Opinion ID: 1914643
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Attorney Fees Under Common Fund Doctrine.

Text: [9] Finally, appellants claim the district court erred in failing to award them costs and attorney fees under the common fund doctrine. The determination of whether the common fund doctrine applies is a question of law, with respect to which this court must reach a conclusion independent of the trial court's ruling. Kindred v. City of Omaha Emp. Ret. Sys., 252 Neb. 658, 564 N.W.2d 592 (1997); In re Estate of Stull, 8 Neb. App. 301, 593 N.W.2d 18 (1999). An explanation of the common fund doctrine is found in Summerville v. North Platte Valley Weather Control Dist., 171 Neb. 695, 696-97, 107 N.W.2d 425, 427 (1961), wherein we stated: [W]here one has gone into a court of equity and, taking the risk of litigation on himself, has created or preserved or protected a fund in which others are entitled to share, such others will be required to contribute their share to the reasonable costs and expenses of the litigation, including reasonable fees to the litigant's counsel. We have also stated: `An attorney who renders services in recovering or preserving a fund, in which a number of persons are interested, may in equity be allowed his compensation out of the whole fund, only where his services are rendered on behalf of, and are a benefit to, the common fund.' Kindred v. City of Omaha Emp. Ret. Sys., 252 Neb. at 662, 564 N.W.2d at 595 (quoting United Services Automobile Assn. v. Hills, 172 Neb. 128, 109 N.W.2d 174 (1961)). Our prior rulings make it clear that the common fund doctrine presupposes the existence of a fund. Dennis v. State, 234 Neb. 427, 445, 451 N.W.2d 676, 687 (1990) (quoting United Nursing Homes v. McNutt, 35 Wash. App. 632, 669 P.2d 476 (1983)), reversed on other grounds sub nom. Dennis v. Higgins, 498 U.S. 439, 111 S. Ct. 865, 112 L. Ed. 2d 969 (1991). In Dennis, we determined that an attorney whose efforts resulted in a finding that a taxation statute was unconstitutional could not recover a fee payable out of all tax refunds which were due as a result of the ruling, because no common fund existed. [10] Similarly, there is no evidence establishing the existence of a fund in the present litigation. Appellants' mere reference to a saving of tax dollars will not suffice. We have reviewed the record in the instant case, and nothing in the record on appeal demonstrates that appellants created, preserved, or protected a fund of money. Absent a fund, the common fund doctrine is inapplicable. Accordingly, we conclude that appellants' claim for costs and attorney fees under the common fund doctrine is without merit.