Opinion ID: 2631860
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: attorney fees at trial

Text: The district court awarded attorney fees to the Larsens as the prevailing party based upon I.C. § 12-121 because the court determined that the Andersons' action was brought and pursued without foundation. The district judge noted that although the Andersons may have arguably demonstrated some of the prescribed elements for a prescriptive easement through the Larsen property, it was clear that none of these elements continued through the required five (5) year period. The Andersons challenge the district court's decision, arguing that the district court failed to specifically discuss, as is required by I.R.C.P. 54(e), why the evidence the Andersons presented was insufficient to meet the standards under I.C. § 12-121. We do not agree with the Andersons' position. The district court made extensive findings precisely as to why the award was made. After noting that I.C. § 12-121 allowed for the award of fees to the prevailing party and that the determination of the award was a discretionary call, the district court held: [I]t was not even a close call whether or not the Plaintiffs' alleged prescriptive use lasted for five (5) years. As the Court concluded in its Memorandum Decision and Order including Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, issued February 1, 2000, the Plaintiffs' alleged prescriptive use of the pathway in question did not begin until the summer of 1996 when Plaintiffs acquired ownership of their property in question. Plaintiffs filed this suit in June 1998, only two years later and far less than five (5) years as required by statute. The Plaintiffs knew or should have known of this deficiency in their case as is evidenced by a letter from Defendants' counsel to the Plaintiffs in early 1998. Furthermore, counsel for Plaintiffs knew or should have known the relative law [sic] to prescriptive easements and that five (5) years' prescriptive use was required to establish a prescriptive easement. As such, the Court concludes that this lawsuit was brought and pursued without foundation. Therefore, reasonable attorney fees are appropriate, and justice requires that the Plaintiffs bear the Defendants' cost of defending this lawsuit. It is utterly unfair to stick the Defendants with the costs of defending this suit when they did nothing wrong and were simply defending their property rights. Appellate review of an award for attorney fees under I.C. § 12-121 at the trial level is conducted by applying the three-part test explained in Sun Valley Shopping Center, Inc., v. Idaho Power Company, 119 Idaho 87, 803 P.2d 993 (1991). The sequence of our inquiry is: (1) whether the trial court perceived the issue as one of discretion; (2) whether the trial court acted within the boundaries of its discretion and consistently with the legal standards applicable to the specific choices available to it; and (3) whether the trial court reached its decision by an exercise of reason. These three criteria are clearly met in this case. The order awarding attorney fees to the Larsens is affirmed.