Opinion ID: 2585268
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The district judge erred in awarding prejudgment interest to Kidd Island.

Text: Section 28-22-104 of the Idaho Code provides for the award of prejudgment interest. Idaho Code § 28-22-104 provides in relevant part: Legal rate of interest. (1) When there is no express contract in writing fixing a different rate of interest, interest is allowed at the rate of twelve cents (12¢) on the hundred by the year on: . . . 2. Money after the same becomes due. . . . . Prejudgment interest awards are appropriate where the amount of liability is liquidated or capable of ascertainment by a mere mathematical calculation in order to fully compensate the injured party. Doolittle v. Meridian Joint School Dist., 128 Idaho 805, 814, 919 P.2d 334, 343 (1996) (citations omitted). The district judge awarded prejudgment interest to Kidd Island on January 2, 1996, on Defendants' pro rata share of expenses accrued prior to the Defendants' attempted withdrawal. Such expenses consisted of engineering, legal, and accounting expenses, an existing Farm Home loan, and budgeted expenses for the 1995-1996 fiscal year, for which all members were liable. While there is no question that Defendants were able to calculate the amount of the actual assessments, and could have tendered the money, they were not required to. No levy was actually made on the members until the time of trial, and until such levy was made, the money had not become[] due. Therefore, the award of prejudgment interest to Kidd Island is reversed.