Opinion ID: 1844586
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: judgment entered after appeal

Text: One further issue, not specifically raised by the parties, warrants our attention to prevent further confusion in these proceedings. After the notice of appeal was filed the trial court ruled on Patricia's motion to modify the judgment, and on January 20, 1988, an amended judgment was entered which awarded costs and attorney's fees to Patricia. The trial court reasoned that it retained jurisdiction to modify the judgment after the appeal had been filed because the appeal is from the Court's order for payment, not the judgment. Jurisdiction of the supreme court attaches upon the filing of the appeal, and generally the trial court has no further jurisdiction in the matter. Buzzell v. Libi, 340 N.W.2d 36, 42 (N.D.1983). This attachment of jurisdiction applies to the entire cause of action, not just to the specific order or judgment appealed from. An order or judgment entered by the trial court after an appeal has been filed is ordinarily void for lack of jurisdiction. Harwood v. Harwood, 283 N.W.2d 144, 145 (N.D.1979). In the instant case, the issues presented to the trial court in Patricia's motion to modify the judgment would obviously be affected by our resolution of the appeal. Furthermore, we had previously held in Buzzell v. Libi, supra , that the trial court was without jurisdiction to rule on the issue of costs and disbursements after an appeal had been filed. We conclude that the trial court was without jurisdiction to enter the amended judgment of January 20, 1988, and it is therefore void. In accordance with the foregoing reasoning, the trial court's October 22 order is affirmed. In order to prevent further confusion and delay of these proceedings, we remand for entry of an amended judgment which includes a provision ordering Richard to pay one-half of Patricia's costs and attorney's fees. [2] Costs on appeal are awarded to Patricia. GIERKE, MESCHKE, LEVINE and VANDE WALLE, JJ., concur.