Opinion ID: 2613237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: appellate fees and rap 18.1

Text: The unpublished Court of Appeals decision in Fetzer I stated both that Dwight's was not entitled to attorneys fees because it did not prevail in the action for purposes of RCW 4.28.185(5), and that Dwight's would not have been entitled to attorneys fees on appeal because of Dwight's' failure to comply with RAP 18.1. That court denied the appellate fees because Dwight's had failed to file an affidavit detailing its expenses 7 days prior to oral argument, as required by former RAP 18.1(c). Dwight's had, however, served on opposing counsel such an affidavit 3 months before oral argument and filed the same affidavit with the appellate court on the day of oral argument. This court directed the trial court on remand to determine what, if any, award Dwight's is entitled to for its appellate efforts. Fetzer I, at 124-25. The trial court denied Dwight's' lawyers' request for attorneys fees for their work at the Court of Appeals level for failure to comply with RAP 18.1. [11] Generally, strict compliance with RAP 18.1(c) is required. Donovick v. Seattle-First Nat'l Bank, 111 Wn.2d 413, 418, 757 P.2d 1378 (1988). Dwight's contends that its failure to comply strictly with former RAP 18.1(c) was due to a miscommunication between Washington and Texas counsel, and that this technical oversight should not be the basis for denying its fees for work in the Court of Appeals. However, the case law is replete with examples of attorneys fees being denied for failure to timely submit an affidavit of expenses. See, e.g., Kreidler v. Eikenberry, 111 Wn.2d 828, 841, 766 P.2d 438 (1989); Nate Leasing Co. v. Wiggins, 114 Wn.2d 508, 521-22, 789 P.2d 89 (1990); Mason v. Mortgage Am., Inc., 114 Wn.2d 842, 856, 792 P.2d 142 (1990). The trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to allow appellate fees for failure to comply strictly with former RAP 18.1(c).