Court Opinion

ID: 9551526
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:54:46.182244+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:24:05.252375
License: Public Domain

ON PETITION FOR REHEARING
The State has petitioned for a rehearing seeking clarification of that portion of the court’s opinion which reads:
Civil Rule 72(a) makes the provisions of Civil Rule 72 the exclusive procedure in eminent domain, except where otherwise expressly provided .
Rule 72(a) states:
The procedure for the condemnation of property under the power of eminent domain shall be governed by these rules, except as otherwise provided in this rule.
Petitioner correctly points out that in State v. 1,163 Acres, More or Less, Chuckwm, Inc., 449 P.2d 776, 778 (Alaska 1968), Rule 72(a) has been construed as follows:
The phrase “these rules” refers to all of the other rules of the Alaska Rules of Court Procedure and Administration. The phrase “except as otherwise provided in this rule” means that Civil Rule 72 shall govern eminent domain proceedings. Where a specific procedure is not provided by Civil Rule 72, then any of the other rules of practice and procedure are available, to the extent that they may be applicable.
We hereby affirm this construction of Rule 72(a), and disavow any inferences which might otherwise be drawn from the quoted portion of our opinion in Stewart & Grindle, Inc., v. State. The portion of the opinion in question concerned the award of attorney’s fees in condemnation cases. Since Rule 72(k) (2) specifically provides for the circumstances under which such fees are to be awarded, the result of the opinion remains the same.
The petition for rehearing is granted, and the opinion is modified to the extent provided above.