Opinion ID: 460232
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Reimbursement of Expenses

Text: 36 Of the $48,869.42 in total expenses that Shea requested in reimbursements, the court granted $38,011.36 or 78 percent. Most of the disallowed expenses were attributable to secretarial or messenger overtime, and for taxi fare and meals during overtime work, because the court determined that these expenses were normally subsumed in overhead. In addition, in the case of the DPU proceedings, the court denied reimbursement for travel expenses between Washington, D.C., and Boston on days of prehearing conferences that the court determined Shea should not have attended. 37 In determining what expenses should be awarded, a court must apply a test of reasonableness and necessity. Palmigiano v. Garrahy, 707 F.2d 636, 637 (1st Cir.1983). It is well-established in awarding fees in a civil rights case that certain out-of-pocket costs incurred by the plaintiffs' attorneys, including transportation, lodging, parking, food and telephone expenses can be reimbursed as reasonable and necessary costs and expenses. Id. at 637. We see no reason not to grant reimbursement of overtime expenses here, particularly when the general practice of firms both in Washington and in Boston is to bill the cost of overtime to the client whose matters necessitated it. As for the expenses incurred during travel to Boston, since we have approved Shea's attendance at the pretrial hearings as within the bounds of reason, we also approve the reimbursement of expenses associated with those visits.