Johnson v. Horizon Fisheries, LLC

201 P.3d 346
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 9, 2009
Docket61126-7-I
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 201 P.3d 346 (Johnson v. Horizon Fisheries, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Horizon Fisheries, LLC, 201 P.3d 346 (Wash. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

201 P.3d 346 (2009)

Michael JOHNSON, Appellant,
v.
HORIZON FISHERIES, LLC, and Aleutian Spray Fisheries, Inc., Respondents.

No. 61126-7-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

February 9, 2009.

*348 George Houston Luhrs, Attorney at Law, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

David Carl Bratz, Legros Buchanan and Paul, Seattle, WA, for Respondents.

AGID, J.

¶ 1 Michael Johnson sued Horizon Fisheries in March 2005 and later dismissed that action. He then filed a second identical action against Horizon, and Horizon moved under CR 41(d) for the costs it incurred defending against the first action. The trial court awarded Horizon $2,762.57 and entered a stay preventing Johnson from prosecuting *349 his second action until he paid Horizon. When Johnson did not pay the cost award and did not comply with the case schedule, the trial court dismissed the second action with prejudice. Johnson appeals from the order awarding costs and the order dismissing his second action. Because the cost order was proper under CR 41(d) and the trial court did not abuse its discretion by dismissing the case, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2 In the first lawsuit, Michael Johnson sued Horizon Fisheries under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 30104, alleging that he was injured on February 14, 2004, while working on defendant's ship. Horizon responded to Johnson's claim by deposing Johnson[1] and compelling him to attend a CR 35 medical evaluation. Horizon also deposed one of Johnson's treating physicians and got his medical, Social Security, Employment Security and United States Coast Guard records. On July 18, 2006, the parties stipulated to a 90 day continuance so that Johnson could attend a drug rehabilitation program. Johnson's counsel withdrew on September 8, 2006. The trial court denied Johnson's motion for a continuance on September 22, 2006, but it granted his CR 41(a) motion to voluntarily dismiss without prejudice noting that "taxable costs of this action should be imposed on plaintiff" if he re-files the same action.

¶ 3 Johnson filed the same complaint on October 17, 2006. Horizon moved for costs under CR 41(d), claiming (1) $750.00 for the CR 35 medical evaluation, (2) $792.60 for Johnson's medical records, (3) $50.00 for Johnson's Social Security records, (4) $221.56 for Employment Security and United States Coast Guard records, (5) $18.04 for the pro-rata cost of deposing Johnson's treating physician, (6) $16.00 for the pro rata portion of Johnson's treating physician's witness fee, (7) $31.87 for the pro rata cost of deposing Johnson, (8) $48.00 in messenger fees to file and serve a motions to compel, (9) $435.50 for the cost of discovery related document production (photocopy and postage fees), (10) $200.00 for jury demand fees, and (11) $200.00 in statutory attorney fees. On March 14, 2007, the trial court ordered Johnson to pay all of Horizon's requested costs for a total of $2,762 and entered a stay preventing him from proceeding further until he paid Horizon.

¶ 4 Johnson sought discretionary review of the cost award, which we denied.[2] Johnson asked the trial court to lift the stay if he made payments of $300.00 per month toward the cost award.[3] He told the court he could make those payments, and the trial court granted his motion. Johnson apparently did not make any payments.

¶ 5 While the stay was in effect, Horizon continued to press its defense, serving Johnson with a Request for Statement of Damages on March 27, 2007. Johnson did not reply.[4] He also did not disclose his primary witnesses by November 5, 2007, as required by the trial court's October 17, 2006 order setting civil case schedule.

¶ 6 Horizon moved to dismiss Johnson's second action on December 13, 2007. Johnson opposed the motion, declared that he was unable to make the monthly payments, and requested oral argument. Johnson also moved to clarify the trial court's March 14, 2007 stay and to strike the case schedule. The trial court found that: (1) Johnson failed to comply with the case schedule and failed to pay costs as required by the July 17, 2007 order, (2) his noncompliance with the case schedule and revised cost payment order was willful and he had no reasonable excuse or justification, (3) Johnson prejudiced Horizon's ability to go to trial by not disclosing his primary witnesses, (4) lesser sanctions than dismissal would be insufficient, and (5) Johnson "failed to respond at all times." Based on its findings, the court granted Horizon's motion and ordered the action dismissed with prejudice on December 21, 2007. The trial court denied Johnson's motion to *350 strike the case schedule on January 4, 2008, because the case had been dismissed.

DECISION

I. CR 41(d) Cost Recovery

¶ 7 Under the "American rule" followed in Washington, litigation costs are only recoverable when authorized by statute, rule, or case law.[5] Johnson argues that CR 41(d) does not authorize cost recovery in excess of the costs allowed by RCW 4.84.010. Horizon counters that the text of CR 41(d) authorizes the trial court to award costs "as it may deem proper." We review the trial court's interpretation of cost provisions and the application of court rules to particular facts de novo.[6] CR 41(d), titled "Costs of Previously Dismissed Action," provides that:

[i]f a plaintiff who has once dismissed an action in any court commences an action based upon or including the same claim against the same defendant, the court may make such order for the payment of taxable costs of the action previously dismissed as it may deem proper and may stay the proceedings in the action until the plaintiff has complied with the order.[[7]]

¶ 8 Johnson's claim fails for several reasons. First, the text of CR 41(d) does not reference RCW 4.84.010. But in the cost recovery provision of CR 54(d), the drafters explicitly linked awardable costs to RCW 4.84.010. CR 54(d)(1), which governs prevailing party cost recovery, provides that "[c]osts and disbursements shall be fixed and allowed as provided in RCW 4.84." Under the rules of statutory construction,[8] the drafters' decision to omit any reference to RCW 4.84.010 in CR 41(d) establishes their intent not to limit the cost recovery authorized by CR 41(d) to costs authorized by the statute.

¶ 9 Second, RCW 4.84.010 does not apply where a specific rule or statute expressly authorizes expanded cost recovery.[9] In American Civil Liberties Union of Washington v. Blaine School District No. 503, we held the trial court erred by limiting costs to those allowed by RCW 4.84.010 when the specific cost recovery rule applicable to that case allowed the award of "all costs."[10]

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Bluebook (online)
201 P.3d 346, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-horizon-fisheries-llc-washctapp-2009.