Opinion ID: 874219
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Is Bank Entitled to an Award of Attorney Fees on Appeal?

Text: Bank has requested an award of attorney fees on appeal. Its entire request and supporting argument is as follows: If found to be the prevailing party, Respondent requests an award of attorney's fees on appeal pursuant to I.A.R. 41, I.A.R. 35(b)(5), I.R.C.P. 54(e)(1), I.C. § 12-120(3) and/or I.C. § 12-121. I.C. § 12-120(3) allows for the prevailing party to recover reasonable attorney's fees in any action to recover on a contract. I.C. § 12-120(3) mandates an award of attorney's fees on appeal as well as in the trial court. Respondent's [sic] recovered it [sic] Judgment in the district court on its action for Breach of Contract. Accordingly, Respondent would be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees if found to be the prevailing on appeal. We have repeatedly held that we will not consider a request for attorney fees on appeal that is not supported by legal authority or argument. Bream v. Benscoter, 139 Idaho 364, 369, 79 P.3d 723, 728 (2003). Attorney fees are awardable only where they are authorized by statute or contract, id., or by court rule, Gibson v. Ada County Sheriff's Office, 147 Idaho 491, 496-97, 211 P.3d 100, 105-06 (2009) (granting request for attorney fees pursuant to Idaho Appellate Rule 11.1 (now 11.2)). We will separately address each of the grounds for Bank's requested attorney fee award. First, Bank cites Idaho Appellate Rule 41. That rule sets forth the procedure for awarding attorney fees in appeals before this Court, but does not provide authority to award attorney fees. Swanson v. Kraft, Inc., 116 Idaho 315, 322, 775 P.2d 629, 636 (1989). It next cites Idaho Appellate Rule 35(b)(5). Rule 35 does not provide authority for the award of attorney fees. Trilogy Network Systems, Inc. v. Johnson, 144 Idaho 844, 848, 172 P.3d 1119, 1123 (2007). Bank also cites Rule 54(e)(1) of the Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure. That rule does not provide any authority for awarding attorney fees. It states that the court in any civil action may award the prevailing party reasonable attorney fees when provided for by any statute or contract. Furthermore, it only governs the procedure in the district courts and magistrate's divisions of the district courts, Idaho R. Civ. P. 1(a), not the procedure on appeal to this Court. In its request for attorney fees, Bank writes, I.C. § 12-120(3) allows for the prevailing party to recover reasonable attorney's fees in any action to recover on a contract. Bank misstates that statute. If the party is claiming that a statute provides authority for an award of attorney fees, the party must cite to the statute and, if applicable, the specific subsection of the statute upon which the party relies. Bream, 139 Idaho at 369, 79 P.3d at 728. The applicable portion of the statute provides, In any civil action to recover on ... [a] contract relating to the purchase or sale of goods, wares, merchandise, or services ..., the prevailing party shall be allowed a reasonable attorney's fee to be set by the court, to be taxed and collected as costs. Bank has not provided any argument that this action fits within the provisions of the statute, and merely misstating the statute's wording is not sufficient to support an award of attorney fees on appeal. Finally, Bank cites Idaho Code § 12-121. In Carroll v. MBNA America Bank, 148 Idaho 261, 270, 220 P.3d 1080, 1089 (2009) (citation omitted), we held: A citation to statutes and rules authorizing fees, without more, is insufficient. Although MBNA cited to the above statutory fees provisions, it submitted no argument in its brief as to why fees should be awarded under either I.C. § 12-120(3) or I.C. § 12-121. Thus, we decline to award attorneys fees to MBNA on appeal. Bank's mere citation of Idaho Code § 12-121 is insufficient. Therefore, we decline to award Bank attorney fees on appeal.