2, 1983], and its valuation of this marital asset, and permit the parties to introduce additional evidence upon this issue.
23. The Court further finds that the only significant asset of Scheetz & Singleton, Inc. was the 40 acre parcel of real estate, and that such a marital asset should be valued by a real estate appraiser, rather than merely by an accountant.
[[Image here]]
25. Based upon [Sandra's] Motion for Relief from Judgment, Motion to Correct Errors, supporting Memorandum and oral argument, the Court finds that ... real estate partnership interests [of Southwest Housing Ltd. and Southeast Housing Ltd.] may have a value as a tax shelter and should have distribution value upon sale or refinance of the real estate and, at least, would have as a value the basis or cost of acquiring the partnership interests.
26. Since value of these partnership interests is unknown and since their value could have an effect upon the equitable division of marital assets, additional evidence should be admitted.
27. [Michael] is a participant in the Century 21 Scheetz Co., Inc. 'Employees Pension Plan' While the Court has found, based upon the testimony of Toni S.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Marriage of Hamm v. Hamm
2015 OK 27 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2015)
HAMM v. HAMM
2015 OK 27 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2015)
Reese v. Reese
696 N.E.2d 460 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1998)
Meade v. Levett
671 N.E.2d 1172 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1996)
Giles v. Giles
652 N.E.2d 115 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1995)
Searcy v. Searcy
583 N.E.2d 1216 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Elbert v. Elbert
579 N.E.2d 102 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
DeHaan v. DeHaan
572 N.E.2d 1315 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Dahnke v. Dahnke
571 N.E.2d 1278 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1991)
Fairrow v. Fairrow
559 N.E.2d 597 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1990)
Beeson v. Beeson
538 N.E.2d 293 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1989)
Stolberg v. Stolberg
538 N.E.2d 1 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1989)
Chapman v. Chapman
512 N.E.2d 414 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)
Scheetz v. Scheetz
509 N.E.2d 840 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
509 N.E.2d 840, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2777, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scheetz-v-scheetz-indctapp-1987.