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No. SCAP-23-0000297, Thursday, June 20, 2024, 10 a.m.

No. SCAP-23-0000297, Thursday, June 20, 2024, 10 a.m.

GORDON M. ROBINSON; GORDON M. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KELLY K. ROBINSON; GORDON M. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KEOLA M. ROBINSON; JAMES CHARLES ROBINSON and LORRAINE OMPOY ROBINSON, Trustees of the JAMES CHARLES ROBINSON and LORRAINE OMPOY ROBINSON TRUST Dated December 20, 2007; JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for Rachel E. Robinson; JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KEALA C. ROBINSON, also known as Keala Calapini, also known as Keala Robinson; KEALA C. ROBINSON, also known as Keala Calapini, also known as Keala Robinson; JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KAWIKA J. ROBINSON; and JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for JEREMY C. ROBINSON, RACHEL E. ROBINSON, KAWIKA J. ROBINSON, JEREMY C. ROBINSON, KELLY K. ROBINSON, and KEOLA M. ROBINSON, Plaintiffs-Appellees, vs. CATHLEN C. ZARKO; CHRISTOPHER P. ZARKO; DONELLE N. ZARKO; LISA K. ZARKO; and PATRICK C. ZARKO, Defendants-Appellants, and  KYLE I. FORSYTHE; SHAWN K. FORSYTHE; SHANIN A. SADO; LAUREN E. FORSYTHE; GILES M. FORSYTHE; TANYA MARIE LOELANI ROBINSON AND WILLIAM ALBERT ROBINSON, Co-trustees Under the TANYA AND WILLIAM ROBINSON TRUST Dated November 27, 2006; AULANI M. DUSENBERRY; MALIA Y. BARROGA; GILES A.I. FORSYTHE AND ARNETTE FORSYTHE, Trustees Under the GILES A.I. FORSYTHE REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST Dated August 3, 2006; GILES A.I. FORSYTHE AND ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE, Trustees of the ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE REVOCABLE TRUST Dated August 3, 2006, Defendants-Appellees.  ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE and GILES A.I. FORSYTHE, as Trustees of the ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE REVOCABLE TRUST Dated August 3, 2006; ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE AND GILES A.I. FORSYTHE, as Trustees of the GILES A.I. FORSYTHE REVOCABLE TRUST Dated August 3, 2006; SHAWN K. FORSYTHE; LAUREN E. FORSYTHE; GILES M. FORSYTHE; KYLE I. FORSYTHE; and SHANIN A. SADO, Counter-Claimants-Appellees, vs. GORDON M. ROBINSON; GORDON M. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KELLY K. ROBINSON; GORDON M. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KEOLA M. ROBINSON; JAMES CHARLES ROBINSON AND LORRAINE OMPOY ROBINSON, Trustees of the JAMES CHARLES ROBINSON AND LORRAINE OMPOY ROBINSON TRUST Dated December 20, 2007; JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for RACHEL E. ROBINSON; JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KEALA C. ROBINSON, also known as Keala Calapini, also known as Keala Robinson; KEALA C. ROBINSON, also known as Keala Calapini, also known as Keala Robinson; JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for KAWIKA J. ROBINSON; and JAMES C. ROBINSON, as Custodian Under the Hawai‘i Uniform Transfer to Minors Act for JEREMY C. ROBINSON, RACHEL E. ROBINSON, KAWIKA J. ROBINSON, KELLY K. ROBINSON, and KEOLA M. ROBINSON, Counter-Defendants-Appellees.  ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE AND GILES A.I. FORSYTHE, as Trustees of the ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE REVOCABLE TRUST Dated August 3, 2006; ARNETTE R. FORSYTHE AND GILES A.I. FORSYTHE, as Trustees of the GILES A.I. FORSYTHE REVOCABLE TRUST Dated August 3, 2006; SHAWN K. FORSYTHE; LAUREN E. FORSYTHE; GILES M. FORSYTHE; KYLE I. FORSYTHE; and SHANIN A. SADO, Cross-Claimants-Appellees, vs. CATHLEEN C. ZARKO; CHRISTOPHER P. ZARKO; DONELLE N. ZARKO; LISA K. ZARKO; and PATRICK C. ZARKO, Cross-Defendants-Appellees, and TANYA MARIE LOELANI ROBINSON AND WILLIAM ALBERT ROBINSON, Co-trustees Under the TANYA AND WILLIAM ROBINSON TRUST Dated November 27, 2006; AULANI M. DUSENBERRY; and MALIA Y. BARROGA, Cross-Defendants-Appellees.

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The above-captioned case was also set for oral argument on the merits at:

Supreme Court Courtroom
Ali‘iōlani Hale, 2nd Floor
417 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The oral argument was livestreamed for public viewing via the Judiciary’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/hawaiicourts and ʻŌlelo Community Television.

Attorneys for Defendants-Appellants CATHLEN C. ZARKO, et al.:

     Robert G. Klein, Kurt W. Klein, David A. Robyak, and James M. Yuda of Klein Law Group LLLC

Attorney for Plaintiffs-Appellees GORDON M. ROBINSON, et al.:  

     Paul L. Horikawa

NOTE:     Order granting Application for Transfer, filed 01/12/24.

COURT:    Recktenwald, C.J., McKenna, Eddins, Ginoza, and Devens, JJ.

Brief Description:

This appeal arises from an action for partition of a single parcel of property located on Maui, owned in undivided tenancies in common by related family members. 

In the underlying action, Plaintiffs-Appellees filed a motion asking the court to “partition” the subject parcel pursuant to HRS § 668 by ordering the creation of a four-unit Condominium Property Regime (CPR) under HRS § 514B, which has been referred to as “partition by condominiumization.”  The circuit court granted Plaintiffs-Appellees’ motion and ordered the property be partitioned in kind by CPR.

This appeal was transferred from the ICA to this court.

In their appeal, Defendants-Appellants raise three main issues: (1) whether a Hawaiʻi court exercising equitable powers may lawfully partition a property under HRS § 668 by ordering the creation of a CPR; (2) whether the circuit court erred by imposing a CPR declaration and relationship upon the Defendants-Appellants; and (3) whether the court erred in not ordering the sale of the property and division of proceeds per HRS § 668 because partition in kind was impracticable, and the creation of a CPR greatly prejudiced the owners.