Court Opinion

ID: 9532596
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:23:01.805336+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:47.464625
License: Public Domain

RAMIL, Justice,
concurring and dissenting, with whom NAKAYAMA, Justice, joins.
I concur in the opinion except with respect to part II.D.2, in which the majority awards CARL its reasonable attorneys’ fees in prosecuting its protest and appeal. Both the Code and our precedent fail to provide for such a remedy.
It is well-settled that “no attorney’s fees may be awarded as damages or costs unless so provided by statute, stipulation, or agreement.” Food Pantry, Ltd. v. Waikiki Business Plaza, Inc., 58 Haw. 606, 618, 575 P.2d 869, 878 (1978).
Hawai'i follows the traditional American rule that ordinarily attorney’s fees cannot be awarded as damages or costs where not so provided by statute, stipulation or agreement.... This traditional American rule requires the litigant for whom legal services are rendered to assume the burden of paying for those services. Thus, ordinarily counsel fees are not recoverable against the losing party in the absence of statute, agreement or stipulation authorizing the allowance thereof. Olokele Sugar Co. v. McCabe, Hamilton & Renny Co., 53 Haw. 69, 487 P.2d 769 (1971); Berkness v. Haw’n Elec. Co., 51 Haw. 437, 462 P.2d 196 (1969); Chun v. Park, 51 Haw. 462, 462 P.2d 905 (1969); Estate of Campbell, 46 Haw. 475, 382 P.2d 920 (1963); Yokochi v. Yoshimoto, 44 Haw. 297, 353 P.2d 820 (1960); Von Holt v. Izumo Taisha Kyo Mission, 44 Haw. 147, 355 P.2d 40 (1960), aff'd, 44 Haw. 365, 355 P.2d 40 (1960); Welsh v. Campbell, 42 Haw. 490 (1958); Bishop Trust Co. v. Cooke Trust Co., 39 Haw. 641 (1953). This rule was equally applicable whether the pending controversy was at law or in equity. Dress Mfg. Co. v. Cadinha, 33 Haw. 456 (1935); and Young Chun v. Robinson, 21 Haw. 368 (1912).
Shoemaker v. Takai, 57 Haw. 599, 604, 561 P.2d 1286, 1289 (1977) (internal quotation marks omitted). See also THC Financial Corp. By and Through Osborne v. LR & I Development One, 65 Haw. 477, 653 P.2d 789 (1982); Cain v. Cain, 59 Haw. 32, 42, 575 P.2d 468, 476 (1978); Salvador v. Popaa, 56 Haw. 111, 530 P.2d 7 (1974); Brown v. Tokuda, 49 Haw. 311, 417 P.2d 636 (1966). For over eighty years, the law has been consistent on this issue, and I see no compelling reason set forth by the majority for changing this precedent.
The Code does not authorize the recovery of CARL’s attorneys’ fees, nor is there evidence of a stipulation or other agreement that does so. Accordingly, I would decline to grant CARL’s request for its attorneys’ fees in prosecuting its protest and appeal because, on the record, there is no valid basis for their recovery.
As a court, our decisions relating to disputes governed by the application of statutory law ... must be based on that statutory law as it currently exists, and not on statutory law as it could be or even as it should be. The determination of what that law could be or should be is one that is properly left to the people, through their elected legislative representatives.
Konno v. County of Hawai'i, 85 Hawai'i 61, 79, 937 P.2d 397, 415, as modified on recon*462sideration (1997) (motion for reconsideration and order of amendment).