Opinion ID: 1240702
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: commissioner's appeal

Text: The trial court awarded plaintiffs costs in the amount of $226.17 against the Fund in addition to the $20,000. These costs were incurred in connection with the plaintiffs' attempts to satisfy their judgment against Knapp as a precondition to application for recovery from the Fund. The commissioner does not contest the propriety of including such costs in an order for recovery against the Fund ... ([s]ee Nordahl v. Department of Real Estate ... [1975] 48 Cal. App.3d 657 [121 Cal. Rptr. 794]), but insists that section 10474 precludes an order requiring any amount to be paid in excess of the applicable statutory limitation. We agree. Code of Civil Procedure section 1032, subdivision (a), which provides generally for costs to a plaintiff upon judgment in his favor, is subject to the limitation `except as otherwise expressly provided,' and section 10474 constitutes such an express limitation. While the amount of costs involved in this case is small, the amount in some cases could be quite substantial; and to render the Fund liable for unpredictable amounts in excess of the statutory limitations would defeat one of the legislative objectives.