Opinion ID: 1800365
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: taxation of costs and disbursements

Text: Dr. Christianson filed an itemized statement of costs and disbursements totaling $19,648.09. The trial court disallowed some items and reduced some items, resulting in allowable costs and disbursements totaling $9,406.88. Christianson objects to the trial court's disallowance of his travel costs for depositions which were taken by Schwartz, the cost of transcripts of certain depositions, and a consultation fee and travel expenses for Dr. Rost for depositions at which he acted as an expert advisor to Christianson's attorney. He also objects to the trial court's refusal to allow an expert witness fee for Mr. Lundberg, who was the secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Bismarck Hospital, as well as general counsel for the hospital. The trial court determined that Lundberg testified in his capacity as secretary of the Board of Trustees, not as an expert. Schwartz objects to the trial court allowing Christianson's costs for phone calls, transportation, meals, lodging and a hotel meeting room incurred in connection with arranging and taking the depositions of two of Schwartz's expert witnesses in other states. He also objects to the amounts allowed for expert witness fees and travel expenses for Christianson's experts. Costs have been held to be a creature of statute. City of Fargo v. Annexation Review Commission, 148 N.W.2d 338 (N.D.1967). See also Rules 38 and 39, NDRAppP, and Rule 54, NDRCivP. Peterson v. Hart, 278 N.W.2d 133, 136 (N.D. 1979). Costs under § 28-26-06(2) for [t]he necessary expenses of taking depositions and of procuring evidence necessarily used or obtained for use on the trial, are within the trial court's discretion. See United Development Corp. v. State Highway Dep't, 133 N.W.2d 439, 445 (N.D.1965). If we had been the trial court there are some items we would have allowed and others we would have disallowed. We are not the trial court, however, and we cannot say that the disbursements allowed under § 28-26-06(2) involved an abuse of discretion. While we may not be in agreement with the amount of expert witness fees and expenses allowed by the trial court, § 28-26-06(5) provides that such matters are ... in the sole discretion of the trial court ... See Schmidt v. Plains Elec., Inc., 281 N.W.2d 794, 803 (N.D.1979). Actual expenses, including travel expenses, also may be allowed if they are reasonable. Peterson v. Hart, supra, 278 N.W.2d at 137. The judgment, the order denying the motion for new trial, and the order for costs and disbursements are affirmed. VANDE WALLE, Acting C. J., SAND, J., and LECLERC and HUNKE, District Judges, concur. LECLERC and HUNKE, District Judges, sitting in place of ERICKSTAD, C. J., and PAULSON, J., disqualified.