IRVING, P.J., for the Court:
¶ 1. This appeal arises out of a real-estate contract between Beaumont Homes, LLC and Colonial/Jordan Properties, LLC. The Madison County Chancery Court granted summary judgment in favor of Colonial/Jordan and granted Colonial/Jordan's motion for attorneys' fees. Feeling aggrieved, Beaumont appeals and argues that the chancery court erred in granting summary judgment and in awarding attorneys' fees.
¶ 2. Finding no error, we affirm.
¶ 3. On September 16, 2005, Beaumont entered into a contract with Colonial/Jordan for the purchase of land "as is." Beaumont intended to build a house on the property. However, following the sale, Beaumont learned that the Madison County Board of Supervisors had placed a temporary moratorium on the issuance of building permits for the property due to past problems with flooding.
¶ 4. On October 2, 2006, Beaumont filed suit against Colonial/Jordan,
¶ 5. On April 30, 2009, Colonial/Jordan filed a motion for summary judgment, which the chancery court granted on June 22, 2009. On June 29, 2009, Colonial/Jordan filed a motion for attorneys' fees, which the chancery court granted on March 1, 2010. On May 6, 2010, the chancery court entered an order assessing attorneys' fees at $5,000.
¶ 6. Additional facts, as necessary, will be related during our analysis and discussion of the issues.
¶ 7. Beaumont argues that there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether Colonial/Jordan had a duty to disclose the property's flooding problems and the moratorium on the issuance of building permits. When reviewing a grant of summary judgment, the standard of review is de novo. O.W.O. Invs., Inc. v. Stone Inv., Co., 32 So.3d 439, 446 (¶ 18) (Miss.2010). Summary judgment should be granted "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories[,] and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Id. (quoting M.R.C.P. 56(c)).
¶ 8. The sales contract contained an "as is" provision in Section 5(d), which states:
This Court has previously held that an "as is" clause in a contract exempts a seller from liability pertaining to the condition of the property. Crase v. Hahn, 754 So.2d 471, 475 (¶ 8) (Miss.Ct.App.1999). There is no contention that Beaumont, a sophisticated party in the business of purchasing and developing real estate, did not understand the terms of the contract. Therefore, Beaumont is bound by the mutually agreed upon terms of the contract, which absolve Colonial/Jordan of any liability pertaining to the condition of the property.
¶ 9. Furthermore, because the sale involved real property without a dwelling, the statutory disclosure requirements that accompany land sales do not apply.
¶ 10. Beaumont argues that the chancery court erred in awarding attorneys' fees because the issue was raised for the first time in a post-trial motion. Furthermore, Beaumont contends that the chancery court was without jurisdiction to grant the award because Beaumont had already filed its appeal.
¶ 11. A chancery court's decision to award attorneys' fees is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Tupelo Redevelopment Agency v. Gray Corp., 972 So.2d 495, 518 (¶ 70) (Miss.2007). The real-estate contract between Colonial/Jordan and Beaumont contained the following provision regarding attorneys' fees:
Colonial/Jordan submitted an affidavit in support of attorneys' fees totaling $43,854.20; however, the chancery court
¶ 12. The Mississippi Supreme Court has held that an inquiry into whether a party is entitled to attorneys' fees cannot commence until a party has prevailed. Cruse v. Nunley, 699 So.2d 941, 946 (¶ 19) (Miss.1997). Furthermore, "the fact that the fee request was made after the entry of judgment is not a proper basis for denying the fee award." Id. at (¶ 20). Therefore, Beaumont's argument that the chancery court erred in awarding attorneys' fees because Colonial/Jordan raised the issue of attorneys' fees for the first time in a post-trial motion is without merit.
¶ 13. Finally, this Court has held that under Rule 4(d) of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure,
¶ 14. Colonial/Jordan filed its motion for attorneys' fees on June 29, 2009. Beaumont filed its first notice of appeal, which related to the chancery court's grant of summary judgment, on July 16, 2009. The chancery court entered its order awarding attorneys' fees of $5,000 on May 6, 2010.
¶ 15.
LEE, C.J., GRIFFIS, P.J., MYERS, BARNES, ISHEE, ROBERTS, CARLTON, MAXWELL AND RUSSELL, JJ., CONCUR.
(Emphasis added). Additionally, section 89-1-501(2)(h) states that "[t]ransfers of real property on which no dwelling is located" are "specifically excluded from the provisions of [s]ections 89-1-501 through 89-1-523."