A. M. & J. Solari, Ltd. v. United States

6 Cust. Ct. 373, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 87
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 19, 1941
DocketC. D. 499
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 6 Cust. Ct. 373 (A. M. & J. Solari, Ltd. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Customs Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A. M. & J. Solari, Ltd. v. United States, 6 Cust. Ct. 373, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 87 (cusc 1941).

Opinion

Evans, Judge:

This is an action against the United States in which the plaintiff seeks redress from the action of the collector of customs at the port of New Orleans in collecting duties on certain importations of whisky which were seized and destroyed by the collector.

We set forth plaintiff’s claims as they appear in his protest as follows:

Protest is hereby made against your decision, assessing duty against A. M. & J. Solari, Ltd., importer of above listed merchandise, for the following reasons:
1. A stop order was issued and merchandise was seized by the Collector of Customs, which prevented withdrawal of merchandise for consumption and liquidation of entry by the importer.
[374]*374.2;-The.importer was. without knowledge that, the merchandise seized would be destroyed without due notice-being ¿served, on; the importer. .
3. The importer was without knowledge of the specific date or dates on which forfeiture and destruction would be exercised by the Collector of Customs, and therefore was unable to file petition for remission or mitigation of the forfeitures incurred, in order to prevent or delay destruction of the merchandise.
4. The importer had no knowledge of fraudulent activities of foreign distilleries and disclaims all responsibility in implications of fraud in connection with age certificates filed with the Collector of Customs.
5. The assessment -of ’customs -duties -against the ■ importer imposes a very severe penalty and hardship which is entirely unfair and constitutes a violation of his rights, in yiew of the fact that the importer was in no way implicated in the attempted fraud alleged by the Government.
6. The 'importer was not given an opportunity to protect his rights and .was thereby made the victim of circumstances entirely beyond his control.
7. The merchandise did not enter the commerce of the U. S., was never released for consumption, and therefore no customs duties are due the U. S. Government.
8. Customs duties aggregating $2000.20 paid by the importer were unjustly and illégally collected by the Collector of Customs, and]a refund, of the amount involved, by the Collector of Customs to the importer is requested.
The importer reserves the right to amend this protest.

These pleadings.were amended by. adding the following claims:

That the merchandise in question was destroyed contrary to law. That the merchandise was never imported, and that therefore, the protestant should not be subjected to duty on the saíne.
That there is no provision'of law under the'Tariff Act of 1930 as amended, and the Pure Food and Drug Act of June 30, 1906 as amended under which any claim for duty is chargeable against the protestant.
That the duty paid by the protestant should be refunded by reason and under the authority of: Section ,492; Section 520 — (a), (1), (2) and (3); Section 557; Section 563; Sections 602-to 616 inclusive; Sections 617 and 618. Customs Regulations of 1931; Articles 528 to 547 inclusive; Article 643; Articles 1079 to 1129 inclusive; T. D. 46805 and T. D. 48104.
That the decision of the Collector and the Secretary assessing and/or collecting and/or refusing to refund and/or denying relief from payment of the duty paid by the protestant is contrary to the provisions of law and the Customs Regulations above last referred to. .
That the seizure and destruction of the merchandise involved; the assessment and failure to refund the duty is contrary to law; deprives the protestant of his property without due process of law, and in violation of amendment 14 of the Constitution of the United States of America.
That the Collector and the Secretary have assessed and collected duty under misapprehension and misinterpretation of the law and regulations governing merchandise of the kind involved in this Protest.
That the procedure and rulings followed and issued respectively by the Collector arid/or the Secretary, and their official acts and decisions pertaining thereto are arbitrary in that they are contrary to law, regulations and the legal and constitutional rights of the protestant herein.

The record herein discloses an unusual series of happenings. In January, 1936, there arrived at the port of New Orleans two shipments of whisky from Cuba, consigned to A. M. & J. Solari, Ltd., the plaintiff herein. The shipments, one consisting of eight barrels and the other [375]*375óf two barrels,'were entered fóí - warehouse - and were placed' in' an authorized bonded warehouse.

' We will take up the entries separately.- On January-22, entry 477 was made by the importer which covers an importation of eight barrels 6f bourbon whisky. The'consular invoice was’certified before the United States consul in Cuba on January 17, 1936, and the warehouse: permit was issued at New Orleans January 22, 1936. The said permit carries a notation indicating that there was to Nave been a gauging and sampling at the- wharf subject to the Food’ and Drug Administration Act. The summary of entered value and extension sheet, Form 6417, dated January 22, carries the notation under packages to be examined “Gauge & Sample Wharf” underneath which appears “No Sample Desired U. S. Department of Agriculture Food & Drug Administration.” The • merchandise was examined on the 23rd of January, 1936. The Return and Certificate of Weight, Gauge, or-Measure was made under date of January 25, 1936. The consular invoice carries this certificate:

It is hereby declared that the Whiskey' covered by this invoice has been manufactured at Puentes Grandes, Havana, Cuba, by Mill Creek Distillery Ltd., out of 15% Barley Malt imported from Canada, 60% Corn imported from United States, 25% Rye imported from United States. ■ ' ■ : ,

It appears from a sticker pasted, on the summary of entered value that on March 9, 1936, the Agricultural Department, Food and Drug Administration,. did procure a sample of this importation and that thereafter on April 27, 1936, a notice on Form F. D. 777 was addressed to. A. M. .& J. Solari, Ltd., 201 Royal St., New Orleans, La., the importer, in question, advising that an analysis of the sample of .the liquor taken from the importation indicated that the merchandise was misbranded as to age and that action would be- taken as to the exclusion of the shipment. Said notice reads as follows:

Inspection and analysis of the sample from the following-described shipment having led to the result indicated below, you are hereby notified that action under the provisions of the Food and Drugs Act, June 30, 1906, as to the exclusion of said shipment from consumption in the United States will be taken, at the station of the Department of Agriculture at the above address three days: (Sundays not included) from the above date, at which time and place you may be present and submit testimony, of at or before which timé you may file a statement in writing.

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Bluebook (online)
6 Cust. Ct. 373, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/a-m-j-solari-ltd-v-united-states-cusc-1941.