Opinion ID: 2083842
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Transcript Costs

Text: Part of the costs allowed by the superior court was $52 for transcribing a portion of the testimony before the eminent domain commission. RSA 525:14-a permits the actual cost of a transcript to be included in the bill of costs. Although the State maintains that the provision is applicable only where a transcript of lower court proceedings is made for submission to the supreme court as part of the reserved case, the language of the statute is not so narrowly worded nor does the State offer any authority to sustain its interpretation. Had defendants taken depositions to obtain the requisite testimony, the costs for so doing could have been allowed by the superior court. RSA 517:20. Under the specific language of RSA 525:14-a, it was within the discretion of the court to permit $52 for actual costs of transcripts. Hayes v. State, 109 N.H. 353, 356, 252 A.2d 431, 434 (1969); D'Amours v. Hills, 96 N.H. 498, 499, 79 A.2d 348, 349 (1951). The case is remanded to the superior court for a determination of what portion of the $680 charge for expert witness fees is attributable to court-related work as we have defined that term in part I of this opinion. Remanded.