Court Opinion

ID: 9754472
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 20:02:25.967427+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:53.976824
License: Public Domain

WIEAND, Judge,
concurring:
I agree with and join Judge Wickersham’s disposition of the issues in this case. If I understand correctly the opinion of the learned trial judge, he would, given discretion, award interest at market rates on the sum of Fifty Thousand ($50,000.00) Dollars which was wrongfully obtained and wrongfully withheld by counsel from his client. The trial judge concluded, however, that he lacked discretion which would have permitted him to award interest at the higher rate. This, in my opinion, was erroneous; the trial judge did have discretion, under the facts of this case, to award interest at market rates. See: Sack v. Feinman, 489 Pa. 152, 413 A.2d 1059 (1980): Murray Hill Estates, Inc. v. Bastin, 442 Pa. 405, 410, 276 A.2d 542, 545 (1971). See also: Peterson v. Crown Financial Corp., 661 F.2d 287 (3d Cir.1981); Lexington Insurance Co. v. Abington Co., 621 F.Supp. 18 (E.D.Pa.1985). Cf. Daset Mining Corp. v. Industrial Fuels Corp., 326 Pa.Super. 14, 473 A.2d 584 (1984). Therefore, I agree that there should be a remand for the recomputation of interest on the moneys wrongfully withheld.