Opinion ID: 2213625
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether Attorney Fee Claim Improperly Included Services for Matters Other Than Those Relating to Enforcement of Consent Decree.

Text: Finally, we consider plaintiff's contention that the University's itemized application for attorney fees and the affidavits in support thereof show on their face that some of the services included relate to matters other than plaintiff's violations of the consent decree. In considering this contention, we note that the record is very meager with respect to the nature of the legal services for which the University seeks reimbursement. An itemized list of services together with supporting affidavit of counsel was filed with the court. The description of some of the services is very sketchy and difficult to interpret. The situation is hampered by the fact that the district court made no findings of fact with respect to the various segments of the itemized claim. The court simply allowed the entire sum claimed on the ground that the amounts which appeared were fair and reasonable. Although we have said that a litigant ordinarily waives insufficiency in a court's findings by not filing a motion requesting expanded findings of fact, see, e.g., Estate of Grossman v. McCreary, 373 N.W.2d 113, 114 (Iowa 1985); Iowa Department of Transportation v. Nebraska-Iowa Supply Co., 272 N.W.2d 6, 15-16 (Iowa 1978), we do not believe this is a case where that rule may be applied to plaintiff's disadvantage. Counsel's itemization of services performed reveals on its face that some of the services for which the University was billed relate to the petition of the plaintiff to vacate the consent decree under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 252. We have no problem with determining that all of the services relating to investigation of plaintiff's violations of the decree and pursuing contempt charges fell within the indemnity clause. We cannot, however, interpret the indemnification portions of the consent decree as also permitting indemnification for the attorney fees which were incurred by the University in defending against an attack on the decree's validity under Iowa Rule of Civil Procedure 252. Consequently, we must conclude that the district court's order for reimbursement of attorney fees included some items not properly recoverable. For this reason, we sustain the writ of certiorari only so far as the district court's order has been demonstrated to include improper items of litigation expense. [2] We annul the writ with respect to all other contentions. The matter is remanded to the district court for further consideration of the claim in light of this opinion. Upon reconsidering of the claim, the district court shall make further findings of fact which clearly demonstrate that the services for which the University is permitted to recoup are within the scope of the indemnification clause. Costs in the supreme court are taxed seventy-five percent to plaintiff and twenty-five percent to defendant. WRIT SUSTAINED IN PART AND ANNULLED IN PART.