Bramsen v. Hardin

346 F. Supp. 934, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12500
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedAugust 1, 1972
Docket71-837-Civ
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 346 F. Supp. 934 (Bramsen v. Hardin) 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
Bramsen v. Hardin, 346 F. Supp. 934, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12500 (S.D. Fla. 1972).

Opinion

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

FULTON, Chief Judge.

This cause came before the Court upon a motion to dismiss or in the alternative for summary judgment filed by defendants Clifford Hardin and Floyd Hedlund and a motion to dismiss filed by defendant A. J. Sullivan. Plaintiffs admit that there is no genuine issue of material fact and have also moved for summary judgment. The Court heard argument of counsel and has since received and studied the briefs submitted by counsel.

The origin of this case is a ruling by the Florida Celery Committee which Committee is organized under Marketing Order 967, 7 C.F.R. § 967.130ff. promulgated by the Department of Agriculture pursuant to the authority of 7 U.S.C. §§ 601-674. The Florida Celery Committee and a Hearing Examiner of the Department of Agriculture conducted a Hearing and made a ruling which was appealed to the Secretary of Agriculture, by whom the decision was affirmed. Plaintiffs have exhausted their administrative remedies.

JURISDICTION

The Court’s jurisdiction is invoked under 28 U.S.C. § 1331(a), general federal question; 28 U.S.C. § 1361, actions to compel an officer of the United States to perform his duty; 5 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq., permitting judicial review of administrative agency rulings; 15 U.S. C. § 4, anti-trust jurisdiction.

Plaintiffs claim that they are entitled to a base quantity for the production of celery presently belonging to defendant A. J. Sullivan of Florida, Inc., or that they are entitled to the issuance of a base quantity by the Florida Celery Committee; or that Marketing Order No. 967 which provides for the selection of The Florida Celery Committee, is unconstitutional; or that Marketing Order No. 967 is being administered unconstitutionally.

None of the parties have requested that the Court convene a Three-Judge Court, nor is that necessary in this case even though the constitutionality of a federal regulation has been called into question. A challenge of the constitutionality of an administrative regulation is not to be considered an attack on an Act of Congress as applied, so as to require hearing by a Three-Judge Court. Sardino v. Federal Reserve Bank of N. Y., 361 F.2d 106 (2d Cir. 1966), cert. denied, 385 U.S. 898, 87 S.Ct. 203, 17 L.Ed.2d 130.

FACTS

The facts in this case are not disputed. A detailed and excellent summary of the facts may be found in the Secretary’s review of the committee’s determination, dated September 10, 1970, document # 25, U.S.D.A. Administrative Record, which has been made a part of the record of this cause. There is, therefore, no need to restate the facts exhaustively.

Leo Bramson and Marvin Welfeld, as general partners, joined with eleven limited partners to form Chiglades Farm, Ltd., for the purpose of farming celery and other vegetables in Florida. On October 29, 1962, Chiglades entered into a joint venture with A. J. Sullivan of Florida, Inc. whose major shareholder was A. J. Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan was the possessor of a base quantity issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture. The joint venture was or became engaged in celery production.

The Florida Statute regulating the production of celery was held unconstitutional as violating the Florida Constitution by the Florida Supreme Court, Rabin v. Conner, 174 So.2d 721 (1965). The United States Department of Agriculture promulgated Agricultural Marketing Order No. 967, which, as amended, continues to regulate and control the marketing of celery in Florida. Agriculture Marketing Order No. 967 (hereinafter called Order 967) establishes the *937 Florida Celery Committee to administer the provisions of the Order and to make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture regarding limitations on the marketing of the Florida celery. Under that Order the Florida Celery Committee members are elected annually by Florida celery producers.

In order to produce celery in Florida, producers were required to possess a base quantity issued by the Florida Celery Committee. The Committee was to issue base quantities on the following basis:

1. To applicants with a prior history of celery production:
(a) An amount of the greatest number of crates of celery sold by or for him during any one of production seasons 1961-62 through 1964-65; or
(b) An amount derived by computing the average of sales by or for him for any two of the seven production seasons 1958-59 through 1964-65.
2. For producers with no prior history during seasons 1958-59 through 1964-65, or for those whose sales were not representative of present commitments, a base quantity could be issued based upon commitments, so long as they were, prior to September 30, 1965, firm and substantial and the producer actually engaged in celery production before that date.

When the Florida Regulatory Scheme was held to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Florida, Rabin v. Conner, supra,, Chiglades Farm, Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Chiglades) and A. J. Sullivan of Florida, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Sullivan, Inc.) entered into a new joint venture agreement for the production of celery with Sullivan, Inc. to apply for a base quantity as required by Order No. 967. Sullivan, Inc., applied for and received a base quantity, and the joint venture continued to produce celery, which was handled by a Coop which is known as Pioneer Grower Cooperative. The joint venture was terminated sometime in June, 1967, after the death of A. J. Sullivan. Leo Bramson and Marvin Welfeld, the general partners of Chiglades then discovered that E. A. McCabe, one of Chiglades limited partners, and an officer of both Pioneer Land Co. and Pioneer Growers Cooperative and an employee of the joint venture, was now the owner or major stockholder of Sullivan, Inc. The joint venture leased its farm land from Pioneer Land Company and handled its celery through Pioneer Growers Co-operative.

After the joint venture was terminated, Chiglades found that it could no longer grow celery because the base quantity was issued in the name of Sullivan, Inc. Chiglades made repeated attempts to obtain a base quantity from the Florida Celery Committee, unsuccessfully. Chiglades contends that it was entitled to the base quantity presently owned by Sullivan, Inc., or in the alternative is entitled to the issuance of a new base quantity.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

Since this action comes to the Court for review of an administrative decision made by the Secretary of Agriculture, the scope of the Court’s review is limited by 5 U.S.C. § 706.

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Bluebook (online)
346 F. Supp. 934, 1972 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bramsen-v-hardin-flsd-1972.