Opinion ID: 874040
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether this claim is waived on appeal.

Text: In its brief, BHC argues that Oakes waived the issue of attorney fees in several different ways. First, since Oakes argued that the Idaho Wage Claim Act applied in this casean argument that the district court rejectedit would preclude attorney fees under any other statute. Secondly, that Oakes waived the issue by not timely filing a memorandum for costs and fees. And finally, that Oakes is asking for fees under I.C. § 12-120(3) for the first time on appeal.
In his proposed judgment, Oakes asked the district court for treble damages under I.C. § 45-615, a section of the Idaho Wage Claims Act. Idaho Code section 45-615 allows attorney fees and treble damages in a suit filed to recover wages as they are defined by I.C. § 45-601(7). BHC argues that, since the district court declined to treble the damages, the court implicitly ruled that Oakes did not prevail on his wage claim and thus was not entitled to attorney fees and costs under I.C. § 45-615. BHC also argues that since Oakes characterized his lawsuit as a wage claim, I.C. § 45-615 should be his only avenue for attorney fees and costs. On appeal, Oakes has waived the issue of whether the district erred by not trebling damages under I.C. § 45-615. [2] In support of its position, BHC cites Bilow v. Preco, Inc., where an employee received summary judgment in his favor on a wage claim under I.C. § 45-615 but was not awarded attorney fees. 132 Idaho 23, 966 P.2d 23 (1998). On appeal, this Court found that: [A]n award of attorney fees in addition to treble damages would constitute an unreasonable windfall to the employee and would punish the employer too harshly. Therefore, we hold that I.C. § 45-615 is the exclusive code section under which an employee can recover attorney fees when the employee properly brings a claim for wages and treble damages under I.C. §§ 45-61[5], -617. Id. at 32, 966 P.2d at 32 (internal citations omitted). Here, the district court implicitly determined that Oakes's claim did not fall under I.C. § 45-615, so any case law stating I.C. § 45-615 as the exclusive avenue for attorney fees would be inapplicable. In addition, as discussed below, the claim is fundamentally a breach of contract claim. Therefore, Oakes's attempt to invoke the Idaho Wage Claim Act would not preclude his receipt of attorney fees under any other statute.
BHC argues that Oakes waived the issue of attorney fees by not submitting to the district court a memorandum of costs nor timely moving for time extension for filing the same, and that the issue is now moot. Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure 54(d)(5) states, inter alia, that: At any time after the verdict of a jury or a decision of the court, any party who claims costs may file and serve on adverse parties a memorandum of costs, itemizing each claimed expense, but such memorandum of costs may not be filed later than fourteen (14) days after entry of judgment. Oakes argues that submission of a memorandum of costs and fees would have been futile, since the district court ruled only thirteen days after the jury verdict that neither party prevailed. On this point, Oakes cites the holding in Western World, Inc. v. Prater, where the Court of Appeals found that the prevailing party did not waive the right to recover fees by failing to timely file a memorandum of costs when the initial judgment indicated that the prevailing party was not entitled to attorney fees. 121 Idaho 870, 828 P.2d 899 (Ct.App.1992). Until the judgment was amended with respect to the attorney fees determination, a claim for that item would be subject to objection, and likely stricken on the ground that the question of entitlement already had been adjudicated. It was not until the court granted the motion to amend the judgment that Prater became entitled to an award for fees. Id. at 873, 828 P.2d at 902. BHC argues that Prater should be applied narrowly, since Prater was excused from submitting a timely memorandum of costs because he moved to amend the judgment, which tolled the period for filing such a memorandum. Id. at 872-73, 828 P.2d at 901-02. BHC argues that this is distinguishable from the present case since in Prater the district court amended the judgment to show a prevailing party. Here, like in Prater, the trial court had ruled there was no prevailing party and therefore filing of a memorandum of fees and costs would have been futile. Therefore, there was no waiver of claims for attorney fees or costs.
BHC argues that, since Oakes did not raise the issue of attorney fees under I.C. § 12-120(3) to the district court in his post-trial request for fees, the issue is not preserved for appeal. Oakes argues that this issue is not ripe for review, and that he is only seeking a determination that he was the prevailing party before the district court. In his proposed judgment, Oakes asked for the district court to find him to be the prevailing party but did not specifically reference I.C. § 12-120(3) or any other statute. Also, Oakes did not make an argument for attorney fees under any statute, nor did he include an argument that he was the prevailing party, in his memorandum in support of his proposed judgment. It is well established that `[a] party claiming attorney's fees must assert the specific statute, rule, or case authority for its claim.' Eighteen Mile Ranch, LLC v. Nord Excavating & Paving, Inc., 141 Idaho 716, 720, 117 P.3d 130, 134 (2005) (quoting MDS Invs., LLC v. State, 138 Idaho 456, 465, 65 P.3d 197, 206 (2003)). However: [A] party need not have listed a specific attorney fee provision in its pleading in order to obtain a fee award under that provision upon prevailing in the litigation. While it is obviously the better practice to specify the fee request in the pleading, both to preserve a claim for fees in the event of a default and to put the opposing party on notice of the fee claim, failure to do so is not fatal to a fee claim in a contested matter. Eighteen Mile Ranch, 141 Idaho at 721, 117 P.3d at 135. An appropriate time for a party claiming fees to provide the necessary statutory and case authority is in the memorandum in support of costs. I.R.C.P. 54(e)(5); see also Eighteen Mile Ranch, 141 Idaho at 721, 117 P.3d at 135. Here, Oakes included the statutory grounds for attorney fees in his initial complaint. Also, as discussed above, since Oakes had not yet submitted a memorandum of costs and fees under I.R.C.P. 54(d)(5) when he filed his notice of appeal, it cannot be argued that he failed to raise the issue.