Opinion ID: 2205569
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Are the Peace Officers Entitled to Interest on Their Damages From the Date of Filing Their Action in State Court?

Text: On December 5, 2002, the district court entered part one of its order awarding damages to the peace officers under the FLSA. In the same order, the district court did not allow any damages under Iowa Code chapter 91A. On December 13, 2002, the peace officers filed a motion to amend or enlarge ruling, requesting the court to award statutory interest at the rate of ten percent from the date of filing under chapter 91A. In its motion to amend or enlarge ruling, the peace officers did not ask the court to enter judgment on their chapter 91A claim. On January 13, 2003, the district court overruled the peace officers' motion to amend or enlarge ruling, concluding it could not award prejudgment interest under chapter 91A because it did not award any damages under chapter 91A. [4] On January 28, 2003, the district court entered judgment for the peace officers with interest to run from the date of the entry of its judgment. At common law, judgments did not bear interest. Arnold v. Arnold, 258 Iowa 850, 854, 140 N.W.2d 874, 877 (1966). Interest on judgments is statutory. The statute applicable to the award of interest provides in relevant part: Interest shall be allowed on all money due on judgments and decrees of the courts at the rate of ten percent per year.... [T]he interest shall accrue from the date of the commencement of the action.... Iowa Code § 535.3 (1997). The peace officers argue the district court should have awarded prejudgment interest under chapter 91A in accordance with Iowa Code section 535.3. The fallacy of this argument is the district court did not award the peace officers any damages under chapter 91A. Therefore, we cannot award prejudgment interest under section 535.3 to an award of damages the district court did not make. The peace officers did not contest the district court's failure to award damages under chapter 91A in the district court. Failure to present this issue in the district court proceeding precludes the peace officers from raising the issue on appeal. Metz v. Amoco Oil Co., 581 N.W.2d 597, 600 (Iowa 1998).