Court Opinion

ID: 9672087
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:48:49.168235+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:14.238035
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
Appellant’s contend that we should address their seventeenth point of error wherein they complain that the trial court erred in refusing to make a requested finding of fact on the amount of their attorney’s fees, and that we should make a determination concerning the taxing of costs incurred in the trial court. Appellants assert that such a finding was supported by undisputed evidence showing that their attorney expended fifty hours in the preparation and trial of this cause and that eighty-five dollars per hour would be a reasonable fee.
The court may award reasonable attorney’s fees to the prevailing party and assess court costs against the nonprevailing party. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 1269m, § 18 (repealed 1987) (now codified at Tex. Local Govt.Code Ann. § 143.015(c) (Vernon 1988)).1 The award of attorney’s fees and the assessment of court costs is discretionary with the trial court. They are issues that must be passed upon by the trial court in the exercise of its original jurisdiction and we have no authority to initiate such an award. International Security Life Insurance Co. v. Spray, 468 S.W.2d 347, 349 (Tex.1971); Arguelles v. Kaplan, 736 S.W.2d 782, 787 (Tex.App— Corpus Christi 1987, writ ref'd n.r.e.); see also Radio Station WQCK v. T.M. Communications, Inc., 744 S.W.2d 676, 677 (Tex.App. — Dallas 1988, no writ).
We sustain appellants’ seventeenth point of error and remand the questions regarding attorney’s fees and assessment of court costs for further consideration consistent with this opinion. However, except as indicated, the remainder of appellants’ motion for rehearing is overruled.

. Ch. 958, 1985 Tex.Gen.Laws 3227, 3231 (repealed 1987).