Dant & Russell, Inc. v. Dillingham Tug & Barge Corp.

895 F.2d 507, 1989 WL 164453
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJune 16, 1989
DocketNos. 86-4236, 86-4244
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 895 F.2d 507 (Dant & Russell, Inc. v. Dillingham Tug & Barge Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dant & Russell, Inc. v. Dillingham Tug & Barge Corp., 895 F.2d 507, 1989 WL 164453 (9th Cir. 1989).

Opinions

AMENDED OPINION

PER CURIAM:

We are presented with the maritime law question of whether a vessel owner is liable to a cargo owner for damages in the absence of privity. We reverse the district court’s finding that the vessel owner was negligent and its further finding that the vessel owner breached a warranty of seaworthiness. As a result, the district court’s determination of damages owed by Pacific to Fireman’s Fund cannot stand. We remand to the district court the issue of the barge’s in rem liability to Dant & Russell.

FACTS

In December 1981, appellant Pacific Hawaiian (“Pacific”), owner of the barge NORTON SOUND, contracted to demise charter the barge to Hvide Marine Transport, Inc. (“Hvide”), which demise was to commence upon delivery of the barge to Hvide on February 16, 1982, after the ship was inspected and necessary repairs were made. As demise charterer, Hvide assumed possession, control, and “temporary ownership” of the barge. Hvide then voyage chartered the barge to Terminal Steamship Co. (“Terminal”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of appellee Dant & Russell (“D & R”), to carry D & R’s lumber from Astoria, Oregon to Florida. As voyage charterer, Terminal obtained the use of the barge for carriage, but responsibility and control remained with Hvide.

D & R insured the lumber with appellee Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. (“Fireman’s Fund”). By endorsement, the policy named Hvide as an additional assured with waiver of subrogation. Hvide also added an endorsement to its own Protection and Indemnity (“P & I”) policy to extend coverage to the barge during the voyage.

[509]*509In accord with the terms of the demise charter which called for various inspections and surveys, the NORTON SOUND was dry-docked at Dillingham Ship Repair (“DSR”) on Swan Island in Portland, Oregon, for repairs necessary to meet inspection standards. Pacific retained Hughes to consult with and assist Bartholomew, Hvide’s representative at DSR. Bartholomew acted as port engineer and was authorized by Hvide to direct the repairs.

Both Hughes and Bartholomew knew that on previous voyages, a portable pump had been needed to suction water out of the cargo hold of the barge, and that major parts of the barge’s bilge and ballast system did not work.

DSR tested the system, recommended substantial repairs, and gave Bartholomew and Hughes an estimate for the work. Bartholomew and Hughes then agreed, in a letter signed by Tennant, a Pacific vice-president, and by Santos, a vice-president of Hvide, to defer repairs until after the voyage.

The tug crew loaded and stowed the cargo of lumber under Hughes’ instruction. Bartholomew then helped to ballast the barge, and the barge left Astoria. During the voyage, ballast water leaked through the ballast lines and into void tanks in the cargo hold. This caused the barge to list so that water washed over the open after-deck and entered the deckhouse.

When the cargo was unloaded in Florida, ten to fifteen percent of the lumber was stained by water, oil, rust, and debris. Fireman’s Fund paid D & R $169,981.23 under the policy. D & R absorbed the $25,000 deductible under the policy.

Litigation ensued between Hvide and D & R: Hvide sought to recover its voyage charter hire and D & R sought to recover for the cargo damage. That litigation ended with a settlement agreement under which, inter alia, the claims of each were waived and released.

D & R and Fireman’s Fund then filed this action against Pacific and the barge. Upon motion, the trial court dismissed the barge in rem.

At trial, Pacific stipulated that the barge was unseaworthy when she left Portland, but contended as barge owner, it had exercised due diligence to make the barge seaworthy and that it did not know, or should it have known as a matter of law, of the unseaworthiness.

The district court entered summary judgment against Pacific for breach of warranty of seaworthiness. After trial on the issues of negligence and damages, the district court also found Pacific negligent and assessed damages. It held that Pacific was not relieved of liability by virtue of various indemnity and hold harmless agreements in the charters and the insurance policies. Pacific now appeals the district court’s findings; D & R cross-appeals the dismissal of the barge and the district court’s calculation of damages.

The parties agree there is no dispute of material fact. This court, therefore, reviews de novo the district court’s application of law to facts. Darring v. Kincheloe, 783 F.2d 874, 876 (9th Cir.1986).

DISCUSSION

I

The district court found that Hughes and Tennant were negligent for failing to have the bilge and ballast system repaired before the voyage when they knew or should have known the barge was unseaworthy. Since they were acting as agents of Pacific, their actions were imputed to Pacific. W.R. Grace & Co. v. Western U.S. Indus., Inc., 608 F.2d 1214, 1218 (9th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 953, 100 S.Ct. 2920, 64 L.Ed.2d 810 (1980).

Pacific contests the finding of liability, saying that it owed no duty to D & R. It argues that scant precedent exists for holding a vessel owner liable to a cargo owner for negligent conduct predating a chain of charters.

Even though the demise charter did not begin until Hvide took physical possession of the barge, Pacific is not liable to Hvide for the alleged negligence. Pacific’s alleged negligence predated the charter term, but Hvide’s vice-president waived Pa[510]*510cific’s liability for any negligence by agreeing to defer repairs on the NORTON SOUND until after the voyage. It is true that one may not assume the risk for certain negligent torts. See Prosser & Keeton on the Law of Torts § 68, at 482-83 (5th ed. 1984). There is nothing in this rule, however, which precludes one from waiving another’s liability for negligence after the allegedly negligent acts have occurred. In our view, the agreement to defer repairs operated as such a waiver. In short, Hvide decided to gamble that the barge would safely transport the lumber, and it lost; Pacific had no duty to pay the cost of Hvide’s wager.

Therefore, the finding of negligence against Pacific is reversed.

II

The district court also found that Pacific had violated the warranty of seaworthiness. Pacific, however, claims waiver and points out that the warranty of seaworthiness is waived “where full inspection was made by those seeking to charter the vessels ... and the alleged defects or weaknesses were either patent or were especially called to such charterers’ attention by the vessel owners.” Thomas Jordan, Inc. v. Mayronne Drilling Mud, Chem. & Eng’g Serv., 214 F.2d 410, 413 (5th Cir.1954) (quoting Dempsey v. Downing, 11 F.2d 15, 17 (4th Cir.1926)).

Here, Hvide, the demise charterer, supervised the inspection and took an active part in the repairs. Hvide had full knowledge of the vessel’s unseaworthiness and assumed all risks.

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