Bill Fowler, Inc. v. Stadler

558 F. Supp. 1115, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19075
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 22, 1983
DocketNo. 82-1977-CIV-EPS
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 558 F. Supp. 1115 (Bill Fowler, Inc. v. Stadler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bill Fowler, Inc. v. Stadler, 558 F. Supp. 1115, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19075 (S.D. Fla. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO DISMISS FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION AND DENYING MOTION FOR DEFAULT

SPELLMAN, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE is before the Court on Motion To Dismiss For Lack of Jurisdiction filed by Defendants and Motion For Default filed by Plaintiff and the responses and memorandum filed in connection therewith. On Thursday, February 10,1983, this Court conducted an evidentiary hearing for the sole purpose of determining admiralty jurisdiction in the above styled case. Having heard the testimony of several witnesses and reviewed the exhibits admitted into evidence and having otherwise reviewed the record and being duly advised, it is hereby,

ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the Motion To Dismiss For Lack of Jurisdiction is Granted and the Motion For Default is Denied.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff, Bill Fowler, Inc., filed a complaint to collect for goods and services rendered .to a vessel. The Defendants are, John Stadler Jr., Equipment Leasing Co. of America, Inc., and the M/V “Shrew” a 23' Sea Craft [Collectively hereinafter referred to as Defendants].

Plaintiff claims this Court has admiralty and maritime jurisdiction within the meaning of Rule 9(h) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States and this Honorable Court. Specifically, Plaintiff claims that at the request of the Defendants, Plaintiff furnished certain materials, supplies, services and labor to Defendants’ vessel in the approximate amount of $60,000.00. Apparently, Defendants have made partial payments in the amount of $21,000.00 leaving a balance due of approximately $39,000.00. Plaintiff basically claims admiralty and maritime jurisdiction in that the claim is one for repairs or supplies furnished to a vessel within the meaning of 46 U.S.C. § 971.

[1116]*1116Defendants have moved this Court to dismiss the cause of action because the Court lacks admiralty jurisdiction. Defendants contend that the action is founded upon a contract for the construction of a vessel or for labor performed and materials furnished for the construction of the vessel and therefore not a maritime contract cognizable in admiralty. In the instant cause of action, Defendants note that Defendant, EQUIPMENT LEASING CO. OF AMERI-CA, the registered owner of the vessel contracted with Plaintiff to install, under the direction of and on the premises of the shipbuilder, WILLIAM S. POTTER, JR., [POTTER], and KSB, INC./SEAMARK SALES, certain electronic equipment and customizing prior to the completion of the building of the vessel. Moreover, Defendants allege that the work on the vessel has been neither completed nor accepted by her owner and final sea trials have not been performed.

In order to establish a firm factual basis upon which to make a determination as to whether this Court has admiralty jurisdiction, a hearing was held on Thursday, February 10, 1983 at 1:30 p.m. Several witnesses testified, and one such witness was John Stadler Jr., [STADLER], who testified that he purchased a 23' sea craft but had hired a shipbuilder, POTTER, to virtually remake the vessel. In this regard his testimony established that POTTER was to supervise the construction of the vessel to meet Defendant’s intended purpose of fishing and entertaining corporate clients and executives off the coast of the Bahamas. Pipe welders were hired to install a tuna tower, extra gas tanks were installed and Plaintiff was enlisted to bring the wiring of the vessel up to certain electrical standards, and to install a sophisticated communications package for operation in isolated areas. In addition to supervising the foregoing, POTTER was also to do certain other modifications to the hull and to the interior design such as seats etc.

Further testimony by STADLER revealed that numerous sea trials had been run with the vessel. Although STADLER brought his family on some of these trials and even spent the night on one occasion, it is clear from the testimony that the vessel was still under construction and had not even been accepted by STADLER from POTTER. This Court finds that the sea trials were made for the primary purpose of evaluating improvements. STADLER stated that reports were made on these sea trials and a “punch list” delivered to POTTER.

The above testimony was substantiated by the testimony of POTTER. He further elaborated that the vessel was not ready to go to sea, and that he was still working on the construction. Moreover, POTTER testified that the vessel in his opinion is not safe for the purposes that Defendant, STA-DLER, intends to use it.

Other testimony was taken from Bemie Layson, who is the president of Layson Marine, a company which distributes the sea craft. He stated that when this particular vessel was sold it could have been used in and around Biscayne Bay for pleasure purposes. However, his testimony further established an awareness on his part that, Defendant, STADLER, did not consider the vessel complete and intended to have additional electrical work done someplace else, and that POTTER was to do certain other construction on the vessel.

Although this Court does not elaborate further on other testimony and evidence presented, it has considered everything offered and admitted into evidence and concludes based on the facts presented that the work done by the Plaintiff for the Defendants was construction of a new vessel and therefore outside this Court’s admiralty and maritime jurisdiction.

II. ANALYSIS

It is firmly established that contracts for the construction of a ship or to supply materials for the construction of a ship are not within the admiralty jurisdiction of this Court. Thames Towboat Co. v. The Francis McDonald, 254 U.S. 242, 41 S.Ct. 65, 65 L.Ed. 245 (1920); The Boat La Sambra v. Lewis, 321 F.2d 29 (9th Cir.1963). [1117]*1117The theory is that a contract to construct an entirely new ship is nonmaritime because it is not closely enough related to any rights and duties pertaining to commerce and navigation by water. 254 U.S. at 244, 41 S.Ct. at 66.

The Court does not find the situation in this case involving reconstruction of a vessel as in The Jack-O-Lantern; New Bedford Dry Dock Co. v. Purdy, 258 U.S. 96, 42 S.Ct. 243, 66 L.Ed. 482 (1922) or American Shipbuilding & Dock Corp. et al. v. Rourke, 4 F.2d 845 (5th Cir.1925). The Plaintiff attempts to draw an analogy between the present ease and those eases, where a barge is already launched and involved in some form of sea duty. In the case at hand, the Court finds there is no such close relationship between the vessel in question and those rights and duties pertaining to commerce and navigation by water.

The Court finds the instant case strikingly similar to those cases which involve the construction of a new ship. For instance, in The Francis McDonald, supra,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
558 F. Supp. 1115, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19075, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bill-fowler-inc-v-stadler-flsd-1983.