Court Opinion

ID: 9602369
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:53:41.188231+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:03.074010
License: Public Domain

Benham, Judge,
concurring specially.
Although I concur fully in all that is said in the first three divisions of the opinion in this case and with the result in the fourth division, I believe it is important to clarify the basis upon which I find the award of attorney fees to be sustainable in this case. It is my view that the absence of a bona fide controversy over the fact of liability does not automatically present a jury issue as to the plaintiff’s entitlement to attorney fees if there is a bona fide controversy concerning the amount of liability. That is to say, a defendant who does not seriously contest the issue of liability should not be subject to an award of attorney fees if that defendant demonstrates that there is a reasonable dispute concerning the amount of the liability. In the present case, however, as the opinion notes, the plaintiff’s showing of the amount of liability was unrefuted; the defendants asserted only that the plans were of no value to them because implementation of them would be too expensive. Under those circumstances, the defendants did not show that there was a bona fide controversy concerning either the fact or the amount of liability, and the award of attorney fees to appellee was appropriate.