Hussey v. United States

271 F. Supp. 650, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10097
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedNovember 24, 1965
DocketNo. 43120
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 271 F. Supp. 650 (Hussey v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hussey v. United States, 271 F. Supp. 650, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10097 (N.D. Cal. 1965).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING MOTION TO DISMISS AND JUDGMENT

PER CURIAM.

This is a suit by plaintiffs for judicial review of an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Division 1, entered under Section 210a(a) of the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. § 310a(a) which granted twenty-five applications for “temporary authority” to transport household goods, as defined by the Commission, in interstate and foreign commerce between specified points and places in California.

The United States and the Commission have moved that the complaint be dismissed on the ground that the grant or denial of an application for temporary authority is, by Section 210a(a), a matter confided solely to the discretion of the Commission and is not subject to judicial review. By stipulation of the parties, the oral argument on the motion to dismiss was heard before U. S. District Judge Albert C. Wollenberg on September 8, 1965. Certain interested parties were permitted to intervene and file joint briefs. Thereafter the transcript of the oral argument before Judge Wollenberg, the record, and the briefs were considered by this three judge court.

The following shall constitute this court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law as contemplated by Rule 52(a), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The twenty-five carrier applicants filed with the Commission their applications for temporary authority under Section 210a(a) of the Act (49 U.S.C.A. § 310a(a)) to transport in interstate commerce certain household goods. Each application was accompanied by a supporting letter of one or more shippers claiming a need for the proposed service and lack of other available motor carrier service. On the dates shown in Exhibit A-Y (attached to complaint) the Temporary Authorities Board of the Commission issued orders granting the applications for periods not to exceed 180 days.1 Various petitions for reconsideration were filed by the protesting carriers which were denied by Division 1, Acting as an Appellate Division.

In each proceeding applications for corresponding permanent authority were filed with the Commission, all of which are now pending. The time period for all of the temporary authorities has been extended until determination of the corresponding applications for permanent authority. Most of the twenty-five carriers have been operating under temporary authority for ten months to a [653]*653year and no final hearing date for permanent authority has yet been set.2

On December 21, 1964, the complaint in this proceeding was filed by plaintiffs asking that the court set aside and enjoin enforcement of the temporary authority grants given by the Commission. The gravamen of plaintiffs’ complaint is that the Commission acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” in concluding that there was an immediate and urgent need for the additional twenty-five carriers. Defendants answer that this court has no jurisdiction to review the orders in question until after the applications for permanent authority are finally determined.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The Section of the Interstate Commerce Act under which the Commission acted in granting the twenty-five contested temporary authorities is set forth in Section 210a(a), 49 U.S.C.A. § 310a (a).3 This section of the Act provides for temporary authority when there is an immediate and urgent need and there is no carrier service capable of meeting such need. In recognition of the emergency nature of these proceedings, Congress authori2ied that “The Commission may, in its discretion, and without hearings or other proceedings

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Garrett Freightlines, Inc. v. United States
540 F.2d 450 (Ninth Circuit, 1976)
Bell Lines, Inc. v. United States
306 F. Supp. 209 (S.D. West Virginia, 1969)
Jones Truck Lines, Inc. v. United States
303 F. Supp. 234 (W.D. Arkansas, 1969)
Superior Trucking Co. v. United States
302 F. Supp. 257 (N.D. Georgia, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
271 F. Supp. 650, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10097, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hussey-v-united-states-cand-1965.