Opinion ID: 880164
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: R.C.P. 54(e)(3)(A)-(L).

Text: 5 addressed only one of the Rule 54(e)(3) factors “and asserted that the fees were ‘reasonably and necessarily incurred.’” 141 Idaho at 435, 111 P.3d at 120. The Court held that “[t]hese statements, plus the billing sheets showing how much was billed, do not equip the court with enough information to arrive at a reasonable award.” Id. In another case, this Court vacated a district court’s award of attorney fees where the party claiming fees refused to provide the attorney’s time sheets, holding that “a party seeking an award of attorney fees can claim privilege and not give up their time sheets, but it will foreclose an award of attorney fees because it prevents the trial court from properly determining the amount of the award.” Sun Valley Potato Growers, 139 Idaho at 769, 86 P.3d at 483 (citing Hackett v. Streeter, 109 Idaho 261, 264, 706 P.2d 1372, 1375 (Ct. App. 1985)). The Court explained that: If we require the trial court to consider the enumerated factors in rule 54(e)(3), then it logically follows as a corollary that the court must have sufficient information at its disposal concerning those factors. Some information may come from the court’s own knowledge and experience, some may come from the record of the case, but some obviously can only be supplied by the attorney of the party who is requesting the fee award. Id. (quoting Hackett, 109 Idaho at 264, 706 P.2d at 1375). Thus, because a court must consider all of the Rule 54(e)(3) factors before awarding attorney fees, those fees are properly denied where the party claiming them does not provide the information necessary to permit the court to evaluate all of the factors. Bailey argues that he was not required to provide time records because the fee agreement completely describes the basis for the fee and thus the 54(e)(3) factors are inconsistent with the fee agreement and do not apply. However, Rule 54(e)(8) provides that the attorney fee provisions of Rule 54(e) apply only to the extent they are not inconsistent with the statute or contract that entitles the claimant to the fee award. In this case, the basis for Bailey’s claim for attorney fees is not the contract, it is Idaho Code § 15-3-720. The contract between Bailey and his attorney simply defines the attorney-client relationship and provides that Bailey will pay a fee, determined by his attorney, “based upon what [the attorney] believe[s] the services to be reasonably worth, and not based upon an hourly basis.” The statute provides the authority for the award of fees, and Rule 54(e) is not inconsistent with Idaho Code § 15-3-720 because the statute does not provide a means of determining a reasonable amount of fees. Therefore, we hold that the trial court was required to consider all of the factors, including the attorney’s time and labor. 6 This Court has held that precise and detailed time records are not always required in order for the trial court to consider the time and labor factor. For example, we affirmed an award of attorney fees where the award was challenged on the ground that the trial court could not properly consider I.R.C.P. 54(e)(3)(A) because the attorney did not submit time records. Parsons v. Mut. of Enumclaw Ins. Co., 143 Idaho 743, 748, 152 P.3d 614, 619 (2007). In that case, the attorney and client had a contingent fee agreement and therefore the attorney did not keep detailed time records. Id. However, the attorney provided the court an estimate of the total amount of time he spent representing the client, thereby permitting the court to consider the time and labor factor. Id. Here, the magistrate court concluded, as a matter of law, that its determination of whether the claimed attorney fees were reasonable required it to consider all of the factors of I.R.C.P. 54(e)(3). The court also determined that without some indication of the time the attorney spent providing the services on which the fees were based, it could not properly consider the time and labor factor of Rule 54(e)(3)(A). Significantly, the trial court’s order did not expressly require time sheets, it required only that Bailey “specifically outline the basis for the claimed fees and [provide] specific information regarding the value of particular services provided.” The district court, in affirming the magistrate court, also recognized that Bailey “could have possibly shown that the fees were reasonable through some means other than time logs.” Unlike in Parsons, Bailey did not provide even an estimate of the total time, nor any other information that would have permitted the trial court to determine the basis upon which the fee was calculated, and thus its reasonableness. 3 Instead, like the claimant in Lettunich, Bailey asked the trial court to make an award of attorney fees based upon his attorney’s assertion that the fee was reasonable. 4 And, 3 In this case, neither the Beneficiaries, nor the magistrate court, nor the district court dispute that Bailey is entitled to attorney fees. The only issue is whether the claimed amount is reasonable. We recognize that because the issue is merely the reasonableness of the fee amount, equity would normally dictate that Bailey be given an opportunity to submit additional information. However, the magistrate court in this case already gave him that opportunity. The magistrate court’s original order required Bailey to submit a memorandum of costs. Upon the Beneficiaries’ challenge to the memorandum of costs, the magistrate court gave Bailey another opportunity, ordering him to resubmit the memorandum with specific information about the value of the legal services, in compliance with 54(e)(3). Bailey and his attorney made no effort to comply with the order, again asserting that the fee agreement controls. We find it unnecessary to provide Bailey with another opportunity to comply. 4 We note that this is not the first time Bailey’s attorney, Mr. Reeves, has asserted that his fees are per se reasonable. In Frazee v. Frazee, this Court noted that “the record here indicates that Reeves merely sent a bill to his client, and that when such bill was not paid, Reeves attempted collection thereof from the opposing party . . . Reeves asserts that he may claim any sum in fees without the necessity of proving the reasonableness of such fees in an adjudicative process and that he may then levy against the property of the opposing party, who is a total stranger to the contract under which Reeves claims money.” 104 Idaho 463, 465, 660 P.2d 928, 930 (1983). We declined in that 7 just as in Sun Valley Potato Growers, the lack of time sheets in this case prevented the trial court from properly determining the reasonableness of the attorney’s fee. We therefore affirm the district court’s order affirming the judgment of the magistrate court. B. Neither party is entitled to attorney fees on appeal. Both Bailey and the Beneficiaries seek attorney fees on appeal pursuant to Idaho Code § 12-121. Under section 12-121, only the prevailing party is entitled to attorney fees on appeal. This Court has stated that attorney fees on appeal are awarded under this statute when the Court is “left with an abiding belief that the appeal was brought, pursued, or defended frivolously, unreasonably, or without foundation.” Schmechel v. Dillé, 148 Idaho 176, 188, 219 P.3d 1192, 1204 (2009) (citing Burns v. Baldwin, 138 Idaho 480, 487, 65 P.3d 502, 509 (2003)). Further, the party seeking fees must “support the claim with argument as well as authority.” Evans v. Sayler, 151 Idaho 223, 228, 254 P.3d 1219, 1224 (2011) (citing Crump v. Bromley, 148 Idaho 172, 176, 219 P.3d 1188, 1192 (2009)). Thus, a prevailing party that properly supports its request with both authority and argument may be awarded attorney fees when the appeal is frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation. In this case, neither party has supported its request for fees with any argument. The Beneficiaries merely cite to the statute and state that the appeal was brought “frivolously, unreasonably and without foundation.” Bailey provides even less argument, stating only that if he is the prevailing party, he “should be awarded his attorney’s fees on appeal, pursuant to § 12121 I.C.” Because neither party has provided argument in support of its claim, neither is entitled to attorney fees on appeal.