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You can search the entire site. or go to the recent opinions, or the chronological or subject indices. Villars v. Villars (7/19/2013) sp-6797

Villars v. Villars (7/19/2013) sp-6797

        Notice: This opinion is subject to correction before publication in the PACIFIC  REPORTER . 

        Readers are requested to bring errors to the attention of the Clerk of the Appellate Courts, 

        303 K Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501, phone (907) 264-0608, fax (907) 264-0878, e-mail 

        corrections@appellate.courts.state.ak.us. 



                 THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ALASKA 



OLGA H. VILLARS,                                   ) 

                                                   )   Supreme Court No. S-14416 

                        Appellant,                 ) 

                                                   )   Superior Court No. 4FA-07-02606 CI 

        v.                                         ) 

                                                   )   O P I N I O N 

RICHARD J. VILLARS,                                ) 

                                                   )   No. 6797 - July 19, 2013 

                        Appellee.                  ) 

                                                   ) 



                Appeal   from     the  Superior   Court   of   the  State  of   Alaska, 

                Fourth   Judicial   District,   Fairbanks,   Douglas   Blankenship, 

                Judge. 



                Appearances:       Olga     H.  Villars,   pro   se,  Solana   Beach, 

                California, Appellant.       Richard J. Villars, pro se, Marrero, 

                Louisiana, Appellee. 



                Before:    Fabe, Chief Justice, Carpeneti, Winfree, Stowers, 

                and Maassen, Justices. 



                MAASSEN, Justice. 

                CARPENETI, Justice, concurring. 



I.      INTRODUCTION 



                Olga Villars sued her former husband, Richard Villars, for his failure to pay 



spousal support during the year 2010.  Following a trial at which both parties appeared 



telephonically and pro se, the trial court ruled that the amount Richard owed Olga had 



to be reduced to account for (1) the smaller size of her household while her daughter was 


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living with Richard, (2) the lower federal poverty level in California, where Olga had 



moved,   (3)   the   substantial   contributions   for   support   Olga   received   from   her   second 



husband, and (4) Olga's earned income.           On appeal, Olga challenges these rulings and 



certain aspects of the trial procedure.      Because we find that the trial court clearly erred 



in its calculation of the amount of support contributed by Olga's second husband, we 



remand for further consideration of this issue while affirming on all others. 



II.     BACKGROUND 



        A.       Facts 



                Richard and Olga were married in December 2004 in Kiev, Ukraine.  Olga 



moved to Alaska in July 2005 with her minor daughter, Linda, to be with Richard.  As 



Olga's immigration sponsor, Richard filed an INS Form I-864 affidavit of support, in 



which he agreed to maintain Olga and Linda "at an income that is at least 125 percent of 



the Federal poverty guidelines."1 



                Richard and Olga divorced on January 12, 2009.               Their divorce decree 



incorporated   Richard's   support   obligations   under   his   I-864   affidavit   and   calculated 



monthly payments based   on   the federal poverty level for a two-person household in 



Alaska. 



                On February 22, 2009, Olga and Linda moved to California.                There Olga 



married George Nasif on October 18, 2009.  Olga's daughter Linda moved to Louisiana 



to   live   with   Richard   from   December   2009   until   June   14,   2010,   under   a   temporary 



guardianship agreement. 



        1       An INS Form I-864 affidavit is required of certain immigration sponsors 



by 8 U.S.C.  1182(a)(4)(C), 1183(a) (2012).            See Barnett v. Barnett, 238 P.3d 594, 

597-98 (Alaska 2010). 



                                                 -2-                                  6797 


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                Olga's home life was unsettled during 2010, the only year at issue here. 



She   and   George   maintained   separate   residences   for   much   of the   year; at one   point 



George secured a restraining order against her.   Olga was evicted from her apartment in 



April and moved into a motel, where she lived for several months until moving into 



another apartment with George and Linda.  Olga's marriage to George was annulled in 



November 2010. 



                Richard did not make any support payments to Olga for the first eleven 



months   of 2010.       Olga filed a motion in Alaska to enforce the divorce decree,   and 



Richard made payments for December 2010 and January 2011 pursuant to a temporary 



support order.  His obligations for the first eleven months of 2010 were resolved at trial. 



        B.       Proceedings 



                Trial was held in superior court in Fairbanks in February 2011; both parties 



attended telephonically.   After hearing from Richard, Olga, and George,  the court made 



written findings of fact and conclusions of law.  The court first ruled that Richard's 2010 



support payments should be determined by the federal poverty level in California, not 



Alaska.    The court ruled further that the payments would be determined by the federal 



poverty level for a single-person household, not a two-person household, for the months 



Linda was living with Richard. Finally, the court ruled that Richard's support obligation 



would be offset by the amount of support that George provided to Olga and Linda during 



2010.    With some inconsistencies noted below, George testified at trial that his 2010 



income was approximately $24,000, and that he spent this entire amount to support Olga, 



Linda,   and   himself.   The   trial   court   credited   this   testimony   and   calculated   an   offset 



assuming that all of George's income went to pay all of the family's living expenses. 



Accordingly, the trial court divided George's income evenly between him and Olga for 



                                                  -3-                                   6797
 


----------------------- Page 4-----------------------

the months Linda was away and among the three of them for the months she was there, 



for a total of $14,202.80 in support from George for Olga and Linda. 



                After a few other minor adjustments - $175 in income that Olga made in 



a few days of work and $275.90 "at minimum" in qualifying support that Richard paid 



toward the end of the year - the trial court found that Richard owed no further support 



for 2010.    Also, although finding that Olga had satisfied any duty to mitigate that may 



have existed by applying unsuccessfully for a number of jobs while living in California, 



the court held that she had a responsibility to "continue seeking employment in earnest" 



or risk losing her "right to payments from Mr. Villars." 



                After the entry of judgment, Olga filed a motion to alter or amend it under 



Civil Rule 59, basing her request on financial records that she had not produced at trial. 



The trial court denied the motion. 



                On appeal, Olga raises many objections to the trial court's findings and 



procedure.     As to its findings, Olga challenges the trial court's decision to account for 



California's lower federal poverty rate and for Linda's absence from the household for 



part of the year when calculating Richard's support obligations. She challenges the trial 



court's use of George's support to offset Richard's support obligation.  She also contests 



the trial court's finding as to the amount of support that George provided.                    Olga also 



argues   that   the   income   she   earned   in   2010   should   not   be   used   to   offset   Richard's 



obligations. 



                Olga contests the fairness of the trial on two grounds.  First, she argues that 



the   trial   court   did   not   provide   her   with   an   interpreter   and   that   she   was   not   able   to 



understand or be understood by the court.            Second, she argues that her opportunity to 



participate in the trial was prejudiced by her lack of a reliable telephone connection. 



                                                   -4-                                    6797
 


----------------------- Page 5-----------------------

                Finally, Olga argues that the court erred by denying two of her motions: 



first,   her   Civil   Rule   59   motion   to   alter   or   amend   the   judgment   based   on   late-filed 



evidence, and second, her motion to strike the trial testimony of George Nasif. 



III.    STANDARD OF REVIEW 



                We     review    the  trial  court's   findings    of  fact  for  clear   error  and   its 



conclusions of law de novo.2          We will find   clear   error if "after review of the entire 



record, we are left with a definite and firm conviction a mistake occurred."3                Richard's 



obligations under the divorce decree and the INS Form I-864 affidavit are both questions 



of   contract   interpretation   and   are   thus   questions   of   law   that   we   review   de   novo.4 



Interpreting INS Form I-864 requires the interpretation of federal statutes, and statutory 



interpretation is also a question of law that we review using our independent judgment.5 



The amount   of   income imputed to Olga to offset Richard's support obligations is a 



question of fact that we review for clear error.6         The denial of Olga's motion to alter or 



        2       Henrichs   v.   Chugach   Alaska   Corp. , 250   P.3d   531, 535   (Alaska   2011) 



(citing In re Protective Proceedings of Q.A. , 193 P.3d 743, 748 (Alaska 2008); Dugan 

v. Atlanta Cas. Cos. , 113 P.3d 652, 654 (Alaska 2005)). 



        3        Wee v. Eggener, 225 P.3d 1120, 1124 (Alaska 2010) (quoting Dingeman 



v. Dingeman , 865 P.2d 94, 96 (Alaska 1993)) (internal quotation marks omitted). 



        4       Sengul v. CMS Franklin, Inc., 265 P.3d 320, 324 (Alaska 2011). 



        5       Barnett , 238 P.3d at 597 (citing Parson v. State, Dep't of Revenue, Alaska 



Hous. Fin. Corp. , 189 P.3d 1032, 1036 (Alaska 2008)). 



        6       Lacher v. Lacher , 993 P.2d 413, 423 n.34 (Alaska 1999) (citing Dunn v. 



Dunn , 952 P.2d 268, 270 (Alaska 1998)). 



                                                   -5-                                   6797
 


----------------------- Page 6-----------------------

amend   a   judgment   is   reviewed   for   an   abuse   of   discretion,7  as   are   the   trial   court's 



decisions regarding the need for an interpreter and telephonic participation.8 



IV.	    DISCUSSION 



        A.	     The Trial Court Correctly Adjusted Richard's Support Obligations To 

                Account For Olga's Move To California, Linda's Temporary Absence 

                From The Household, And Olga's Earnings. 



                The findings of fact and conclusions of law that accompanied Richard and 



Olga's 2009 divorce decree, and that were made a part of it by reference, incorporated 



Richard's support obligations under the INS Form I-864 affidavit and stipulated that this 



obligation was governed by federal law. Under 8 U.S.C.  1183a(a)(1)(A), Richard must 



maintain Olga and Linda "at an annual income that is not less than 125 percent of the 



Federal poverty line."  We have interpreted  1183a to mean that "a sponsor is required 



to pay only the difference between the sponsored non-citizen's income and the 125% of 



poverty threshold."9      The "Federal poverty line" in  1183a is defined as "the official 



        7       Nelson v. Jones , 781 P.2d 964, 968 (Alaska 1989) ("Denial of relief under 



Civil Rule 59 or Rule 60 will be overturned on appeal only if the trial court has abused 

its discretion."   (citing  Gregor v. Hodges, 612 P.2d 1008, 1010 (Alaska 1980); Nat'l 

Bank of Alaska v. McHugh , 416 P.2d 239, 244 (Alaska 1966))). 



        8       See Vui Gui Tsen v. State, 176 P.3d 1, 7 (Alaska App. 2008) (observing that 



trial court has "broad discretion as a matter of necessity" in determining what interpretive 

services are required); Carr v. Carr, 152 P.3d 450, 458 (Alaska 2007) ("We review a 

trial court's decisions regarding a party's telephonic appearance for abuse of discretion." 

(citing Richard B. v. State, Dep't of Health & Soc. Servs., Div. of Family & Youth Servs. , 

71 P.3d 811, 817 (Alaska 2003))). 



        9       Barnett , 238 P.3d at 598-99 & n.13. 



                                                  -6-	                                 6797
 


----------------------- Page 7-----------------------

poverty line . . . that is applicable to a family of the size involved."10               Accordingly, 



federal courts have held that a sponsor's support obligations must be adjusted downward 



when a family member leaves the household.11              The trial court was therefore correct to 



reduce Richard's support obligations to account for the time that Linda was living with 



him instead of with Olga. 



                The trial court was also correct to adjust Richard's support obligations to 



account for Olga's move to California. The purpose of  1183a is to provide a minimum 



level of support so that the sponsored immigrant does not become a public charge.12 



Failing to take into account changes of location would frustrate this statutory purpose; 



it would provide either a windfall or insufficient support to an immigrant who moved to 



a state with a different cost of living.       The "official poverty line . . . applicable to" the 



sponsored family, for purposes of  1183a(h), is the one in effect where the family is 



physically residing, and where it is paying for the goods and services necessary to daily 



life. 



                Olga argues that the divorce decree requires Richard's support obligation 



to be calculated with reference to the federal poverty line for a two-person household in 



Alaska, regardless of whether his I-864 affidavit would require it.   She is incorrect.  The 



decree incorporates the affidavit's duty of support but holds that the duty "is governed 



by Federal law" and that Richard's support obligation "shall be adjusted to match" any 



        10      8 U.S.C.  1183a(h). 



        11      See Nasir v. Shah, No. 2:10-CV-01003, 2012 WL 4342986, at *3-4 (S.D. 



Ohio Sept. 21, 2012); Stump v. Stump, No. 1:04-CV-253-TS, 2005 WL 2757329, at *6 

(N.D. Ind. Oct. 25, 2005). 



        12      See Wenfang Liu v. Mund, 686 F.3d 418, 422-23 (7th Cir. 2012). 



                                                   -7-                                   6797
 


----------------------- Page 8-----------------------

changes     in  the  federal  poverty   guidelines.   Where     federal  law   would    require  an 



adjustment in Richard's support obligation, the divorce decree does as well. 



               Olga is also incorrect in arguing that Richard's support obligations should 



not be offset by her 2010 earnings.  Olga's argument directly contradicts our holding in 



Barnett   in   which   we   adjusted   a  sponsor's   support    obligations   by  the  sponsored 



immigrant's earned income.13 



        B.	    The     Trial   Court    Clearly   Erred    In   Its  Calculation     Of George's 

               Contributions Of Support To Olga And Linda. 



               It was Richard's burden at trial to prove the existence and amount of any 

offsets to his support obligation.14    He presented his own testimony and that of George, 



Olga's   second   husband.     George   testified   that   he   "provided   food   and   shelter   and 



transportation during the last year, 2010," to Olga and Linda and that the dollar amount 



of this support was "about 24,000."        He testified that this included the costs of food, 



utilities, maintenance and fuel for Olga's car (which in 2010 was transferred into his 



name), and about six months of hotel bills while he and Olga lived apart. This testimony 



was complicated when he later testified that the figure of $24,000 represented his total 



income for 2010. 



        13	    238 P.3d at 598-99 & n.13. 



        14     See Shumye v. Felleke, 555 F. Supp. 2d 1020, 1025-26 (N.D. Cal. 2008) 



(finding that because sponsor did not submit evidence that any of ex-wife's student loans 

were forgiven or subsidized by her creditors, the loans did not count as income for offset 

purposes); Cheshire v. Cheshire, No. 3:05-cv-00453-TJC-MCR, 2006 WL 1208010, at 

*6 n.11 (M.D. Fla. May 4, 2006) (holding that because value of food stamps could not 

be ascertained, their value could not be deducted from support obligations of  1183a 

immigration sponsor). 



                                                -8-	                                6797
 


----------------------- Page 9-----------------------

                The trial court accepted that George spent $24,000 "on expenses to support 



himself,   Ms.   Villars,   and   her   daughter."    To   determine   how   much   of   this   George 



contributed to Olga and Linda, the court first determined that Olga lived in a two-person 



household (while Linda was living with   Richard) for the first 164 days of 2010, or 



44.93% of the year; and in a three-person household (after Linda returned home) for the 



remaining 201 days, or 55.07% of the year.                The court applied these percentages to 



George's $24,000 in earnings and arrived at $10,783.20 in total household expenditures 



for the first part of the year and $13,216.80 for the remainder of the year. The court then 



divided the total expenditures for each period by the number of people in the household 



during that period, concluding that George provided $5,391.60 in support to Olga during 



the first 164 days of the year and $8,811.20 in support to Olga and Linda during the latter 



201 days of the year, for a total of $14,202.80 in support. 



                The   trial   court,   correctly   applying   the   legal   principles   discussed   above 



regarding the federal poverty guidelines and appropriate household size, determined that 



Richard's total support obligation for 2010 was $16,112.03. Subtracting Olga's minimal 



earnings for the year, the payment that Richard made for December 2010 pursuant to the 



temporary support order, and the amount of George's contributions, the court determined 



that Richard's remaining obligation was            $275.90, and that he had paid that much, "at 



minimum," in qualifying support between June and December 2010.                        The trial court 



concluded, therefore, that Richard's remaining support obligation for 2010 was zero. 



                We believe that the court clearly erred in its analysis.  George testified, in 



apparent contradiction, that (1) he contributed $24,000 to the support of Olga and Linda 



during 2010, and (2) that his entire earnings for 2010 were $24,000, of which some went 



to his own support.      If George contributed $24,000 to the support of Olga and Linda, 



                                                   -9-                                   6797
 


----------------------- Page 10-----------------------

then Richard's support obligation was more than completely offset, and any error in the 



court's calculation of a smaller amount of support from George would necessarily be 



harmless.     But the trial court instead interpreted George's testimony to mean that he 



"spent   $24,000   on   expenses   to   support   himself,   Ms.   Villars,   and   her   daughter."      If 



George's   entire   earnings   and   expenditures   for   2010   were   $24,000,   then   the   court's 



fractional calculations -   attributing half of that amount to Olga while Linda lived with 



Richard, and two-thirds of it to Olga and Linda once Linda had returned to live with 



Olga - failed to account for the substantial evidence that George's support was sporadic 



and variable due to the significant disruptions in their living arrangements during the 



year.   These features required the trial court to make a more accurate approximation of 



George's actual contributions. 



                 George testified that he and Olga lived apart for most of 2010 and paid 



separate housing expenses for much of the time.  At the start of the year Olga was living 



at Quail Point Apartments; George lived there too for a time, but at some point (whether 



in   2009   or   early   2010   is   unclear   from   his   testimony)   he   moved   out   and   sought   a 



restraining order against her. He moved into an apartment on his own and paid rent there 



while Olga remained at Quail Point.   He testified that he could not recall whether he ever 



paid any rent at Quail Point.        He testified that Richard, however, did pay "some of the 



rent and some of the deposit on the apartment at Quail Point," and also that Olga sold off 



"some jewelry, at one point $3,000 worth that she used to pay for rent or hotel rooms," 



though George did not specify which housing she paid for with this money.                          George 



testified that Olga was "in and out of jail" during this time and was finally evicted from 



Quail Point in April. 



                                                    -10-                                   6797
 


----------------------- Page 11-----------------------

                Olga lived in a motel from April until September. George's testimony was 



inconsistent as to the amount of support he provided during this time.  He conceded that 



he "did not pay her bills completely."          He testified that he paid for hotel rooms for a 



period of about six months, at approximately $1,600 a month; he also testified that he 



paid for hotel rooms from the end of May through mid-September (about three and a half 



months); and he also testified that "Olga did pay for a certain amount of hotel rooms 



herself and she was living separate from me and she lived in different hotel rooms and 



paid her own way with her own money. . . .   I don't know exactly, but somehow she paid 



her own way." 



                On September 11, 2010, Olga, George, and Linda moved into an apartment 



at Archstone Del Mar and lived there together until November, when Olga and George 



annulled their marriage. George testified that the money to pay the first few months' rent 



at Archstone Del Mar was borrowed; Olga testified that it was Richard who provided the 



money, in the approximate amount of $2,124. 



                The   trial   court's   equal   division   of   expenditures   assumed   a   stable   and 



consistent living arrangement throughout the year. In such cases the formula used by the 



trial court would likely stand up to appellate review. The evidence in this case, however, 



shows that George supported himself throughout the year while supporting Olga and 



Linda only sporadically.       There appear to have been substantial periods of time when 



they were living apart and George was paying for his own residence but not Olga's. 



There   is   thus   a   significant   risk   that   the   formula   used   by   the   trial   court   overstated 



George's contributions to Olga's and Linda's support. We remand so that the trial court 



                                                  -11-                                  6797
 


----------------------- Page 12-----------------------

can tailor its decision to the unique facts of this case when calculating the amount of 



support that George provided.15 



        C.      The Trial Proceedings Did Not Violate Due Process. 



                Olga challenges the result below on two procedural grounds:                  her lack of 



an interpreter and the poor quality of her telephone connection.   Although she does not 



cite any legal authority for these arguments, we will treat them as allegations that the trial 



proceedings failed to satisfy due process. 



                First, Olga contends that she had difficulty communicating with the trial 



court and that she should have been provided a Russian interpreter.  She does not direct 



us to any point in the record where she made such a request, but we review the issue for 



plain error.16 



                Whether to appoint an interpreter is dependent on a number of factors, 



including   "[the   party's]   ability   to   understand   English,   [the   party's]   ability   to   speak 



English, the nature of the issues to be litigated, and the anticipated complexity or subtlety 



of the trial testimony."17     These factors are best weighed in the first instance by the trial 



court   in   the   exercise   of   its   discretion. The   record   in   this   case   shows   that   despite 



occasional misunderstandings between Olga and the trial court, she comprehended and 



        15      Because we remand for a recalculation of Richard's support obligation, 



Olga's appeal from the trial court's denial of her motion to alter or amend the judgment 

under Civil Rule 59 is moot.   We leave it to the trial court's discretion as to whether, on 

remand, it will consider the evidence that Olga tardily submitted with that motion. 



        16      In re Tammy J. , 270 P.3d 805, 810 n.9 (Alaska 2012) ("[A]pro se  litigant 



who fails to raise an issue below should not be able to raise the issue on appeal absent 

plain error." (quoting Maness v. Daily , 184 P.3d 1, 9 n.25 (Alaska 2008))). 



        17       Vui Gui Tsen v. State, 176 P.3d 1, 8 (Alaska App. 2008) (citing Nur v. 



State, 869 N.E.2d 472, 478-79 (Ind. App. 2007)). 



                                                   -12-                                   6797
 


----------------------- Page 13-----------------------

reacted to the testimony being given, spoke cogently on her own behalf, and was able to 



make   herself   understood.        On   those   few   occasions   when   the   trial   judge   appeared 



confused by something Olga said, he asked her to repeat herself and she did so.  Her pro 



se   pleadings     do   not   demonstrate      any   significant    difficulty   with   written    English. 



Although we encourage trial courts to assess the need for interpreters for pro se litigants 



even in the absence of any formal request, the record in this case shows no abuse of the 



trial court's discretion in failing to provide one sua sponte. 



                 Second, Olga argues that disruptions in her telephone connection during the 



trial caused her to miss relevant testimony and caused the trial court to misunderstand 



some of the evidence. We reject this argument as well.  Olga initially had trouble calling 



in, but the court did not take any testimony until she had been connected.  A subsequent 



phone disruption occurred during George's testimony, but the substance of the testimony 



was repeated after the connection was reestablished, and Olga was given the opportunity 



to cross-examine, which she declined.18           And although the trial judge on occasion asked 



speakers to repeat themselves because of the erratic quality of the telephone connection, 



there is no evidence that he ultimately   failed to hear or understand any evidence or 



             19 

argument. 



        18       There were also phone disruptions during Richard's discussion of case law 



and    the   trial  judge's    oral  decision.    Neither    disruption    caused     Olga   to   miss   the 

presentation of evidence. 



        19       Olga also contends that George's testimony was improperly admitted and 



should be stricken from the record because he was not a party.                George's testimony was 

plainly relevant to the main issue in the case, the amount of any offsets against Richard's 

obligation of support, and the trial court properly admitted it over Olga's objection. 



                                                   -13-                                    6797
 


----------------------- Page 14-----------------------

V.     CONCLUSION 



              For these reasons, we VACATE the trial court's order and REMAND for 



findings consistent with this opinion. 



                                          -14-                             6797
 


----------------------- Page 15-----------------------

CARPENETI, Justice, concurring. 



                I   concur   in   this   court's   conclusion   that   the   superior   court's   "fractional 



calculations," which assigned either half or two-thirds of George's entire earnings and 



expenditures to Olga's support (depending on whether Linda lived with Richard or Linda 



lived with Olga), on the assumption that Olga was living with George, failed to account 



for evidence that George's support was sporadic and variable due   to   the significant 



disruptions in Olga's and Linda's living arrangements.                 But I would not reverse the 



superior     court's   conclusion     that  George's     contributions     were    sufficient   to  offset 



Richard's support obligation if the superior court had made specific findings, based on 



evidence in the record, that the totals spent by George for Olga's benefit were sufficient 



to meet the federal standard when added to other sources of support from Richard. 



                I reach this conclusion because George's testimony, which the superior 



court appears to have accepted, included the declarations that he paid for "about six 



months" or "at least six months" of hotel bills at $1,600 per month for a total of $9,600; 



two months of apartment costs totaling $2,200; 12 months of phone costs at $130 per 



month totaling $1,560; four months of electric bills at $35 per month totaling $140; and 



food either "all through the year" or starting in "March, April, May, whatever" at about 



$400 per month totaling at least $2,400.             Adding even the lower of the sets of these 



figures   to   the   miscellaneous   offsets   found     by   the   court   (Olga's   earnings   of   $175, 



Richard's payments of $1,458, and Richard's support after he relinquished guardianship 



and before the end of 2010 at a "minimum" of $275), the total of $17,808 exceeds the 



amount Richard was required to pay under 8 U.S.C.  1183(a)(1)(A), $16,112. 



                Thus,   while   I   conclude   that   the   record   could   have   supported   findings 



sufficient to support the superior court's judgment, a remand is appropriate to allow that 



court in the first instance to make such specific findings. 



                                         -15-                                              6797
 

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