Bay Casino, LLC. v. M/V ROYAL EMPRESS

20 F. Supp. 2d 440, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19675, 1998 WL 601507
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided August 19, 1998·No. 98 CV 2333 SJ·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

AMENDED MEMORANDUM & ORDER

JOHNSON, District Judge.

Introduction

This matter is currently before the Court on Defendants’ application, pursuant to Rule E(4)(f) of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims (“Supplemental Rules”), to vacate the arrest and attachment of the M/V ROYAL EMPRESS, and to allow Defendants to post a $ 200,000 bond instead. Defendants have also moved this Court pursuant to Supplemental Rule E(7) to require Plaintiff to post a $1,069,000 bond as security for their proposed counter- and cross-claims. On April 2, 1998, the Court conducted an evidentiary hearing and directed the parties to submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law. The following constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law. For the reasons discussed below, the warrant of arrest and process of maritime attachment and garnishment are upheld and Defendants’ motion to vacate is DENIED.

*444 FINDINGS OF FACT

A. The Parties

1. Plaintiff Bay Casino, LLC (“Bay Casino” or “Plaintiff’ or “Charterer”) is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware with its office and principal place of business located at 3202 Emmons Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11235. Verified Complaint at ¶ 2. Bay Casino has been granted a shipboard gambling license by the New York City Gambling Control Commission.

2. Defendant CGG Ltd. # 1 (“CGG”) is a Florida limited partnership having its principal place of business at Tampa, Florida. Joint Venture Agreement between CGG and Belair Financial Services, Inc.(“Joint Venture Agreement”); Plaintiffs Hearing Exhibit 1.

3. Defendant Belair (“Belair”) is a Delaware corporation having its principal place of business located at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Joint Venture Agreement at p. 1.

4. Defendant SeaCo Ltd (“SeaCo” or “Defendant” or “Owner”) is a joint venture and unincorporated business association with its office and principal place of business located at Tampa, Florida. SeaCo is comprised of CGG and Belair (“Defendants”). Joint Venture Agreement at p. 1; Hearing at 21 — 22. The Joint Venture Agreement is dated January 15, 1998, is signed by Buddy Levy, and one of its general purposes was to acquire the M/V Royal Empress — the vessel at issue in the instant case. Id.

5. The M/V ROYAL EMPRESS (the “Vessel”) is a passenger vessel owned by SeaCo and registered under the laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines currently within the jurisdiction of this Court and subject to a warrant of arrest and process of maritime attachment and garnishment pursuant to the Supplemental Rules. Verified Complaint ¶ 3; Warrant of Arrest filed 3/27/98; Process of Maritime Attachment and Garnishment filed 3/27/98; Joint Venture Agreement at p. 1; Claim of Owner filed by Seaeo April 3, 1998. SeaCo purchased the Vessel in January of 1998 for five million dollars with the purpose of placing it at Sheepshead Bay with Bay Casino in order to operate it as a gaming ship. Hearing at 23 — 24. The Vessel was certified by the Florida office of the United States Coast Guard to carry 896 passengers. Hearing at 46. The Vessel is not certified in New York. Hearing at 47, 51.

6. At all relevant times, Buddy Levy was the Manager of Defendant SeaCo and at the same time, until his termination on March 27, 1998, the Chief Executive Officer of Plaintiff Bay Casino. Levy is also the President of Coastal Gaming Group, Inc. (“CGGI”) — a general partner of CGG. Levy testified before the Court at the Hearing and also submitted an affidavit sworn to April 1, 1998. (“Levy Aff.”). In connection with the charter, Levy made six trips to New York from Tampa, Florida between January and April of 1998. Hearing at 37.

7. Joseph Kelleher is Executive Vice President of Plaintiff Bay Casino. He also testified at the Hearing and he submitted two affidavits sworn to April 1, 1998 and April 9, 1998, respectively. (“Kelleher Affs”).

8. Gold Star Casinos Inc. (“Gold Star”) is a Florida company that is involved in the shipboard management of casinos. Hearing at 33. On December 17, 1996, Bay Casino had entered into an exclusive contract with Gold Star at the inception of the Liberty I cruises. Kornblum Affidavit ¶ 13.

B. Background

9. Commencing in or about December, 1996, Plaintiff Bay Casino began operation of shipboard gambling cruises on board the vessel Liberty I departing from a pier leased by Plaintiff in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Hearing at 7. The pier facility is zoned at two hundred passengers pursuant to a New York City zoning ordinance. Id. Originally, the Liberty I sailed with two hundred passengers. However, between July 2, 1997 and November 3, 1997 when its operations were suspended, the boat sailed with four hundred passengers per cruise. Id. at 7 — 8. The Liberty I was able to increase its passenger capacity after a permanent floatable barge was employed by Plaintiff. This barge brought the vessel outside the pier headline and excluded it from being covered by the zoning ordinance. Id.

*445 10. On or about June 26, 1997, in response to “cruises to nowhere” that operate from New York City locations, the Council of the City of New York passed a Local Law amending the administrative code of the City of New York which, in part, established the New York City Gambling Control Commission and established licensing procedures and regulations for applicants seeking to conduct shipboard gambling businesses. Defendants’ Exhibit 4 to Proposed Findings.

11. On January 8, 1998, Bay Casino filed a Shipboard Gambling Business License Application (“Shipboard Gambling Application”) with the New York City Gambling Control Commission. The Shipboard Gambling Application was signed by Levy as Chief Executive Officer of Bay Casino. Hearing at 23 and Defendants’ Exhibit 5 to Proposed Findings.

12. On or about February 11, 1998, SeaCo filed a Key Vendor Application for License (“Key Vendor Application”) with the New York City Gambling Control Commission. The Key Vendor Application was signed by Levy as General Manager of SeaCo. Defendants’ Exhibit 6 to Proposed Findings.

13. SeaCo’s Key Vendor Application, signed by Levy, lists “Applicant’s [defendant SeaCo] business address within New York City” as 3202 Emmons Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11235, which is Bay Casino’s address, and also lists two Brooklyn telephone numbers for SeaCo. One of the Brooklyn telephone numbers listed on SeaCo’s Key Vendor Application (718-368-9000) is identical to a telephone number listed on the Shipboard Gambling Application filed by Bay Casino. Defendants’ Exhibit 5 to Proposed Findings at 2; Defendants’ Exhibit 6 to Proposed Findings at 2.

14. SeaCo’s Key Vendor Application, signed by Levy, lists Levy as the designated agent for service of process and his address for service of process as 7439 E. Hillsbor-ough Avenue, Tampa, Florida, 33610. Defendants’ Exhibit 6 to Proposed Findings at 4.

C. The Bare Boat Agreement

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Bay Casino, LLC. v. M/V ROYAL EMPRESS, 20 F. Supp. 2d 440, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19675, 1998 WL 601507 (E.D.N.Y. 1998).

20 F. Supp. 2d 440 (Bay Casino, LLC. v. M/V ROYAL EMPRESS) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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