Opinion ID: 1211307
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: the award of attorney's fees to the trustees

Text: Finally, Durable contends the district court erred by awarding $22,000 in attorney's fees to the Trustees and by refusing to award attorney's fees to Durable. Although the district court did not specify the statutory basis for its award of fees, NRS 31.340 provides in pertinent part: [I]f the verdict or finding is as favorable to the garnishee as his answer, he shall recover costs of the proceedings against the plaintiff, together with a reasonable attorney's fee, otherwise the plaintiff shall recover costs against the garnishee, together with a reasonable attorney's fee. Durable's answer to the garnishment interrogatories states that [s]ums may become due [to Marchini] but the amount, if any, after deducting assignments and offsets is unknown at this time. Durable contends that because the district court allowed certain offsets in Durable's favor, the verdict was as favorable to Durable as its answer. Therefore, Durable argues, the district court should have awarded attorney's fees to it rather than to the Trustees. Because this case must be remanded as indicated above, we are unable to determine at this time whether any party is entitled to an award of attorney's fees. Therefore, we reverse the award of attorney's fees in favor of the Trustees, and we remand this issue to the district court for consideration after all other issues of liability have been resolved. See NRS 31.340.