Griffith v. Montandon

35 P. 704, 4 Idaho 75, 1894 Ida. LEXIS 11
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 13, 1894
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 35 P. 704 (Griffith v. Montandon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffith v. Montandon, 35 P. 704, 4 Idaho 75, 1894 Ida. LEXIS 11 (Idaho 1894).

Opinion

SULLIVAN, J.

This is an appeal from an order of the trial judge taxing costs. The plaintiff filed his memorandum of costs, duly verified by his attorney, whereby it was shown that his total necessary costs and disbursements amounted to $356.80. Thereafter the defendant (who is the appellant here) moved to tax said costs. Said motion was heard by the judge, and said costs reduced from $356.80 to $249. From said order taxing costs, this appeal is taken.

The following is an itemized memorandum of the costs as allowed by said order:

Elisor’s fees.................................$ 14 40
Clerk’s fees, including stenographer’s fees........ 1510 Witness fees:
Mrs. Caroline Griffith ....................... 9 25
Mrs. Ella Griffith ........................... 9 25
Mrs. C. Haile.............................. 9 25
Herman Vorberg........................... 9 25
Roy White................................. 9 25
J. O. Swift................................ 9 25
W. H. Watt................................ 9 25
L. Price.................................. 9 25
J. S. Whitton.............................. 9 25
W. T. Riley................................ 9 25
C. Haile.................................. 9 25
C. J. Selwyn............................... 9 25
[78]*78B. M. Mallory. - 9 25
Larry Farrell.. . 9 25
Henry Warn ing. 9 25
J. H. Beane.... 9 25
Charles Berkin.., 9 25-
George Romaine. 9 25
E. Daft........ 6 25
G. Richardson.. '9 25
C. S. Smith...... 18 75
G. A. Sawyer.. 18 75
Total..........................'.......$249 00

Every item of said cost-bill is challenged. The record purports to contain all of the evidence considered on the hearing of the motion to tax costs, and the only evidence contained in the record is the memorandum of costs, with the verification thereto attached, and the affidavit of the appellant. Section 4912 of the Revised Statutes provides that the successful party may present a memorandum of the items of his costs and necessary disbursements, and that such memorandum must be verified by the oath of the party, or his attorney or agent, or by the clerk of the attorney, stating that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, the items contained in said memorandum are correct, and that the disbursements have been necessarily incurred in the action or proceeding. It further provides that a party dissatisfied with the costs claimed may, within three days after the filing of the bill of costs, file a motion to have the costs taxed by the court in which the judgment was rendered, or by the judge thereof at chambers. The statute does not prescribe the procedure in the hearing of a motion to tax costs, but the hearing is usually had upon such pertinent evidence, by affidavit or otherwise, as either party may offer as to the allowance or dis-allowance of the items objected to. It appears from the record that this motion was heard upon the memorandum of costs filed by respondent and the affidavit of appellant. Appellant contends that the affidavit attached to the memorandum of costs is made on “the best knowledge and belief of affiant” that the items therein are correct, and that the disbursements have been necessarily incurred, and that, as said affidavit is met by the [79]*79positive affidavit of appellant setting forth the facts showing that many of said items were not necessarily incurred, said items should not have been allowed without further proof of the fact that they were necessarily incurred. But it is argued by respondent that the affidavits on which the motion to tax costs was heard are conflicting, and that some of the items relate to facts of which the trial court had actual knowledge, and for that reason his ruling should not be disturbed, and cites Fanning v. Leviston, 93 Cal. 186, 28 Pac. 943, as an authority. That decision is very meager upon the point in question, but it appears that, as the motion to tax costs was heard upon conflicting affidavits, and, further, that some of the items in controversy referred to matters of which the court had actual knowledge, it was held that the ruling of the lower court would not be disturbed. The transcript in the ease at bar contains no intimation that the court or judge took into consideration any facts of which he had actual knowledge in his decision in this case, and the record negatives that idea. It contains the following statement: “On none but the foregoing facts and record the motion to retax costs was heard on July 27, 1893.-” The record thus shows that it contains all of the evidence considered on the hearing of such motion, and it cannot be presumed that the judge took into consideration certain facts of which he had actual knowledge in the decision of said motion. Courts must take judicial knowledge of certain facts, but we are not aware of any law that requires them to take judicial notice of the fact whether a certain witness was present at the trial, or the number of days present. If a court or judge has actual knowledge of a fact which he takes into consideration in the taxation of costs, and an ajipeal is taken from his decision, if the record does not contain the fact of which the court did take notice, this court cannot consider it. We can only consider the evidence contained in the record.

A proper disposition of this case will require an examination of the items of said cost-bill.

The appellant objects to the allowance of elisor’s fees on the ground that said fees are not chargeable under any law, and on the further ground that the elisor informed the defendant that he wished no pay for the services rendered. The first ground of objection is not well taken. An elisor appointed to execute [80]*80process and orders of the court is invested with the powers, duties and responsibilities of the sheriff in the performance of those duties, and is entitled to the compensation allowed the sheriff for performing such duties. The second ground is well taken. If an'elisor makes no charge for the performance of his duties, and demands no pay therefor, the successful party cannot tax any costs for such services against the losing party. It is true that respondent’s attorney made the affidavit attached to the cost-bill, and swore that, to his best knowledge and belief, the items in said bill were correct; but this affidavit is met by the affidavit of appellant stating that the elisor informed affiant that he made no charge, and wished no pay, for his services. The burden of proof was then on respondent, and he should have presented further proof than the cost-bill that the elisor charged and demanded said fees to authorize the court to tax the same.

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Bluebook (online)
35 P. 704, 4 Idaho 75, 1894 Ida. LEXIS 11, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffith-v-montandon-idaho-1894.