Opinion ID: 2601867
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Canyon is entitled to attorney fees on appeal.

Text: Canyon requests attorney fees on appeal pursuant to I.A.R. 40 and I.A.R. 41, as well as the reasoning set forth by this Court in previous condemnation cases. Canyon cites to several of those cases as well as to I.C. § 7-718 in support of its request. The State argues that attorney fees are not warranted because attorney fees in condemnation cases are not mandatory and should not be given in this case considering the legal issues and the failure of the trial court to determine the scope of the take in this case. Attorney fees are allowable in eminent domain proceedings, but are not mandatory as being within the definition of just compensation. Acarrequi, 105 Idaho at 876, 673 P.2d at 1070. According to the great weight of authority, attorneys' fees and other expenses are not recoverable in a condemnation proceeding except as authorized by statute. Id. at 875, 673 P.2d at 1069 (citations omitted). Idaho Code § 7-718 states in relevant part that [c]osts may be allowed [in an eminent domain proceeding]. An award of attorney fees on appeal is appropriate in this case. The only arguments that the State has properly raised on appeal relate to whether the district court erred in admitting the order of condemnation and whether the district court erred in awarding Canyon attorney fees. As discussed, neither of these arguments has merit. For this reason, we award Canyon attorney fees on appeal.