Monolith Portland Midwest Co. v. Reconstruction Finance Corp.

95 F. Supp. 570, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2637
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedJanuary 22, 1951
DocketCiv. No. 11816
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 95 F. Supp. 570 (Monolith Portland Midwest Co. v. Reconstruction Finance Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Monolith Portland Midwest Co. v. Reconstruction Finance Corp., 95 F. Supp. 570, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2637 (S.D. Cal. 1951).

Opinion

JAMES M. CARTER, District Judge.

This’ case concerns the War Mobilization and Reconversion Act of 1944, Act of Oct. 3, 1944, c. 480, 58 Stat. 785, 50 U.S.C.A. Appendix, §§ 1651 to 1678, hereafter referred to as the Reconversion Act and the Contract Settlement Act of 1944, Act of July 1, 1944, c. 358, 58 Stat. 649, 41 U.S. C.A. §§ 101-125, hereafter referred to as the Settlement Act and the rights of a contracting party (plaintiff) whose contract with the defendant, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, was allegedly terminated under the above Acts. A previous case by the same plaintiff against the same defendant in this court, No. 6082-B, and seeking practically the same relief, was dismissed by Judge Beaumont on January 25, 1949, and the judgment of dismissal was subsequently affirmed on appeal in Monolith Portland Midwest Co. v. Reconstruction Finance Corporation, 9 Cir., 1949, 178 F.2d 854, certiorari denied, 1950, 339 U.S. 932, 70 S.Ct. 668, 94 L.Ed. —, which wiil be hereinafter referred to as the Monolith case. The present case varies from the prior proceeding only in that since the Monolith decision, the plaintiff has exhausted its administrative remedies under the acts referred to above, and has so alleged in its complaint on file.

The matter comes before this court on three motions by the defendant, R.F.C.:

(1) A motion to dismiss or for summary judgment, based essentially on the District court decision by Judge Beaumont in the prior action, No. 6082-B of this court; the Monolith decision in the Court of Appeal referred to above, and the findings of fact and the determination of claim under the Settlement Act made by the R.F.C. dated June 7, 1950, whch are attached to the motion;

(2) A motion to strike certain portions of the complaint;

(3) A motion for a more definite statement.

The Facts.

The action was commenced in the State court and removed to the District court under Title 28 U.S.C.A. § 1441, on the ground that the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was a Federal corporation 'whose stock was wholly owned by the United States, and on the further ground that the action is one for compensation against the United States, and is further founded on the Constitution and laws of the United States.

The complaint is entitled, “Complaint for damages and equitable and declaratory relief,” and there are attached as exhibits, contracts of June 28, 1943 and April 18, 1944, designated as licensing agreements, and contract of June 23, 1943, and two amendatory contracts thereto, dated August 26, 1944, and September 28, 1944, concerning acquisition, construction, management and operation.

The contracts were between Defense Plant Corporation and the plaintiff. In 1945, the R.F.C. dissolved the Defense Plant Corporation and succeeded to its rights and liabilities under the contract. In substance, the contracts provided that Defense Plant Corporation was to furnish the money necessary to construct and operate a test plant to determine the feasibility of commercially extracting alumnae from native anorthosite ores, under a method developed by the plaintiff, and demonstrated a mutual desire of the plaintiff and the Defense Plant Corporation to determine the feasibility of this method. The plaintiff agreed to supervise the construction of a plant and'to license to Defense Plant Corporation the use of its process.

The contracts contained no termination clause as such, except a provision giving [573]*573either party the right to cancel the operating agreement upon thirty days’ notice at any time after sixty days from the time of the completion of the plant. The agreements further provided that the plaintiff operate the plant for ten years, and the Defense Plant Corporation agreed that should it decide to dispose of the plant during the continuance of the operating agreement, or within six months of its termination, plaintiff would have the first opportunity to purchase.

On July 25, 1946, plaintiff received a written “stop work” order from R.F.C. and on September 14, 1946, plaintiff received a written notice of termination dated September 10, 1946. On the latter date the plant was near completion. The notice of cancellation states that “The War Department has advised that the facilities (involved herein) * * * are no longer required for production for the Government and the Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion has directed this Corporation to terminate the aforesaid agreement dated June 28, 1943, as amended * * * Although not expressly stated, the alleged termination was pursuant to the Reconversion Act referred to above. Plaintiff thereafter commenced its prior action in the District court November 7, 1946, resulting in the Monolith decision, supra.

The complaint herein prays judgment as follows:

Sub. 1-5: (of the prayer) for various sums of money for “compensation for services rendered,” and “for reimbursement for disbursements and expenditures” and for interest.

Sub. 6: that the defendant be enjoined from (a) interfering with the right of plaintiff to possession of the plant; (b) reporting any of the real or personal property of the plant to the General Services Administration or from transferring, disposing, dismantling or removing the plant and for the sum of $600,000 for the cost of the completion of the plant, and for the sum of $1,500,000 for the cost of managing and operating the plant on an experimental basis for a test period.

Sub. 7: that in the alternative if plaintiff is not entitled to the relief prayed for in paragraph 6 of the prayer, that it have judgment against the defendant in the sum of $7,500,000 general damages, in addition to the particular amounts prayed for as services rendered, reimbursement, interest, etc., in paragraphs 1 to 5 of the prayer.

Sub. 8: that the court adjudicate the legal rights and duties of the parties.

Generally speaking, the allegations in the complaint and the prayer are similar to those in the prior action, except that the plaintiff has alleged the exhaustion of its administrative remedies under the acts referred to above.

The claim made by the plaintiff dated January 16, 1950, and filed with the R.F.C. instituting administrative proceedings is as extensive (if not more so) as the prayer of the present complaint, and in particular claims the same monetary items referred to in paragraphs 1 to 5 of the prayer of the complaint; the possession of the plant, injunction, the sums of $600,000 to complete it, and the sum of $1,500,000 for the test run similar to paragraph 6 of the prayer of the complaint; and contains the alternative claim in the sum of $7,500,000 damages (in addition to the monetary claim in paragraphs 1 to 5 of the complaint) in the event plaintiff does not secure possession, injunction and the $600,000 to complete and the $1,500,000 for a test run, similar therefore to paragraph 7 of the prayer of the complaint.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
95 F. Supp. 570, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/monolith-portland-midwest-co-v-reconstruction-finance-corp-casd-1951.