Case Name: CITY BANK AND TRUST COMPANY v. KWASKE BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1977-09-07
Citations: 78 Mich. App. 158
Docket Number: Docket No. 30246
Parties: CITY BANK AND TRUST COMPANY v KWASKE BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Judges: Before: M. J. Kelly, P. J., and Allen and D. E. Holbrook, Jr., JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 78
Pages: 158–163

Head Matter:
CITY BANK AND TRUST COMPANY v KWASKE BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
Opinion of the Court
1. Garnishment — Costs—Summary Judgment — Court Rules.
The court rule pertaining to costs in a garnishment proceeding controls over other subsections of the same general court rule whenever a garnishment action is involved; where a garnishment action ends in summary judgment the more specific rule pertaining to costs in a garnishment proceeding controls and the subsection covering costs in summary judgments is inapplicable (GCR 1963, 526.7, 526.9[1]).
2. Garnishment — Attorney Fees — Garnishment Expenses — Court Rules.
A judge in garnishment proceedings, where the issue of the garnishee’s liability to the principal defendant is not brought to trial, may award the garnishee as costs against the plaintiff such reasonable attorney’s fees as the garnishee incurred in filing his disclosure and other necessary expenses; this rule does not limit attorney fees to those incurred in filing the disclosure, but permits these fees as well as other necessary expenses incurred by attorney and client alike (GCR 1963, 526.9[1]).
Dissent by M. J. Kelly, P: J.
3. Garnishment — Attorney Fees — Express Authorization — Limitation of Fees — Court Rules.
Attorney fees are not generally recoverable unless expressly authorized by statute or court rule, and where a court rule departs from the usual catchall phrase of "including reasonable attorney fees” and speaks instead of fees actually incurred in fíling a disclosure in a garnishment action, the court contemplated less than all reasonable attorney fees and limited the fees recoverable to only those incurred in the Sling of the disclosure (GCR 1963, 526.9[1]).
References for Points in Headnotes
[1-5] 6 Am Jur 2d, Attachment and Garnishment § 407.
20 Am Jur 2d, Courts §§ 82-86.
4. Courts — Court Rules — Interpretation—Construction.
Court rules must be read according to the plain language of the rule, giving effect to the meaning of the words as they ought to have been understood by those who adopted them; a court rule should be interpreted so that every word, phrase, clause, and sentence of the provision to be construed must be given force and effect and no word, phrase, or clause should be rendered nugatory.
5. Garnishment — Costs—Attorney Fees — Garnishment Expenses— Other Necessary Expenses — Court Rules.
The court rule governing garnishment costs states, "such reasonable attorney fees as the garnishee incurred in ñling his disclosure and other necessary expenses”, the phrase "other necessary expenses” refers to the expenses of the garnishee and should not be interpreted as expanding attorney fees recoverable beyond the fees incurred in Sling the disclosure (GCR 1963, 526.9[1]).
Appeal from Jackson, Charles Falahee, J.
Submitted May 10, 1977, at Lansing.
(Docket No. 30246.)
Decided September 7, 1977.
In lieu of leave to appeal, reversed and remanded to the circuit court, 402 Mich —.
Complaint by City Bank and Trust Company against Kwaske Brothers Construction Company, Gerald Kwaske, Kathleen Kwaske, Eugene Kwaske, Jane Kwaske, and Ernest L. Kwaske for repayment of money loaned. Summary judgment for plaintiff. A writ of garnishment was served by plaintiff against Brooks Abstract Company seeking funds allegedly held for defendants. Capital Savings & Loan Association, Lawyers Title Insurance Company and Honey Brook Company were added as necessary parties. Writ dismissed. Plaintiff appeals. Affirmed, 69 Mich App 271. Order issued allowing Brooks Abstract Company costs and attorney fees. City Bank and Trust Company appeals this order.
Affirmed.
Dykema, Gossett, Spencer, Goodnow & Trigg (by John H. Schomer), for City Bank and Trust Company.
Cummins & Cummins, for Brooks Abstract Company.
Before: M. J. Kelly, P. J., and Allen and D. E. Holbrook, Jr., JJ.

Opinion:
D. E. Holbrook, Jr., J.
City Bank and Trust Company appeals an order of the lower court allowing costs and attorney's fees of $3,731.20 in favor of Brooks Abstract Company. A detailed recounting of the facts in this case appears in City Bank & Trust Co v Kwaske Brothers Construction Co, 69 Mich App 271; 244 NW2d 443 (1976). Suffice it to say for purposes of this case that the garnishee defendant, Brooks Abstract Company, prevailed via summary judgment in the lower court to the effect that there was a finding of no liability to the principal defendant.
The taxation of costs from the garnishment proceedings is the issue to which we address ourselves. In doing so, we affirm the result reached by the lower court.
The applicable court rule, GCR 1963, 526.9, pertaining to costs in a garnishment proceeding, controls over other subsections of GCR 526 whenever a garnishment action is involved. Plaintiff urges us to apply subsection 526.7 (Costs on Summary Judgment) on the premise that even though this case is a garnishment proceeding it did, in fact, end in summary judgment. A holding of that sort would contravene the general rule followed by Michigan courts that the more specific rule controls. See Reed v Secretary of State, 327 Mich 108; 41 NW2d 491 (1950). Accordingly we find that 526.9 was correctly called into application.
Within 526.9(1) plaintiff argues that attorney's fees should be limited to those incurred in filing the disclosure. Instead we understand the court rule as permitting those fees as well as other necessary expenses incurred by attorney and client alike.
Affirmed.
Allen, J., concurred.
".9 Costs in Garnishment Proceedings. Costs in garnishment proceedings shall be allowed as in civil actions. The judge in awarding costs may
"(D in case the issue of the garnishee's liability to the principal defendant is not brought to trial, award the garnishee as costs against the plaintiff such reasonable attorney's fees as the garnishee incurred in filing his disclosure and other necessary expenses."