Judge awards $80K in Watkins Trust decision

Douglas County District Court Judge Jack Murphy has awarded the Bank of America attorney fees of $80,000 out of a total request of more than $283,500 in the final decision of a 2001 lawsuit over the operation of a trust for Watkins and Miller scholarship halls at KU.

The lawsuit was dismissed last February at plaintiff’s cost after the plaintiffs—current and former residents of Watkins Hall—last fall abandoned all of their allegations and claims of wrongdoing against the bank and KU.

The university had asked the judge to require the plaintiffs to pay the bank’s costs to avoid depleting the value of the Elizabeth Watkins Trust. A decrease in the fund likely will force the university to raise rental rates.

The university did not seek payment for attorney fees and court costs. The plaintiffs had sought $450,000 and payment of their attorney fees by the university.