Marriage of Honer CA1/4

At issue in this dissolution of a 27-year marriage are issues of division of community property and spousal support. Appellant ex-wife questions the court’s valuation of the couple’s two grocery stores because (1) it purportedly used the wrong valuation date, (2) it relied on an expert who used the “marital value” of the properties rather than the “investment value,” and (3) it denied her posttrial motion to reopen the evidence to update the property valuation. She further contests the amount of spousal support she was awarded, arguing the court (1) failed to properly determine her ex-husband’s ability to pay, (2) failed to consider the parties’ financial disparity, and (3) granted her an “illusory” award of a percentage of the ex-husband’s future distributions from the family business. Finally, she contends the overall distribution of property was not equitable and meaningful. She asks us to reverse the judgment and order the matter retried before a different judge. We find no basis for reversal and affirm.

I. BACKGROUND

Thomas Mitchell (Tom) and Penny Honer (Penny) were married in 1982 and separated in 2009. During their long marriage, Tom and Penny together purchased…