DALE A. KIMBALL, District Judge.
This matter is before the court on several motions filed by Defendants: (1) Motion to Set Aside Default Judgment; (2) Motion to Stay Execution of Default Judgment; (3) Motion to Quash Writ of Garnishment; and (4) Motion for Hearing. The court has carefully reviewed the written memoranda submitted by the parties. Pursuant to local rule 7-1(f), the court has concluded that oral argument would not be helpful or necessary, and thus the court will determine the motion on the basis of the written memoranda.
In September 2008, Plaintiff Jansen Construction Company ("Jansen") executed a contract (the "Contract") with Defendant Gary Patel ("Patel") to remodel and expand a hotel (the "Project") located in Provo, Utah, on property (the "Property") owned by Kusum Enterprises, Inc. ("Kusum"). Plaintiff completed the Project in August 2009. Despite attempts by Plaintiff to collect the amount due, Defendants Patel and Kusum ("jointly "Defendants"), failed and/or refused to pay Jansen.
In April 2010, Jansen filed a Complaint to seek payment for the amounts owed. Defendants failed to Answer the Complaint, and Jansen filed Motion for Entry of Default.
Defendants, however, failed to make all required payments, and on March 29, 2011, Jansen filed a Motion for Default Judgment and Decree of Foreclosure, along with various Declarations.
The primary basis for Defendants' motion appears to be that Defendants believe that Jansen sought and received a judgment amount that exceeds the amount prayed for in Plaintiff's Complaint by approximately $60,0000. Jansen, however, accurately points out that the amount beyond the contract amount is interest on the debt, along with attorneys fees, all of which were sought in the Complaint.
Defendants have failed to demonstrate any sufficient basis under Rule 60(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to set aside the Default judgment. Jansen did not include a new or additional claim in obtaining its judgment, and prejudgment interest is regularly included in a judgment. Jansen's Complaint and Judgment properly requested interest on the amounts owed by Defendants. It is well established that courts may award pre-judgment interest (even on unjust enrichment claims) when the amounts owed are readily determinable mathematically. See Kimball v. Kimball, 217 P.3d 733, 751-52 (Utah Ct. App. 2009) (prejudgment interest may be awarded to compensate for actual loss when the amount is mathematically certain and does not result in a double recovery); Shoreline Dev. v. Utah County, 835 P.2d 207, 211 (Utah Ct. App. 1992) (finding that prejudgment interest may be sought on equitable claims).
Jansen concedes, however, that the interest rate on the Judgment against Kusum (but not Patel) should be modified to the statutory rate of 10% per annum from the date of the last payment to the date of entry of the Judgment because Kusum was not a party to the Contract.
Defendants have also failed to show that Jansen obtained the Judgment by misrepresentation or by undue surprise. Next, Defendants contend that excusable neglect exists because Defendants contend they relied on alleged assurances by Jansen. Having carefully considered the memoranda and the declarations submitted in this case, the court finds no merit to Defendants' argument that excusable neglect exists.
Accordoingly, Defendants have not established any basis for setting aside the Default Judgment. In addition, the court finds that not only is there no basis for setting aside the Judgment, but that Defendants' attempt to do so is untimely, particularly given their lack of participation in this litigation.
The court also concludes that the Motion to Stay Execution of the Judgment is moot. Far West Bank has been holding the garnished funds pending an order from this court, and the court now directs Far Western Bank to release the garnished funds to Plaintiff Jansen Construction Company.
For the foregoing reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: