Denver & Rio Grande Railroad v. United States

53 Ct. Cl. 155, 1918 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 231, 1918 WL 1038
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Denver & Rio Grande Railroad v. United States. Read the opinion of the Court — 50 Ct. Cl. 382
United States Court of Claims·Decided January 7, 1918·No. No. 31936·Published

Opinion

BarNey, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The question for decision in this case arises upon the demurrer of the defendants to the amended petition of the plaintiff. This suit was before this court once before upon a demurrer to the original petition, which was the same in substance as the amended petition, except that it was therein alleged that the question of demurrage involved had been presented to the Interstate Commerce Commission and a ruling against its allowance made; also said original petition did not set up rule 8, hereinafter quoted, as one of the rules applicable to the handling of freight on the plaintiff’s railway. Said demurrer was sustained by this court * and the petition amended in both of the above particulars as will hereinafter appear.

Briefly stated, said amended petition alleges as follows. That plaintiff is a railroad corporation lawfully doing business in the State of Utah and maintains a station on its line in said State for the delivery of freight in carload lots, [163] known as Thistle Junction. During the year 1907 the defendants through the Eeclamation Service undertook certain work known as the Strawberry Valley project in the vicinity of said Thistle Junction, and for the more convenient handling of freight intended for use in that work the plaintiff maintained and operated a switch or siding known as Diamond Switch at milepost 679 on its railway, about 1.5 miles west of said Thistle Junction, at which point the defendants, through said Eeclamation Service, provided an unloading plant and warehouse for the handling of cement consigned to said Eeclamation Service in carload lots. During the months of July and August, 1907, the plaintiff received and transported a large number of cars loaded with cement shipped from Independence, Kans., and consigned to said Eeclamation Service at said “milepost 679, near Thistle Junction,” and was ready and willing to deliver said cars on said Diamond Switch there located from time to time when there was room thereon, but the defendants, through the Eeclamation Service, directed the delivery of said cars on said switch at times and in number to suit its convenience in unloading the same, in consequence of which direction and in order to comply therewith the plaintiff was compelled to hold said cars at said Thistle Junction station, the nearest available point, and thereafter from clay to day to switch them on said Diamond Switch as directed by said Eeclamation Service.

Then follows a statement of the length of time said cars were detained at Thistle Junction in excess of 48 hours in consequence of said direction; and that the demurrage therefor had been demanded of said Eeclamation Service and refused and that the rights of the plaintiff to such demurrage had been presented to the Interstate Commerce Commission which had decided that the same was properly assessed, notwithstanding which decision the Eeclamation Service still refused to pay the same; and this suit is brought to recover the amount of said demurrage.

The plaintiff in its petition sets out certain rules and regulations in force in 1907 governing the handling of freight in carload lots on the plaintiff’s railway system in the State [164] of Utah and which had been filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Such rules quoted are as follows:

“ Rule 2.

“ Forty-eight (48) hours’ free time will be allowed for the loading or unloading of all cars subject to car service. It being further understood that no car will be allowed more than one period of free time for loading and one period of free time for unloading under one transportation charge. * * * In calculating free time Sundays and legal holidays are excepted. * * *

“Rule 4.

“At the expiration of the free time a charge of one dollar ($1.00) per car per day or fraction thereof must be collected for detention to all cars held for loading or unloading or subject to order of consignors, consignees, or their agents.

“Rule 5.

“ SectioN 1. Cars containing freight to be delivered on carload delivery tracks or private sidings shall be placed on the tracks designated immediately upon arrival, or as soon thereafter as the ordinary routine of yard work will permit. Delivery will not be made on specially designated yard or cracks, except when it is practicable to do so. When such delivery can not be made, on account of such tracks being fully occupied, or for any other reasons beyond the control of the carrier, delivery shall be made at the nearest available point.

“ Section 2. Delivery of cars shall be considered to have been effected at the time when such cars have been placed on the proper private or public delivery tracks, or if such track or tracks already contain such number of cars belonging to the same consignee as prevent prompt delivery, then such cars will be considered as having been placed when the road offering the cars would have delivered them had the condition of such tracks permitted.

“Rule 8.

“ CARS DETAINED EOR VARIOUS CAUSES.

“ Section 1. Cars detained at any point within the territory of this association by reason of being billed to order and awaiting bills of lading or instructions, as to disposition, and cars detained for want of proper shipping instructions, or [165] for any cause for which shipper or consignee and not the railroad company is responsible, shall be subject to charges under these rules.”

The first contention of the defendants is that the claim set forth in the amended petition is barred by the statute of limitations upon the theory that it is not now based upon rule 8 above quoted alone, which, as before stated, was not set out in the original petition, and for that reason is a new suit upon a claim which occurred more than six years before the filing of the amended petition. We do not think there is any merit in this contention. The gist of this suit is for demurrage and has been so from its beginning, and though perhaps defectively set out in its original petition — which is doubtful — there was never any doubt as to what was the cause of action in the suit.

As to whether the amended petition states the cause of action against the defendants presents a more difficult question. If it were not for the liberal rule of pleading in practice in this court we might hesitate in answering the above question in the affirmative. Under the rules as to demur-rage as laid down in the cases relied on by the plaintiff the averments in the petition in this case are rather meager and a somewhat unjustifiable economy was exercised, but it has been repeatedly decided by the Supreme Court and this court that the strict rules of pleading are not applicable here, and all that is necessary in setting out a claim is to so state it that the court is advised as to what it is. United States v. Barnes, 197 U. S., 146, 154; United States v. Behan, 110 U. S., 338-347; United States v. Burns, 12 Wall., 246; Little v. United States, 19 C. Cls., 323, 330; Wood v. United States, 49 C. Cls., 119, 124. We think under these authorities we are justified in holding that the amended petition states a claim for demurrage arising from the fact that the cars of the plaintiff were detained at Thistle Junction in consequence of the action of the Beclamation Service.

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Denver & Rio Grande Railroad v. United States, 53 Ct. Cl. 155, 1918 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 231, 1918 WL 1038 (cc 1918).

53 Ct. Cl. 155 (Denver & Rio Grande Railroad v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

United States v. Burns
79 U.S. 246 (Supreme Court, 1871)
United States v. Behan
110 U.S. 338 (Supreme Court, 1884)
District of Columbia v. Barnes
197 U.S. 146 (Supreme Court, 1905)
Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. v. Menasha Paper Co.
149 N.W. 751 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1915)
Little v. District of Columbia
19 Ct. Cl. 323 (Court of Claims, 1884)
Wood v. United States
49 Ct. Cl. 119 (Court of Claims, 1913)