Opinion ID: 2508093
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Did the District Court Err in Failing to Award Attorney Fees to the Barton Trust, the Kellers, the Schraders, and Haag?

Text: On May 31, 2002, the Barton Trust, the Kellers, the Schraders, and Haag filed a memorandum of costs seeking, among other costs, an award of attorney fees against Jenkins, the Smedleys, and the Higleys. The district court issued an order denying their request for attorney fees without a hearing. In its order, the district court stated that they had not provided any statutory authority for their requested award of attorney fees. The memorandum of costs merely cited Rule 54 of the Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure. In order to be awarded attorney fees, a party must actually assert the statute or other basis for the award. Bingham v. Montane Resource Assocs., 133 Idaho 420, 987 P.2d 1035 (1999). A trial judge cannot award attorney fees on a basis not asserted by the party requesting them. Id. Rule 54 of the Idaho Rules of Civil Procedure does not authorize an award of attorney fees. Rule 54(e)(5) merely provides, Attorney fees, when allowable by statute or contract, shall be deemed as costs in an action and processed in the same manner as costs and included in the memorandum of costs. Therefore, the district court did not err in denying the request for attorney fees filed by the Barton Trust, the Kellers, the Schraders, and Haag.