Home/Sixth Circuit/MI Southern RR v. Branch & St. Joseph

MI Southern RR v. Branch & St. Joseph

Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit·Decided April 24, 2002·No. 99-1838·Published

Opinion

5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21  0LFKLJDQ6RXWKHUQ55HWDOY 1R 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH 

%UDQFK 6WsRVHSK&RXQWLHVHWDO (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS

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jV 6287+(51 5$,/52$' &2 !  GHIHQVHUHVWVRQWKHLQWHUSUHWDWLRQRIIHGHUDOODZ7KHIHGHUDO ,1&  LVVXHKHUHLVHYHQPRUHUHPRWHWKDQLQ6NHOO\DVLWGRHVQRW 3ODLQWLIIV$SSHOODQWV  UHVWRQDQDQWLFLSDWHGIHGHUDOGHIHQVH  Y  7R EULQJ D FDVH SXUVXDQW WR †  m   D ULJKW RU  LPPXQLW\FUHDWHGE\WKH&RQVWLWXWLRQRUODZVRIWKH8QLWHG  6WDWHV PXVW EH DQ HOHPHQW DQG DQ HVVHQWLDO RQH RI WKH %5$1&+ 67 s26(3+  SODLQWLIIjV FDXVH RI DFWLRQl *XOO\ Y )LUVW 1DWjO %DQN  &2817,(6 5$,/ 86(56  86  6XFKLVQRWWKHFDVHKHUH7KHUHIRUH $662&,$7,21 ,1&DQG  ZHFRQFOXGHWKDWWKLVPDWWHUZDVSURSHUO\GLVPLVVHGIRUODFN ,1',$1$ 1257+($67(51  RIMXULVGLFWLRQ  5$,/52$' &203$1< ,9&21&/86,21 'HIHQGDQWV$SSHOOHHV   $FFRUGLQJO\IRUDOOWKHIRUHJRLQJUHDVRQVZH$)),50WKH 1 GLVWULFWFRXUW $SSHDOIURPWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV'LVWULFW&RXUW IRUWKH:HVWHUQ'LVWULFWRI0LFKLJDQDW.DODPD]RR 1Rn5LFKDUG$(QVOHQ'LVWULFWsXGJH  7KH 6XSUHPH &RXUW H[SODLQHG LQ )UDQFKLVH 7D[ %G  86 DW  WKDW m>I@HGHUDO FRXUWV KDYH UHJXODUO\ WDNHQ RULJLQDO MXULVGLFWLRQ RYHU $UJXHGsDQXDU\ GHFODUDWRU\ MXGJPHQW VXLWV LQ ZKLFK LI WKH GHFODUDWRU\ MXGJPHQW GHIHQGDQW EURXJKW FRHUFLYH DFWLRQ WR HQIRUFH LWV ULJKWV WKDW VXLW ZRXOG 'HFLGHGDQG)LOHG$SULO QHFHVVDULO\ SUHVHQW D IHGHUDO TXHVWLRQl 7KLV FDVH GRHV QRW IDOO LQWR WKLV FDWHJRU\ RI FDVHV VLQFH LI 58$ KDG LQVWLWXWHG VXLW RQ WKH  $JUHHPHQW LWV FDXVH RI DFWLRQ ZRXOG DOVR KDYH EHHQ SUHPLVHG RQ D VWDWH ODZ EUHDFK RI FRQWUDFW FODLP ,Q WKLV VLWXDWLRQ 0620655 ZRXOG VWLOO LQWHUMHFW WKH IHGHUDO LVVXH RQO\ E\ ZD\ RI DQ DQWLFLSDWHG GHIHQVH

  0LFKLJDQ6RXWKHUQ55HWDOY 1R 1R 0LFKLJDQ6RXWKHUQ55HWDOY  %UDQFK 6WsRVHSK&RXQWLHVHWDO %UDQFK 6WsRVHSK&RXQWLHVHWDO

%HIRUH0$57,1&KLHI&LUFXLWsXGJH68+5+(,15,&+ ,Q6NHOO\2LO&R3KLOOLSV3HWUROHXPFRQWUDFWHGZLWK6NHOO\ &LUFXLWsXGJH2/,9(5'LVWULFWsXGJH 2LO&RPSDQ\WRSXUFKDVHQDWXUDOJDVIURPLWVXEMHFWWRWKH FRQGLWLRQ WKDW D FHUWDLQ FHUWLILFDWH EH REWDLQHG IURP WKH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB )HGHUDO3RZHU&RPPLVVLRQ3KLOOLSVREWDLQHGWKHUHTXLUHG FHUWLILFDWH EXW WKH )HGHUDO 3RZHU &RPPLVVLRQ LPSRVHG &2816(/ VHYHUDOUHTXLUHPHQWVRQLWVLVVXDQFH6NHOO\2LOFRQWHQGHG WKDWWKHFRQGLWLRQDOFHUWLILFDWHGLGQRWPHHWWKHUHTXLUHPHQWV $5*8('  'DQLHO $ /D.HPSHU 3HRULD ,OOLQRLV IRU RI WKH FRQWUDFW DQG JDYH QRWLFH WKDW WKH FRQWUDFW ZRXOG EH $SSHOODQWV  &KDUOHV 5 %DSSHUW %,5,1*(5 WHUPLQDWHG +87&+,1621 9$1 '25(1 /,//,6  %$33(57 &ROGZDWHU0LFKLJDQIRU$SSHOOHHV21%5,()'DQLHO$ 3KLOOLSV EURXJKW DQ DFWLRQ LQ IHGHUDO FRXUW VHHNLQJ D /D.HPSHU 3HRULD ,OOLQRLV IRU $SSHOODQWV  &KDUOHV 5 GHFODUDWRU\MXGJPHQWWKDWDSURSHUFHUWLILFDWHKDGEHHQLVVXHG %DSSHUW %,5,1*(5 +87&+,1621 9$1 '25(1 E\ WKH )HGHUDO 3RZHU &RPPLVVLRQ DQG WKDW WKH FRQWUDFW /,//,6 %$33(57&ROGZDWHU0LFKLJDQIRU$SSHOOHHV WKHUHIRUHKDGWREHSHUIRUPHG7KH6XSUHPH&RXUWKHOGWKDW WKHUHZDVQRIHGHUDOTXHVWLRQMXULVGLFWLRQEHFDXVHWKHIHGHUDO BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB LVVXH DURVH VROHO\ LQ DQWLFLSDWLRQ RI D IHGHUDO ODZ GHIHQVH 7KH&RXUWFRQFOXGHGWKDWLQWKHDEVHQFHRIWKH'HFODUDWRU\ 23,1,21 sXGJPHQW$FWWKLVFDVHFRXOGRQO\EHEURXJKWDVDFRHUFLYH BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB DFWLRQVHHNLQJGDPDJHVRUVSHFLILFSHUIRUPDQFHXQGHUVWDWH 2/,9(5'LVWULFWsXGJH3ODLQWLIIV$SSHOODQWV0LFKLJDQ ODZIRUEUHDFKRIFRQWUDFWE\3KLOOLSVDJDLQVW6NHOO\6NHOO\jV 6RXWKHUQ5DLOURDG&RPSDQ\DQG0LFKLJDQ6RXWKHUQ5DLOURDG GHIHQVHZRXOGWKHQUHVWRQWKHQDWXUHRIWKHFHUWLILFDWHLVVXHG &R,QFDSSHDOIURPWKHGLVWULFWFRXUWjVGLVPLVVDO RI WKHLU E\WKH)HGHUDO3RZHU&RPPLVVLRQ7KH&RXUWH[SODLQHGWKDW FRPSODLQWIRUODFNRIVXEMHFWPDWWHUMXULVGLFWLRQSXUVXDQWWR LW ZRXOG mGLVWRUW WKH OLPLWHG SURFHGXUDO SXUSRVH RI WKH 5XOH  E   RI WKH )HGHUDO 5XOHV RI &LYLO 3URFHGXUH 'HFODUDWRU\ sXGJPHQW $FWl WR SHUPLW IHGHUDO MXULVGLFWLRQ 3ODLQWLIIV EURXJKW VXLW DJDLQVW WKH %UDQFK  6W sRVHSK EDVHGRQUHTXHVWVIRUGHFODUDWRU\MXGJPHQWVWKDWDUHDFWXDOO\ &RXQWLHV5DLO8VHUV$VVRFLDWLRQ,QFVHHNLQJDGHFODUDWLRQ DQWLFLSDWLRQVRIIHGHUDOGHIHQVHV6NHOO\2LO86DW WKDWDDJUHHPHQWFRQFHUQLQJWKHXVHDQGPDLQWHQDQFHRI  FHUWDLQ UDLOURDG WUDFNV LV HIIHFWLYH DV ZHOO DV IRU VSHFLILF :HKDYHSUHYLRXVO\H[SODLQHGWKHSUHFOXVLRQRIMXULVGLFWLRQ SHUIRUPDQFHRILWVWHUPV3ODLQWLIIVVRXJKWUHOLHISXUVXDQWWR XQGHUWKHVHFLUFXPVWDQFHVDVIROORZV WKH'HFODUDWRU\sXGJPHQW$FW86&†HWVHTDQG DOOHJHGIHGHUDOTXHVWLRQMXULVGLFWLRQXQGHU86&† 7KH UDWLRQDOH  LV WKDW WKH DQWLFLSDWHG GHIHQVH PLJKW DQG86&††DQGRIWKH,QWHUVWDWH QHYHUEHUDLVHGRULILWLVUDLVHGQHYHUUHDFKHGEHFDXVH &RPPHUFH&RPPLVVLRQ7HUPLQDWLRQ$FW)RUWKHUHDVRQVVHW WKHSODLQWLIIIDLOVWRSUHYDLORQDSUHOLPLQDU\LVVXHRIVWDWH IRUWKEHORZZH$)),50WKHGLVWULFWFRXUW ODZ 7KHUH LV QR IHGHUDO LQWHUHVW DQG D VWURQJ VWDWH LQWHUHVWLQSURYLGLQJDIRUXPIRUWKHOLWLJDWLRQRISXUHO\ VWDWHODZLVVXHVEHWZHHQFLWL]HQVRIWKHVDPHVWDWH

7KH +RQRUDEOH 6RORPRQ 2OLYHU sU 8QLWHG 6WDWHV 'LVWULFW sXGJH IRU

WKH 1RUWKHUQ 'LVWULFW RI 2KLR VLWWLQJ E\ GHVLJQDWLRQ  0LFKLJDQ6RXWKHUQ55HWDOY 1R 1R 0LFKLJDQ6RXWKHUQ55HWDOY  %UDQFK 6WsRVHSK&RXQWLHVHWDO %UDQFK 6WsRVHSK&RXQWLHVHWDO

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

MI Southern RR v. Branch & St. Joseph, (6th Cir. 2002).

MI Southern RR v. Branch & St. Joseph (MI Southern RR v. Branch & St. Joseph) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.