28-26 Costs and Disbursements - North Dakota Statutes

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CHAPTER 28-26COSTS AND DISBURSEMENTS28-26-01.Attorney's fees by agreement - Exceptions - Awarding of costs andattorney's fees to prevailing party.1.Except as provided in subsection 2, the amount of fees of attorneys in civil actions
must be left to the agreement, express or implied, of the parties.2.In civil actions the court shall, upon a finding that a claim for relief was frivolous,
award reasonable actual and statutory costs, including reasonable attorney's fees to
the prevailing party. Such costs must be awarded regardless of the good faith of the
attorney or party making the claim for relief if there is such a complete absence of
actual facts or law that a reasonable person could not have thought a court would
render judgment in that person's favor, providing the prevailing party has in
responsive pleading alleged the frivolous nature of the claim. This subsection does
not require the award of costs or fees against an attorney or party advancing a claim
unwarranted under existing law, if it is supported by a good-faith argument for an
extension, modification, or reversal of the existing law.28-26-02. Amount of costs in specific cases. Costs in the district courts and in thesupreme court must be as follows:1.To the plaintiff for all proceedings before trial, ten dollars, and for each additional
defendant served with process not exceeding ten, one dollar.2.To the defendant, for all proceedings before trial, five dollars.3.For every trial of an issue of fact, five dollars.4.Superseded by N.D.R.App.P., Rule 38.5.To either party for every term not exceeding five, at which the cause is necessarily
on the calendar of the district court and is not tried or is postponed by order of the
court, three dollars, and for every term not exceeding five, excluding the term at
which the cause is argued in the supreme court, five dollars. Term fees are not
taxable as costs when a cause, properly on the calendar, is not reached for trial
during the term, nor in case a continuance is had upon the application of, or
stipulation with, the party in whose favor costs are to be taxed.28-26-03. Costs on appeal from county justice. Repealed by S.L. 1981, ch. 320,