Opinion ID: 195059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: double costs

Text: 18 Because Sun Engineering filed a frivolous appeal, we find it appropriate to assess a monetary penalty of double costs against it. Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 38 provides that [i]f a court of appeals shall determine that an appeal is frivolous, it may award just damages and single or double costs to the appellee. Westcott Constr. Corp. v. Firemen's Fund of New Jersey, 996 F.2d 14, 17 (lst Cir. l993). An appeal is frivolous if the result was obvious or the arguments are wholly without merit. Id. [I]t is enough that the appellants and their attorney should have been aware that the appeal had no chance of success. E.H. Ashley & Co. v. Wells Fargo Alarm Servs., 907 F.2d 1274, 1280 (lst Cir. l990). Sun Engineering's arguments on appeal are wholly without merit. There is no legal support for Sun Engineering's Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(e) challenge, or its contention that change orders issued to Cabrera had to be in writing to be legally binding. The record also amply supports the trial judge's factual findings, and there are simply no reasonable grounds to challenge the sufficiency of the evidence. We therefore award Cabrera double costs.