Opinion ID: 2520675
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Are the Benscoters Entitled to an Award of Attorney Fees on Appeal?

Text: In their brief, the Benscoters request attorney fees on appeal as follows: Benscoter seeks attorney fees and costs on appeal pursuant to I.A.R. 41. We have repeatedly held that we will not consider a request for attorney fees on appeal that is not supported by legal authority or argument. Robbins v. County of Blaine, 134 Idaho 113, 996 P.2d 813 (2000) (request for award of attorney fees pursuant to Idaho Appellate Rule 41 is not sufficient to raise the issue of attorney fees on appeal); Meisner v. Potlatch Corp., 131 Idaho 258, 954 P.2d 676 (1998) (single conclusory sentence in the Conclusion section of the party's brief is not sufficient to raise the issue of attorney fees on appeal); Petersen v. Franklin County, 130 Idaho 176, 938 P.2d 1214 (1997) (request for award of attorney fees pursuant to Idaho Appellate Rule 41 is not sufficient to raise the issue of attorney fees on appeal); Buchin v. Lance, 128 Idaho 266, 912 P.2d 634 (1995) (request for attorney fees on appeal, without stating the grounds for the request, is not sufficient to raise the issue of attorney fees on appeal). Idaho Appellate Rule 41 is not authority for the awarding of attorney fees on appeal. It simply provides, Any party seeking attorney fees on appeal must assert a claim as an issue presented on appeal in the first appellate brief filed by such party as provided in Rules 35(a)(5) and 35(b)(5). Those rules both provide that the party claiming attorney fees on appeal must include that claim as an issue or additional issue on appeal, and the party must state the basis for the claim. Idaho Appellate Rules 35(a)(6) and 35(b)(6) provide that the argument portion of the brief must contain the contentions of the party with respect to the issues presented on appeal, the reasons therefore, with citations to the authorities, statutes and parts of the transcript and record relied upon. Attorney fees are awardable only where they are authorized by statute or contract. Hellar v. Cenarrusa, 106 Idaho 571, 682 P.2d 524 (1984). If the party is claiming that a statute provides authority for an award of attorney fees, the party must cite to the statute and, if applicable, the specific subsection of the statute upon which the party relies. Appel v. LePage, 135 Idaho 133, 15 P.3d 1141 (2000). If the party bases its claim for attorney fees upon a contract, then the party must likewise identify that portion of the contract upon which the party relies as authority for the awarding of attorney fees. The party must then provide a reasoned argument, supported by case law as necessary, explaining why that statutory or contractual provision entitles the party to an award of attorney fees in this instance. For example, if the party seeks an award of attorney fees under Idaho Code § 12 120(3) on the ground that the case is an action to recover in a commercial transaction, the party should, to the extent necessary, provide facts, authority, and argument supporting the claim that the case involves a commercial transaction and that such transaction is the gravamen of the lawsuit. Because the Benscoters' have not supported their request for attorney fees on appeal with any authority or argument, we will not consider that issue.