Lining up controls--preventing staggered or offset display

[tyemm]

I've got a detail section with several subreports down the left side, i.e., each above the other, and individual (detail) record fields on the right side of the detail section. Every control is set to grow/shrink as needed. But I'm still getting a stagger or offset, depending on the exact location I place the detail record controls. What I want is this:

RecordID RecordDetailInfo
subReport1 RecordDetailInfo(con't, if needed)
subReport2 RecordDetailInfo (con't, if needed)
subReport3 RecordDetailInfo (con't, if needed), etc.

What I'm getting is stuff like this:

RecordID RecordDetailInfo
subReport1 RecordDetailInfo(con't, if needed)
RecordDetailInfo(con't, if needed)
RecordDetailInfo(con't, if needed)
subReport2
subReport3, etc.

I get other versions of this staggered display, as I tweak the location (top) of various controls, but is there one way (group?) to force this?
Tom