Opinion ID: 874537
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The award of attorney's fees is vacated.

Text: Neither party seeks attorney's fees on appeal. However, the City contends that the district court erred in ordering attorney's fees pursuant to I.C. § 12-117 below. Furthermore, the City argues that Crown Point is not entitled to attorney's fees related to Crown Point's second Phase 5 application, for an 11 unit development, which was later withdrawn by Crown Point. Crown Point argues that the district court correctly ruled that Crown Point is entitled to attorney's fees because the City acted without a reasonable basis in fact or law as demonstrated by the numerous errors in the City's Revised Findings. Crown Point also argues that the district court erred when it found some of Crown Point's legal fees unreasonable. This Court applies a standard of free review when it reviews a district court's application of I.C. § 12-117. Urrutia, 134 Idaho at 361, 2 P.3d at 746. Idaho Code § 12-117(1) states in part: [I]n any administrative or civil judicial proceeding involving as adverse parties a state agency [or] a city, . . . the court shall award the prevailing party reasonable attorneys fees, witness fees and reasonable expenses, if the court finds that the party against whom the judgment is rendered acted without a reasonable basis in fact or law. Since the case is being remanded to the City in order for it to make reviewable findings of fact, it can no longer be said that Crown Point is the prevailing party. Thus, we vacate the district court's award of attorney's fees to Crown Point.