Costs after a meeting dispute: association’s recovery reduced

Following a challenge to a meeting decision of KÜ Kangelaste pr 19, now Narva linn, Kangelaste prospekt 19 korteriühistu, first-instance costs fell on the association and appeal costs on claimant XX. Quantifying them, the county court awarded XX 399.45 euros and the association 824.15 euros. XX challenged both calculations; the association brought a cross-appeal against the order. The circuit court reduced the association’s recovery. Reviewing the file, discussing positions and preparing the written speech partly overlapped, without adequate explanation in the earlier assessment. Reasonable legal work was assessed at four hours, or 400 euros; including the court fee, the total was 719.55 euros. The request to increase XX’s 399.45 euros was refused because the assessment of that representative’s work was justified. The court did not set these reciprocal obligations off into a single net amount. The association’s cross-appeal was left unexamined. An independent, timely appeal against the order was necessary; receiving the other side’s appeal did not open a new period under cross-appeal rules for judgments. The order of 17 January 2013 was varied only as to the association’s recovery. Each side bears its own appeal costs; the association bears the cross-appeal costs. The underlying meeting dispute was not reconsidered.