Opinion ID: 1325859
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the school district's appeal

Text: In its cross appeal, the School District contends the master erred in awarding statutory attorneys' fees to Kiriakides. We disagree. In the order ruling on Kiriakides's complaint, the master found that, because the School District abandoned its condemnation efforts, that part of the present litigation challenging its right to condemn has been rendered moot. Kiriakides filed a post-trial motion seeking a determination whether he was entitled to attorneys' fees, stating he had requested attorneys' fees in his complaint, but the issue was not addressed in the master's order. [3] After a hearing, the master issued an order on December 5, 2006, finding Kiriakides was entitled to attorneys' fees pursuant to section 28-2-510(C) of the South Carolina Code, which allows a landowner costs and fees in the event a condemnor abandons a condemnation action as follows: If the condemnor abandons or withdraws the condemnation action in the manner authorized by this chapter, the condemnee is entitled to reasonable attorney fees, litigation expenses, and costs as determined by the court. S.C.Code Ann. § 28-2-510(C) (2007) (emphasis added). The master concluded a reasonable fee would be $6,500, which fairly represents the portion of the fees in this case that were necessarily related to the issues of abandonment or withdrawal of the condemnation action by the Defendant. [4] On appeal, the School District contends this was error. The decision to award or deny attorneys' fees under a state statute will not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. Layman v. State, 376 S.C. 434, 444, 658 S.E.2d 320, 325 (2008). An abuse of discretion occurs when the conclusions of the trial court are either controlled by an error of law or are based on unsupported factual conclusions. Id. Similarly, the specific amount of attorneys' fees awarded pursuant to a statute authorizing reasonable attorneys' fees is left to the discretion of the trial judge and will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. Id.