Opinion ID: 2622712
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the award of attorney fees must be modified

Text: The Rowes argue that the court erred (1) in awarding FSB more attorney's fees than it requested for the foreclosure action, (2) in awarding additional fees to FSB following foreclosure when no motion or explanation was made, and (3) in finding FSB complied with I.C. § 11-402 requiring an affidavit as proof in support of a fee request. In the original foreclosure action, FSB requested attorney's fees in the amount of $5,000 in the event of default or an exact amount to be proven at trial. FSB did not submit an affidavit in support of this request, but the district court awarded FSB $9,000 in attorney's fees. Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure 54(c) provides: A judgment by default shall not be different in kind from or exceed in amount that prayed for in the demand for judgment. The award of attorney fees is in excess of the amount prayed for in the demand for judgment. Judgment was taken by default. The award above $5,000 is vacated. The district court granted an additional $5,352.51 to FSB for fees incurred to collect on the judgment during the period of redemption. This request was supported by a memorandum of costs and attorney's fees which itemized the amount of time and rate for attorney and paralegal fees. The memorandum included affidavits that the fees were correct and incurred by FSB in furtherance of its writ of restitution action. The memorandum did not include information as to when or how the fees were earned. FSB attempted to file a supplemental affidavit further explaining the nature of these fees, but the district court refused to admit this affidavit on grounds it was filed fifty-seven days after the original memorandum and thus untimely. FSB's prior itemization was not detailed. [2] However, the district court was in a position to make a determination of the reasonableness of the amount having the number of hours and hourly rate before it. The award of fees and costs is affirmed. FSB argues that Pro Indivisio does not have standing to challenge the court's award of attorney's fees because it was assigned only the right of redemption and furthermore because the original foreclosure debt was left unsatisfied. Idaho Code § 11-402 specifically applies to both the judgment debtor and/or a redemptioner. As the redemptioner, Pro Indivisio was required to pay the attorney fees. Pro Indivisio has standing to challenge the award. FSB argues that the original foreclosure amount was left unsatisfied and therefore Pro Indivisio has failed to assert an identifiable injury. This assertion is without merit. FSB has failed to account for the $67,000 it received from a non-party in the foreclosure sale. Tract A was sold to a non-party for $67,000. When that sale is combined with the amount received from Pro Indivisio in redemption ($219,000.00 [3] ), the total amount received by FSB was $286,000.00. FSB's original judgment was for $286,415.51. Thus the actual amount left owing on the foreclosure judgment is $415.51.