Opinion ID: 874217
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Did the District Court Err in Entering the Judgment for Court Costs, Including Attorney Fees, Without Giving Thomasons an Opportunity to Be Heard?

Text: On December 1, 2008, Bagleys filed a memorandum of costs seeking an award of court costs, including attorney fees. On February 9, 2009, the district court entered a judgment for the claimed costs. In its judgment, the court recited that Thomasons had failed to file an objection to those costs. Thomasons contend in their brief that they did not receive notice of the hearing on February 9, 2009, until after the date of the hearing. There is nothing indicating that it was a hearing on the memorandum of costs. The register of actions indicates that it was a hearing on Bagleys' second motion for partial summary judgment on their cause of action for slander of title, although at that hearing they apparently presented to the district court their proposed judgment for court costs, including attorney fees. An objection to claimed costs must be made by filing a motion to disallow part or all of those costs within fourteen days of service of the memorandum of costs. Idaho R. Civ. P. 54(d)(6). There is nothing indicating that Thomasons ever filed a timely objection to the claimed costs. Failure to timely object to the items in the memorandum of costs shall constitute a waiver of all objections to the costs claimed. Id. Thus, by failing to timely object, Thomasons waived any objections to the costs claimed. Because we can raise an issue of jurisdiction sua sponte, we will address whether the district court had jurisdiction to enter the judgment for court costs, including attorney fees. On November 14, 2008, the district court entered a partial judgment quieting Bagleys' title in the real property, and that judgment was certified as final pursuant to Rule 54(b)(1) of the Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure. On December 22, 2008, Thomasons filed their notice of appeal from that judgment. Upon the filing of Thomasons' notice of appeal, the district court lost jurisdiction over the entire action except as provided in Rule 13 of the Idaho Appellate Rules. Diamond v. Sandpoint Title Ins., Inc., 132 Idaho 145, 148, 968 P.2d 240, 243 (1998). Idaho Appellate Rule 13(b)(9) provides that the district court retains jurisdiction to [m]ake any order regarding the taxing of costs or determination of attorneys fees incurred in the trial of the action. Thus, the district court had jurisdiction to award costs, including attorney fees. [4] Because there is as yet no final judgment in the action, the judgment for costs is merely an interlocutory judgment subject to being revised or vacated. [5] Baker v. Pendry, 98 Idaho 745, 748, 572 P.2d 179, 182 (1977); Idaho R. Civ. P. 54(b)(1).