Opinion
93-2654-E-3; A109062
On respondent's petition for attorney fees dated July 19, 2001; appellant's objection to petition for attorney fees dated August 1, 2001; and respondent's reply to appellant's objection to petition for attorney fees dated August 16, 2001.
Filed: October 31, 2001
Appeal from Circuit Court, Jackson County. Mitchell Karaman, Judge.
Ronald B. Versteeg for petition.
Marianne Dugan contra.
Before BREWER, Presiding Judge, and WOLLHEIM and KISTLER, Judges.
PER CURIAM
Petition for attorney fees allowed in the sum of $11,077.70.
Plaintiff, the prevailing party, sought recovery of its portion of the neutral's fee for participating in the Court of Appeals settlement program. We hold that a prevailing party is not entitled to recover its portion of the neutral's fee.
This case was assigned to the court's Appellate Settlement Conference Program. See generally ORAP Rule 15. ORAP 15.05(7)(a) requires the parties to equally share the neutral's fee. The settlement conference was unsuccessful. The case was briefed to the court, and plaintiff prevailed and was designated the prevailing party, entitling it to costs and disbursements. Rough Ready Lumber Co. v. Hartnell, 175 Or. App. 291, 27 P.3d 536 (2001). Plaintiff included its share of the neutral's fee in its attorney fee petition. Defendant objected.
Defendant also argued that the number of hours in the fee petition was excessive. We reject that contention.
There is no statutory authority for a party to recover its portion of the Appellate Settlement Conference Program neutral's fee from an adverse party. See Willamette Prod. Credit v. Borg-Warner Acceptance, 75 Or. App. 154, 706 P.2d 577, rev den 300 Or. 477 (1985). Plaintiff is not entitled to recover its portion of the neutral's fee.
Petition for attorney fees allowed in the sum of $11,077.70.