Johnson v. BEKINS MOVING & STORAGE COMPANY

389 P.2d 109, 86 Idaho 569, 7 A.L.R. 3d 709, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 288
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 27, 1963
Docket9292
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 389 P.2d 109 (Johnson v. BEKINS MOVING & STORAGE COMPANY) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. BEKINS MOVING & STORAGE COMPANY, 389 P.2d 109, 86 Idaho 569, 7 A.L.R. 3d 709, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 288 (Idaho 1963).

Opinions

SMITH, Justice.

This appeal presents the issue whether appellant (defendant), a common carrier, effectively limited its liability for damage in transit to valuable hi-fidelity phonograph equipment (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a hi-fi set) delivered by respondent (plaintiff) to appellant for shipment in interstate commerce, and for its better protection appellant assessed and respondent paid an additional charge for “accessorial service,” i. e., for special protective packing of the hi-fi set in a barrel.

■ Respondent, in his complaint, alleged that appellant contracted to transport respondent’s household effects from Highland Park, New Jersey,, to Pocatello, Idaho; that in particular áppellant agreed specially to package respondent’s hi-fi set; that as the result of appellant’s failure to package and subsequent negligent handling of the set, it arrived damaged and broken. Respondent sought $555.00 damage which the parties stipulated was the value of the set. The balance of the complaint involves matters not material to this appeal.

The parties submitted the cause to the trial court on a stipulation of the facts. The court entered its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment in favor of respondent and against appellant in the [572]*572sum of $555.00, from which judgment appellant perfected this appeal.

The parties stipulated that appellant is a motor common carrier engaged in transportation of household goods in interstate and foreign commerce, under the provisions of 49 U.S.C.A. §§ 301-327, commonly known as Part II of the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 (as amended); that the transportation performed by appellant was pursuant to a certificate of convenience and necessity issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission under the Federal Motor Carrier Act and in accordance with tariffs filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission pursuant to Section 317 of such Act, and the rules and regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission promulgated thereunder.

The stipulation refers to the order for service which respondent placed with appellant for transportation of his household goods and effects. That instrument on appellant’s printed Form HI-61 8-59 is entitled, “Order for Service, Confirmation of Order, Agreement for Service and Rate Quotation”; it contains certain provisions as follow:

“The carrier shall be liable for physical loss of or damage to any articles from external cause while being carried * * * in transit [exceptions are then listed which do not encompass respondent’s high fidelity equipment].
* * *
“SUBJECT * * * to the further following limitations on the carrier’s liability:
“(1) To 30‡ per pound of the weight of the lost or damaged article if the shipper has failed to make, in writing, any declaration of the value of the entire shipment (in which event the carrier will not be liable for breakage of china [and similar goods listed] unless packed by the carrier or unless such breakage results from negligence of carrier) ; or * # *
“(3) To the amount of actual loss or damage, if shipper has declared in writing the full actual value of the entire shipment.”

The foregoing, including Section (1), is also printed on the reverse side of the bill of lading, and inasmuch as respondent did not declare a value on the high fidelity equipment, appellant directs attention to the following provision which appears on the face of the bill of lading:

“NOTICE: Unless a different value for the entire shipment is declared in the paragraph below, the shipper here[573]*573by releases and declares the value and limits the liability of the carrier to not exceeding 30 CENTS PER POUND FOR EACH ARTICLE as provided in the contract terms and conditions printed on the reverse side hereof (See especially Section 1).
“Shipper hereby declares the value of the entire shipment to be $_ and hereby releases and limits value and liability of the carrier as provided in the contract terms and conditions printed on the reverse side hereof (See especially Section 1).”

The parties further stipulated that Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau Agent, Tariff No. 78-B, MF-I.C.C. No. 90 (1959), a copy of which was submitted in evidence, was in effect at the time of shipment of respondent’s goods; that Rule 3 of the tariff refers to the rates and charges based on Released Rates Order No. MC-362 of the Interstate Commerce Commission dated May 24, 1954. This order authorizes the motor carrier performing the specialized services of a Household Goods Carrier to establish and maintain commodity transportation rates and special charges for accessorial services in connection with household goods (See also Practice of Motor Common Carriers of Household Goods, 17 M.C.C. 467 (1939)). The order provides that a base transportation rate shall be applicable “when the shipper releases the value to an amount not exceeding thirty (30) cents per pound per article”; and also requires the request for services and the bill of lading have printed thereon in boldface type:

“Unless a different value is declared, the shipper hereby releases the value to 30 cents per pound for each article.”

The special packing of the hi-fi set which respondent requested and appellant agreed to perform is referred to in Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau Agent, Tariff No. 78-B, § 1, Item 105, under “Additional Services”. For a barrel of not less than five cubic feet capacity, a charge of $8.00 is authorized.

The bill of lading which the parties executed has printed thereon the “contract, terms and conditions”; it also contains an “itemization of packing charges and special instructions,” which inter alia recite one barrel at $8.00, such charge being included in the total freight charges for the shipment set forth in the bill of lading.

The stipulation recites that at the time the bill of lading was executed respondent requested and appellant agreed to pack the hi-fi set in a barrel as stated in the bill of lading; that appellant did not pack the hi-fi set as it had agreed, and transported it as part of the household effects, without special packing of any kind; and that numer[574]*574ous items of the household effects, including the hi-fi set, were damaged in transit.

The parties agreed that the damage to the household effects, other than the hi-fi set, would be on the basis of the released rate valuation of 30 cents per pound in accordance with the terms of the bill of lading and appellant’s tariff. This left for determination the sole issue of the amount to which respondent is entitled on account of the damage in transit to his hi-fi set.

The parties agreed that the actual damage to the hi-fi set was $555.00. Appellant refused to pay this sum and admitted liability in the amount of $15.00 based on the released valuation of 30 cents per pound.

The trial court in finding for respondent in effect adopted his theory of the case.

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Bluebook (online)
389 P.2d 109, 86 Idaho 569, 7 A.L.R. 3d 709, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-bekins-moving-storage-company-idaho-1963.