Opinion ID: 870353
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Coupe IICoupe's Request for Statutory Damages Associated With its First Appeal

Text: On January 20, 2009, Coupe filed with this court its Request for Statutory Damages incurred by Coupe during its appeal in Coupe I [hereinafter Coupe II Request]. County of Hawai'i v. C & J Coupe Family Ltd. P'ship, 120 Hawai'i 400, 403, 208 P.3d 713, 716 (2009) [hereinafter, Coupe II ]. On January 30, 2009, the County filed its memorandum in opposition to the Coupe II Request. Id. Oceanside joined the County's memorandum in opposition and also filed a separate memorandum in opposition to the Coupe II request. Id. Pursuant to this court's order, on February 19, 2009, Coupe filed a Response to the County's and Oceanside's objections ( Coupe II Response), and on March 2, 2009, the County filed its Reply, in which Oceanside joined. Id. As to statutory damages, Coupe asked for $45,383.50 in attorneys' fees plus $2,098.07 in general excise tax[es] on those fees, $5,775.59 in costs, and prejudgment interest on those fees and costs in the amount of $1,900.35, all of which it claim[ed] to have incurred pursuant to its appeal in Condemnation 1[,] and [i]n addition to those fees and costs, [Coupe] request[ed] that it recover for the fees and costs incurred in preparing the [ Coupe II ] Request and the court-ordered [ Coupe II ] Response. Id. On March 5, 2009, Coupe filed an Errata to Responses to Objections re: Request for Statutory Damages (Errata) purportedly to correct certain errors in the [ Coupe II ] Request and in the [ Coupe II ] Response. Id. The Errata revised the amount of the attorneys' fees requested to $44,696.88, which include[d the] amount incurred in preparing [Coupe's Coupe II Request.] Id. The Errata also included an additional request for $6,424.50 in attorneys' fees and $259.69 in excise tax on the attorneys' fees for preparation of the [ Coupe II ] Response itself. Id. at 415, 208 P.3d at 728. In Coupe II, this court held that (1) HRS § 101-27 provide[d] a proper basis for fees and costs incurred on appeal in Condemnation 1, id. at 405, 208 P.3d at 718, (2) this court [was] the appropriate venue in which to request fees and cost incurred on appeal, id. at 406, 208 P.3d at 719, (3) the rates claimed in the Coupe II Request appeared reasonable, id., (4) Coupe was entitled to $25,676.21 in fees, $1,105.67 in excise tax, [9] and $1,206.35 in costs, [10] id. at 415, 208 P.3d at 728, (5) Coupe was not entitled to certain attorneys' fees in the amount of $12,220.06 because it was not clear that [the fees] were related in their entirety to [Coupe]'s successful appeal of Condemnation 1[,] id. at 415 n. 12, 208 P.3d at 728 n. 12, (6) Coupe was not entitled to any prejudgment interest, id. at 411, 208 P.3d at 724, (7) Coupe was not entitled to costs associated with legal research[,] messenger fees/courier fees[,] and [] one-half of the claimed photocopying costs[,] id. at 415, 208 P.3d at 728, and (8) Coupe was not entitled to its attorneys' fees, excise taxes, and costs associated with preparing the Coupe II Request and Coupe II Response, id.