Opinion ID: 2585937
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the arbitration award was ambiguous

Text: Alaska Sales and Service first claims that the award of attorney's fees and costs during the confirmation process should have been decided by the arbitrator, noting that the arbitration provision in the contract gives the arbitrator authority to assess the costs of arbitration, including legal/accountant's fees and costs against the non-prevailing party. The arbitrator exercised his power to assess the costs for arbitration under this provision in a detailed, and unambiguous, section of the summary of all awards. But the award of fees and costs made by the superior court did not involve the costs of arbitration and did not implicate any ambiguous portion of the arbitrator's award. Because it was an award for costs incurred only in proceedings before the superior court, after the arbitrator had already issued his opinion, it fell entirely outside the scope of the arbitrator's award. This is explicitly recognized by AS 09.43.140, which provides that [c]osts of the application [to confirm or modify an arbitration award] and of the proceedings subsequent to the application, and disbursements may be awarded by the court.