Opinion ID: 1136039
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: pre-judgment interest & post-judgment interest

Text: The ISBA argues that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to award pre-judgment or post-judgment interest after the notice of appeal was filed. The trial court entered its ordered awarding pre-judgment and post-judgment interest on October 14, 1994, after the notices of appeal and cross-appeal had been filed. Idaho Appellate Rule 13 provides that upon the filing of a notice of appeal or notice of cross-appeal, all proceedings and execution of all judgments in a civil action in the district court, shall be automatically stayed for a period of 14 days. The Rule permits certain exceptions to the automatic stay of proceedings. I.A.R. 13(b). Under I.A.R. 13(b), the trial court has the authority to, upon a motion, amend findings of fact or conclusions of law, I.A.R. 13(b)(3), to amend the judgment, I.A.R. 13(b)(4), or to rule on any motion under I.R.C.P. 60(a) or (b), I.A.R. 13(b)(6). We conclude that pursuant to I.A.R. 13(b), the district court had the jurisdiction to rule on the issues of pre-judgment and post-judgment interest during the pendency of an appeal.
The ISBA argues that the district court erred in awarding pre-judgment interest against the ISBA. The ISBA asserts because it is a public instrumentality, the ISBA is immune against the assessment of pre-judgment interest under the doctrine of sovereign immunity. We disagree. It is the general rule that, under the doctrine of sovereign immunity, a governmental unit can only be sued upon its consent. University of Utah v. Twin Falls County, 122 Idaho 1010, 1017, 842 P.2d 689, 696 (1992). The same doctrine prevents the assessment of interest on debts of the state, without the state's consent. Id. We conclude that the doctrine of sovereign immunity does not apply to the ISBA. In Bott I, 122 Idaho 471, 835 P.2d 1282 (1992), the Court held that the ISBA was a public instrumentality and not a state agency for purposes of denying the award of attorney fees under I.C. § 12-117. Id. at 480, 835 P.2d at 1289. In so holding, the Court determined that the ISBA was an entity distinct and separate from the state of Idaho. C.f. I.C. § 67-6419 (providing that the obligations and debts of the ISBA do not become the obligations and debts of the State). The district court's conclusion that sovereign immunity does not prevent the assessment of pre-judgment interest against the ISBA is affirmed.
The district court awarded pre-judgment interest on those amounts that it concluded were liquidated or capable of ascertainment by a mere mathematical process. The court concluded that pre-judgment interest was proper on the landscaping claim, the splitting of the educational facilities claim, and the roof redesign claims, which totalled $23,749.00, until the time of trial. The district court also awarded pre-judgment interest on the schematic design claim from the time of the entry of the jury's verdict until the entry of the final judgment. The ISBA argues that the district court erred in awarding pre-judgment interest since the damages were not finally ascertainable until the district court ruled on the ISBA's motion for judgment n.o.v. on remand. We agree. A party is entitled to pre-judgment interest under I.C. § 28-22-104 for money due by express contract or when it becomes due. I.C. § 28-22-104(1), (2). Pre-judgment interest may be awarded only when the principal amount of liability under the contract is liquidated or ascertainable by a mere mathematical calculation. Ervin Constr. Co. v. Van Orden, 125 Idaho 695, 704, 874 P.2d 506, 515 (1993). Based on the terms of the Agreement between the parties and based on our earlier decisions in this case, we conclude that the principal amount of liability under the Agreement was not liquidated or readily ascertainable in a fashion to award pre-judgment interest to Bott. The district court's award of pre-judgment interest is reversed.
The ISBA asserts that post-judgment interest cannot be awarded on a judgment that was nullified when the district court ordered a new trial and that was subsequently vacated. Because the original judgment was vacated, the ISBA argues that there is no judgment upon which post-judgment interest may accrue. We agree. The district court's award of post-judgment interest on damages awarded in a vacated judgment was in error. Once the judgment was vacated, there was no judgment upon which a post-judgment interest could be awarded. This Court has held that no interest begins to accrue on a vacated judgment until the entry of a new judgment. Sanchez, 115 Idaho at 1067, 772 P.2d at 705. Accordingly, the district court's award of post-judgment interest is reversed.