Court Opinion

ID: 9836045
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-02 02:54:10.634644+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:45:12.085453
License: Public Domain

Chief Justice J. JONES,
specially concurring.
I concur in the Court’s opinion because it correctly applies the law, even though the outcome is most unfortunate for the Eyers. It appears to me that the legal system catastrophically failed Kenneth and Sally Eyer.
This case started out as a $1,600 timber trespass. Pursuant to Idaho Code section 6-202, the Eyers were obligated to their neighbors, Russell and Laura Stevens, for treble damages. The Stevens filed suit, seeking a whopping $268,770 in damages. Eventually the case was settled upon the Eyers’ agreement to pay $50,000, plus interest, out of the estate of the last of them to die (they were octogenarians). Trial testimony indicated that $15,000 of the settlement was for damages and $35,000 for the Stevens’ attorney fees incurred in the suit. The Eyers had incurred their own attorney fees and costs in the sum of $37,934 by the time of the settlement.
The Eyers’ third-party claim against Idaho Forest Group then went to trial and the Eyers lost. The district court granted Idaho Forest Group attorney fees and costs in the amount of $97,821.30. Thus, excluding attorney fees incurred by the Eyers in pursuing their third-party complaint and this Court’s award to Idaho Forest Group of its fees on appeal, the Eyers are out a minimum of $185,755.30 on a $1,600 timber trespass.
During oral argument, I inquired of counsel for the Eyers as to the amount he had charged with regard to litigation of the third party complaint. Counsel indicated it was less than Idaho Forest Group had been awarded but he did not recall the amount. Even if it were half the amount of fees incurred by and awarded to Idaho Forest Group in district court, when combined with the fees the Ey-ers will pay the attorneys on both sides of this appeal the amount will likely approach a quarter of a million dollars.
It is not clear from the record how the Eyers ended up in this position but it is a tragedy and does not speak well for the legal system. It is imperative that court procedures be reformed to expedite the process and reduce the cost of litigation to avert a repeat of this unfortunate story.