American Sugar Refining Co. v. Page & Shaw, Inc.

16 F.2d 662, 1927 U.S. App. LEXIS 3620, 1927 A.M.C. 391
CourtCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit
DecidedJanuary 7, 1927
DocketNos. 2056, 2057
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 16 F.2d 662 (American Sugar Refining Co. v. Page & Shaw, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the First Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Sugar Refining Co. v. Page & Shaw, Inc., 16 F.2d 662, 1927 U.S. App. LEXIS 3620, 1927 A.M.C. 391 (1st Cir. 1927).

Opinion

BINGHAM, Circuit Judge.

This is an action for breach of contract, in which the-American Sugar Refining Company seeks to recover as damages certain charges for wharf-age, Eghterage, trucking, insurance, and other charges amounting to $17,849.13 incurred by the plaintiff in connection with the transfer and delivery of 4,000 tons of sugar from-Commonwealth Pier in Boston by Hghter to-the refinery or wharf of the American Sugar-Refinery at South Boston.

The only evidence in the case is a statement of agreed facts and the testimony of two-witnesses called by the plaintiff. At the close of the evidence both parties submitted requests for instructions and moved for directed verdicts.

There being no dispute as to the sums claimed as due on the several items sought to be recovered as damages, but only as to-whether any of the items and, if any, what ones should be allowed, the court directed a-[663]*663verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $7,671.-65, upon which' judgment was entered, and both parties prosecuted these writs of error.

The questions raised by the assignments of error are (1) whether there was a breach of contract; and, if there was, (2) what of the items sought to be recovered (allowed or disallowed) should be included in the verdict.

The sugar in question was purchased by the plaintiff from the defendant under a contract dated May 20, 1920, the provisions of which so far as they relate to the shipment and the delivery of the sugar were as follows:

“Shipment to be made during July-August, 1920, from Java to Boston.
“Destination, by steamer to be named as soon as possible, for Boston.
“At a price of (20%c.) twenty and one-half cents per pound, costs, freight and insurance, basis nine-six degrees (96°). * * *
“Delivery of the sugar to be made at a •customary safe wharf or refinery, as directed by the buyer. * * *
“War risk insurance to be covered by sellar.
“Marine insurance to be covered by seller from shore to shore including risk of lighters at ports of loading and discharge.
“Payment: Buyer to open immediately irrevocable bankers credit through am approved bank expiring not earlier than November 5, 1920, payable three days’ sight against shipping documents.”

The contract was on a printed form of the American Sugar Refining Company, and the portions of the contract that were written in are in italics.

It appears that the plaintiff had a refinery and landing wharf at South Boston, located on Fort Point Channel. To get to the refinery and wharf a vessel had to pass* through three bridges, the draws of some of which were 50 feet in width; on August 26, 1920, the defendant notified the plaintiff the •sugar had been shipped on the steamships West Camifax and West Vaca; .these vessels were more than 50 feet wide, and neither of them could pass through the bridges to the plaintiff’s refinery; on November 1,1920, certain shipping documents were presented to the bank where payment was to be made; when these shipping documents were presented, they were examined by the plaintiff, and it was found that they did not have among them .a charter party of either vessel, and that the •bills of lading contained provisions imposing landing and other charges upon the consignee, ’which it claims were not in accordance with the terms of the letter of credit or the eon--tract; the plaintiff, however, on November 5, 1920, paid for the sugar and received the documents stating, among other things, that it did so, “without prejudice to any rights which the American Sugar Refining Company may have against the beneficiary of our letter of credit 17,455, or any other party”; the shipping documents comprised invoices from the defendant to the plaintiff for the sugar contracted for, consular invoices and certificates of origin,'bills of lading and marine insurance policies; the West Camifax arrived in Boston on Sunday, November 28, 1920; by direction of the ship’s agents it was on that day brought alongside Commonwealth Pier at South Boston; on Monday, November 29, 1920, the ship’s agents notified the defendant of the boat’s arrival and the defendant notified the plaintiff of that fact, who at once directed the defendant to have the sugar on the West Camifax delivered at its refinery on Fort Point Channel, free of expense to it; while this was the first notice of arrival, the plaintiff had been informed several days before that the vessel was soon expected to arrive; the defendant objected to making delivery at the refinery as directed, claiming it was not under obligation to do so by the contract; the plaintiff insisted it was so obligated; pri- or to the time the plaintiff was notified of the West Camifax’s arrival, part of the sugar contracted for had been unloaded on the dock at Commonwealth Pier and such unloading was continued until December 1, 1920; the ship’s cargo also embraced, in addition to the sugar consigned to the plaintiff, some 1,079 chests of tea, weighing about 200 tons, and 1,572 bags of flour for-other consignees; the parties being unable to reconcile their differences as to the place of delivery, and being confronted with large expenses due to handling the sugar on the pier, the defendant authorized the plaintiff to lighter the sugar from the steamer and from the pier to the refinery for its account, and to pay any wharfage charges incurred upon this sugar for its account; at the same time it was also agreed that this arrangement was made without prejudice to the rights or liabilities of either party in respect to the “lighterage and these charges,” and that the ultimate responsibility for them was to be determined by the contract of May 20, 1920; when the second steamer, the West Vaca, arrived, notice was seasonably given directing the portion of her cargo of sugar consigned to the plaintiff (she carried other sugar consigned to defendant) to be delivered at the plaintiff’s refinery on Fort Point Channel; a similar authorization and agreement was then given and entered into as to lightering the sugar and payment of wharf-[664]*664age charges, and the ultimate responsibility of the parties therefor; the lightering charges paid amounted to $11,444.55; this item was disallowed in the court below, except as to the sum of $48.60 included therein; the wharfage or berthing charges, amounting to $1,223.85 and interest, were allowed, as was the landing or stevedore charge of $4,448.35, with interest; the coopering charge while on ship of $149.47 was allowed; the charges for coopering on dock of $115.20, trucking on wharf of $130.43, piling on wharf of $258.95, and insurance while sugar was in transportation on lighters from dock to refinery of $316.98 were disallowed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 F.2d 662, 1927 U.S. App. LEXIS 3620, 1927 A.M.C. 391, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-sugar-refining-co-v-page-shaw-inc-ca1-1927.