Opinion ID: 2639104
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Issue 3: Is interest available in actions for declaratory relief?

Text: The Krigels claim that the district court was correct but, in the alternative, for the wrong reason, citing National Inspection & Repair, Inc., 274 Kan. 825, Syl. ¶ 3 (A district court's decision that reaches the right result will be upheld on appeal even though it relied upon the wrong ground or assigned erroneous reasons for its decision.). Specifically, they contend the statutory interest rates are inapplicable to this case because the judgment of the trial court was for declaratory relief only. Krigels rely upon Greenhaw v. Board of Johnson County Comm'rs, 245 Kan. 67, 774 P.2d 956 (1989). This court in Greenhaw did not state the broad proposition that a declaratory judgment could not bear interest as a money judgment. We in fact affirmed the district court, which had awarded postjudgment interest on a declaratory judgment. 245 Kan. at 75. Furthermore, we need not decide whether Kansas or Missouri law applies because interest in Missouri has been awarded on declaratory judgments when, as here, the right to money has been determined. American Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Nigl, 123 S.W.3d 297, 301-02 (2003). Krigels also cite two Ohio cases, Jeppe v. Blue Cross, 67 Ohio App. 2d 87, 425 N.E.2d 947 (1980), and Johnson v. Burgins, 103 Ohio App. 3d 584, 660 N.E.2d 525 (1995). This court in Greenhaw found Jeppe distinguishable and unpersuasive. 245 Kan. at 70. The Jeppe court affirmed a district court's denial of interest on a judgment because no money judgment of a definite amount was rendered. 67 Ohio App. 2d at 93. By contrast, in the instant case the judgment awarded control of a definite amount of money  $1.5 million. Jeppe therefore is not persuasive. Similarly, the issue in Burgins was whether the judgment was a money judgment which was definite in amount. Burgins therefore is also not persuasive. Krigels finally cite Pan American Petroleum Corporation v. Cities Service Gas Co., 191 Kan. 511, 382 P.2d 645 (1963), for the proposition that there is a difference between money judgments and judgments for only declaratory relief. While this may be true, the court in Pan Am. Petroleum Corporation never even mentions the application of judgment interest to this difference. The declaratory judgment in the present case awarded control of a definite amount of money to ARY after ARY had been deprived of its use for over 1 year. Under those circumstances, interest is allowed under Kansas and Missouri law.