Opinion ID: 1198963
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Attorney's fees in the ejectment action

Text: In 1995 the superior court awarded the landowners $60,000 in Civil Rule 82 attorney's fees. Hayes challenges the award. Fees are awarded to the prevailing party. Alaska R. Civ. P. 82. A party does not have to prevail on all issues to be a prevailing party. Day v. Moore, 771 P.2d 436, 437 (Alaska 1989). The general rule under Civil Rule 82 is that the prevailing party is the party who has successfully prosecuted or defended against the action; it is the one who is successful on the main issue and the judgment entered. Id. We held above that it was error to order Hayes's ejectment. The landowners are consequently no longer the prevailing parties in the ejectment action. See In re Application for Water Rights, 891 P.2d 981, 984 (Colo. 1995) (In order to be the prevailing party, one must ... achieve some of the benefits sought by the litigation.). Consequently we vacate the fees award and remand for further proceedings.