Opinion ID: 1481116
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mr. Gazzola's award.

Text: Unfortunately, because we cannot discern from the record the trial court's rationale for awarding sanctions to Mr. Gazzola, we must vacate that portion of the order and remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings. In so doing, we note that in 2004, when the sanctions litigation was still proceeding under the Rule 11 framework, the trial court at first held open the possibility that Mr. Gazzola's fees would come from Ms. Jumper's estate  on the condition, that is, that Mr. Gazzola could show that he provided a benefit to Ms. Jumper's estate. After reviewing Mr. Gazzola's fee petition, however, the trial court found that Mr. Gazzola had not provided any services benefitting Ms. Jumper. The trial court also found, somewhat paradoxically, that Mr. Gazzola's services were reasonable and necessary in order to reach[] the final results, though the court did not explain which results it had in mind. Ultimately, the court ruled that Mr. Gazzola's fees would have to come from Messrs. Anderson and Rogers, not Ms. Jumper's estate. After remand, the trial court reinstated the sanctions award, but it did not explain why it was awarding sanctions to Mr. Gazzola. Indeed, in its July 1, 2008, Order, the trial court ruled that Mr. Gazzola was not entitled to sanctions at all. Without elaboration, however, the July 8, 2008, Order provided that Messrs. Anderson and Rogers were required to pay Mr. Gazzola $25,745.58. Although this amount plainly derives from Mr. Gazzola's March 2004 fee petition, the July 8, 2008, Order itself does not explain how the trial court arrived at the conclusion that Mr. Gazzola was entitled to the award. Nor does the July 8 Order distinguish between the amount of the award intended to sanction appellants for their pre-, as opposed to their post-filing conduct. As explained above, and in Jung, 844 A.2d at 1108, the distinction is crucial because when the court imposes sanctions under its inherent authority, the determination of both liability and the amount of sanctions may vary depending on whether the conduct at issue is the initiation of a frivolous lawsuit or the manner in which the suit is subsequently litigated. Further, although sanctions awarded pursuant to Rule 11 and sanctions awarded under the trial court's inherent authority may overlap in terms of the conduct that they address, see supra, note 7, the trial court's determination that Mr. Gazzola was entitled to fees under Rule 11 does not necessarily justify an award of sanctions under the court's inherent authority. See Jumper I, 909 A.2d at 176-77. Because the trial court's silence as to these issues precludes us from being able to conduct a meaningful review of that portion of the July 8, 2008 Order awarding fees to Mr. Gazzola, we must vacate that portion of that Order and remand for further proceedings. See Johnson v. United States, 398 A.2d 354 (D.C.1979) (Just as a trial court's action is an abuse of discretion if no valid reason is given or can be discerned for it, so also it is an abuse if the stated reasons do not rest upon a specific factual predicate.) (citation omitted). On remand, the trial court should determine, first, whether Mr. Gazzola has waived his interest in sanctions by withdrawing as a party from the appeals in this court, and, if he did not, the basis and the amount of Mr. Gazzola's award, if any.