Opinion ID: 2601940
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Attorney Fees for the Present Appeal

Text: The Hodgeses have also moved this court pursuant to Supreme Court Rules 5.01 (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 33) and 7.07 (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 60) for attorney fees incurred during the pendency of the appeal before this court. In an affidavit accompanying their motion for appellate attorney fees, counsel for the Hodgeses indicates that the total cost for bringing this matter before the Kansas Supreme Court was $4,106.50, which includes $3,780 in attorney services and $326.50 in other expenses (including copying charges, postage, and travel to Topeka). Although Johnson filed a response to the attorney-fees motion, his response objected to the grant of attorney fees in general because he did not believe the Hodgeses would be successful on appeal-not on counsel's accounting of attorney fees and other expenses. This court has authority to award attorney fees for services on appeal in cases where the district court had authority to award attorney fees. Supreme Court Rule 7.07(b) (2008 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 60). Because the district court was required under K.S.A. 61-2709(a) to award the Hodgeses reasonable attorney fees as the successful appellees from a small claims award, we have discretion to award attorney fees on appeal. We have considered the Hodgeses' motion with attachments and conclude that the attorney fees and costs requested are reasonable. We therefore grant the Hodgeses' request for reasonable attorney fees incurred during the pendency of their case before this court and award the Hodgeses $3,780 in attorney fees and $326.50 in other expenses. Since the district court erroneously denied the Hodgeses' request for reasonable attorney fees and we have determined that reasonable fees should be awarded under K.S.A. 61-2709(a), we remand the cause to the district court for an assessment of an appropriate award of attorney fees incurred during the litigation of the cause before that court. The Court of Appeals' decision reversing the district court is reversed. The district court's decision affirming the judgment in favor of the Hodgeses in the amount of $3,474, together with $56 in costs plus interest, is affirmed. The Hodgeses' motion for attorney fees incurred during the pendency of the case before this court is granted; we therefore award the Hodgeses $3,780 in attorney fees and $326.50 in other expenses. The district court's denial of the Hodgeses' request for attorney fees is reversed, and the case is remanded with directions for the district court to award the Hodgeses reasonable attorney fees incurred during litigation before that court. NUSS, J., not participating. LARSON, S.J., assigned. [1]