Boice v. Boice
Boice v. Boice
Opinion of the Court
After the opinion of this court in, D.C., 48 F.Supp. 183, had been sustained at the circuit in, 3 Cir., 135 F.2d 919, the attorney for the successful defendant, Edith Gibby Boice, filed a petition for an attorney’s fee to be taxed against the defeated plaintiff herein.
That this court may make an allowance to an attorney, in a proper case, after the coming down of a mandate, is made clear by the ruling in Sprague v. Ticonic Nat. Bank, 307 U.S. 161, 59 S.Ct. 777, 83 L.Ed. 1184. But is this a proper case in which to make such an allowance?
This unfortunate defendant and her attorney have been forced into unnecessary and quite unjustifiable litigation, and solely because of the attorney’s steadfast and intelligent devotion to the cause the defendant finally was sustained in her rights, all of which will appear by a reading of the two opinions in the cases above cited. She is without funds other than a small amount under the control of this court which her attorney is reluctant to deplete by taking an allowance. The desire here to make him an allowance to be assessed against the plaintiff is all but compelling but it is found that this court is quite without the necessary power to meet the urge.
After a study of the case law as found, in cases too numerous to mention here, but which may be easily located by reference to the reports on the subject, and thoughtful contemplation of the cold, clear, unambiguous language of the statute, it is found that the intent of the statute has been set at nought to the extent mentioned in the two cases last above cited, which is probably all to the good. But this inferior court hesitates to override the Congressional intent by further extending the judicial power to fix fees where the amount thereof is not to be deducted from a fund under the control of the court.
The prayer of the petition for an attorney’s fee by the attorney for Edith Gibby Boice must be denied. It is believed however that counsel has stored up for himself a fee “where moth and rust doth not corrupt”.
The petition for fees by the attorneys for the Florida banks is also denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BOICE v. BOICE
- Status
- Published