MacSteel International USA Corp. v. M/V IBN Abdoun

218 F. Supp. 2d 480, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16432, 2002 WL 2008219
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedAugust 26, 2002
Docket99 CIV. 4562(CBM)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 218 F. Supp. 2d 480 (MacSteel International USA Corp. v. M/V IBN Abdoun) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MacSteel International USA Corp. v. M/V IBN Abdoun, 218 F. Supp. 2d 480, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16432, 2002 WL 2008219 (S.D.N.Y. 2002).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

MOTLEY, District Judge.

This case involves a dispute over a cargo of steel coils that were allegedly damaged during shipping aboard an unseaworthy ocean vessel. The shipper, plaintiff Mac-steel International USA Corp. (“Mac-steel”), claims that the shipowner, defendant United Arab Shipping Company (S.A.B.) (“United Arab”), is liable for damage to the cargo totaling $1.03 million. Maesteel also claims that a second carrier, operated by defendants Cargill Marine & Terminal Inc. and Cargo Carriers (collectively “CCI”), is liable for damage totaling approximately $12,000.

*482 In an opinion issued on August 3, 2001, the court granted plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment, holding that United Arab is liable for the damage to plaintiffs steel as a matter of law, and striking United Arab’s affirmative defense that the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act imposes a $500 per package limit on its liability. See MacSteel Int’l USA Corp. v. M/V IBN ABDOUN, 154 F.Supp.2d 826 (S.D.N.Y.2001).

The parties agreed to try the remaining liability and damages issues on submission. Between January 23, 2002 and February 15, 2002, the parties filed extensive eviden-tiary materials, proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, and post-trial mem-oranda of law. Having reviewed all of the testimony and exhibits received into evidence, the court hereby sets forth its findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52(a).

BACKGROUND

In June 1998, Macsteel arranged for the transportation of a cargo of steel coil products from Durban, South Africa to various ports in the United States aboard the Ibn Abdoun (“the Abdoun”), an ocean vessel owned and operated by defendant United Arab. During the voyage to the United States, Macsteel’s cargo was damaged by prolonged exposure to seawater caused by leaky hatches aboard the Abdoun.

The damage to Macsteel’s cargo was discovered when it was discharged at the ports of Puerto Rico, Tampa, New Orleans, and Houston. There the damage was inspected by professional surveyors hired by Macsteel and/or by United Arab. Each of these survey reports has been received into evidence.

Defendant CCI was hired to transport a portion of Macsteel’s cargo from New Orleans up the Mississippi River to Chicago on its barge, known as CC8320. This portion of Macsteel’s cargo was further damaged while en route to Chicago allegedly by standing rain water in the barge’s hopper. Apparently, the barge’s pontoon covers were not put in place properly before the voyage from New Orleans. Macsteel’s surveyors inspected the damage several months after the cargo arrived in Chicago.

DISCUSSION

Macsteel, who had presold most of the steel coil cargo at issue to various customers before the cargo left South Africa, has submitted detailed survey reports setting forth the monetary damages it claims to have sustained on a customer by customer basis. For each individual customer, Mac-steel offered to sell the customer the damaged cargo at a discount from its fair market value in prime condition. If the customer refused to accept the damaged cargo, Macsteel sold the cargo to the highest bidder as salvage. With respect to most customers, Macsteel claims it was damaged in the amount of the difference between the fair market value of the cargo in its actual condition and its fair market value in prime condition, together with survey fees and other consequential expenses.

Macsteel’s damages methodology is, as a general matter, proper. See, e.g., Seguros Banvenez, S.A. v. S/S Oliver Drescher, 761 F.2d 855, 860-61 (2d Cir.1985) (“The correct measure of damages ... is the amount necessary to put the injured parties in the exact position they would have been had there been no breach.”). Defendants take issue, however, with certain specific aspects of Macsteel’s claims. The court will address each of defendants’ specific objections to Macsteel’s damages calculations in turn.

A. Thyssen Steel

With respect to its delivery of damaged goods to Thyssen Steel Group-East *483 (“Thyssen Steel”) in Tampa, Macsteel claims damages against United Arab totaling $22,909.15, including survey fees and related expenses. United Arab argues that this claim should be deemed time-barred under 46 U.S.C.App. § 1303(6), at least in part, because the second of two surveys commissioned by Macsteel was not performed until November 23, 1999 — well more than one year after the cargo was discharged in Tampa. However, section 1303(6) states only that Macsteel was required to initiate this lawsuit — not necessarily to spell out the precise nature of its damages — within one year of discharge. Because Macsteel initiated this lawsuit on June 24, 1999, safely within one year of discharge, United Arab’s statute of limitations argument fails.

United Arab also argues that it was not provided with notice of Macsteel’s claim within three days of discharge as required by section 1303(6). As the case law United Arab cites makes clear, however, a plaintiffs failure to give timely notice under section 1303(6) is not necessarily fatal; rather, it merely gives rise to a rebuttable presumption that the goods were delivered in good order. See, e.g., Bally, Inc. v. M.V. Zim America, 22 F.3d 65, 71 (2d Cir.1994). Further examination of Macsteel’s evidence is thus required.

Having examined Macsteel’s evidence, the court finds that Macsteel has not met its burden of proof with respect to this claim, especially in light of the presumption discussed above. Macsteel’s claim of damages totaling $22,909.15 is supported by two survey reports — one dated March 31, 1999 and one dated January 26, 2000. To begin with, these survey reports discuss damages, including survey fees and expenses, of $8247.04 and $4283.42, respectively. It is therefore difficult to understand how Macsteel arrived at its total damages figure of $22,909.15. Moreover, the first survey report indicates that the damage to the cargo was caused by “elements of freshwater while in the custody of the ocean carrier.” While it is certainly possible that freshwater damage was caused while the cargo was in the possession of the ocean carrier, the court finds this possibility considerably less likely than if the damage had been caused, say, by ocean water. Indeed, the second survey report fails even to identify the ocean portion of the voyage as the likely cause of the damage, stating in general terms only that the damage was caused by “fresh water at some point in transportation.” Especially in light of the presumption discussed above, the court finds that Macsteel has not met its burden of proof with respect to this claim.

B. Insteel Industries

Macsteel delivered 663 coils of steel to Insteel Industries, Inc. (“Insteel”) in Nashville, Tennessee. These 663 coils had a total fair market value in prime condition of $516,135.00.

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Bluebook (online)
218 F. Supp. 2d 480, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16432, 2002 WL 2008219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/macsteel-international-usa-corp-v-mv-ibn-abdoun-nysd-2002.