Polar Steamship Corp. v. Inland Overseas Steamship Corp.

136 F.2d 835, 1943 U.S. App. LEXIS 4155, 1943 A.M.C. 857
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedJune 7, 1943
DocketNo. 5052
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 136 F.2d 835 (Polar Steamship Corp. v. Inland Overseas Steamship Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Polar Steamship Corp. v. Inland Overseas Steamship Corp., 136 F.2d 835, 1943 U.S. App. LEXIS 4155, 1943 A.M.C. 857 (4th Cir. 1943).

Opinion

PARKER, Circuit Judge;

These are cross appeals in a suit in admiralty brought by the Inland Overseas Steamship Corporation against the Polar Steamship Corporation to recover damages for breach of a bareboat charter under which the steamship “Hampton Roads” was leased by Polar to Inland. Swiss Industries, Inc., intervened claiming damages for breach of a contract which it had made with Inland for transportation of toluol on the vessel. The District Judge found that the charter party had been breached by Polar and referred the cause to J. Hume Taylor, Esq., as Special Commissioner to ascertain the damages. The Special Commissioner assessed the damages of Inland, apart from the liability to Swiss Industries, at $34,267.50 and the damages of Swiss Industries at $17,869.-39. The District Court entered a decree against Polar for these amounts, and Polar has appealed. Inland has appealed on the [837]*837ground that the damages awarded it are inadequate. Three questions are raised by the appeals: (1) whether Polar was guilty of breaching the charter party; (2) whether the damages awarded Inland were assessed on the proper basis; and (3) whether damages in favor of Swiss Industries were assessed on the proper basis and were properly awarded against Polar. We think that all of these questions should be answered in the affirmative.

The Question of Breach.

The Hampton Roads was a “Lake Type” steamer, constructed during the last World War. She had a capacity of 4,165 dead weight tons and was valued at $175,000. She was owned by Polar and prior to February 24, 1940, was at Baltimore, Md., having been chartered to the Brownsville-New York Line and by it subchartered to Inland for the purpose of carrying a load of scrap iron from Norfolk, Va. to Italy for Ente Distribuzione Rottami, represented in the United States by Shipping Enterprises Corporation. Libels had been filed against her at Baltimore for repair bills, Shipping Enterprises had libelled her for breach of contract and Inland also was threatening to file a libel against her for breach. Under these circumstances an agreement was worked out by which Polar was to release the vessel from existing liens and charters and was to recharter her to Inland; and Inland was to use her to transport the scrap iron for Shipping Enterprises. Inland was without funds but was owned by B. L. Stafford, Sr. and B. L. Stafford, Jr., who were also without means but had had experience in operating vessels and had procured for shipment the cargo of scrap iron from Shiping Industries.

The charter party, which ran for one year, provided for a monthly hire of $5,000 to be paid semi-monthly in advance and for an equal division between the owner and the charterer of the proceeds of the operation of the vessel, after the expenses of operation had been paid. It also provided for the deposit of freight moneys in a joint account and for their use in operating the vessel, the provision with regard thereto being as follows:

“32. The Charterer hereby assigns to the Owner all freight to be paid on or payable under any and all contracts which the Charterer may make during the term hereof; all such charter moneys shall be paid to the Owner and placed by the Owner in a special account subject to withdrawal by two persons, one to be designated from time to time by the Owner and the other by the Charterer; all moneys paid into such special account shall be disbursed only for the following purposes:

“(a) To the payment to the Owner charter hire at the rate herein prescribed in advance for three months, it being intended that the Owner shall at all times while this agreement is in effect be prepaid the amount of said charter hire for three months.

“(b) To the payment of the crew’s wages, port charges, stevedoring, fuel expenses and all other expenses of the Charterer incidental to the operation of the vessel.

“(c) To the payment of all moneys payable by the Charterer hereunder, including insurance, which at all times shall be prepaid at least three months in advance.

“(d) To the payment of the salaries of officers of the Charterer for persons other than officers or members of the crew, which salaries shall not exceed Six Hundred (600.) Dollars a month.

“(e) Any balance remaining in said special account shall be divided equally between the Owner and the Charterer and the moneys payable to the Owner pursuant hereto shall constitute additional charter hire hereunder.

There shall at all times be maintained in said special account a minimum balance of Fifteen Thousand (15,000) Dollars to cover crew wages, port charges and the expenses of operating the vessel.”

The charter party was executed by Inland on February 26, 1940, and was delivered to one Bernstein, an attorney, in escrow, to be held by him until the liens against the vessel should be lifted and the instrument signed by Polar. An agreement was signed in behalf of Polar at the same time that, upon execution of the charter party, it would agree to waive the requirement of crew wages and charter hire for one round trip to Europe. On March 1, the charter party was executed by Polar and at the same time a letter was signed and delivered to Inland containing the following provision:

“We hand you herewith Counterpart No. 2 of the Charter Party between you and the undersigned dated February 24, 1940 respecting the steamship Hampton Roads, and we hereby tender such steamship to you pursuant to said Charter Party.

“The Steamship is in Baltimore and your Mr. Scott is presently engaged in making an [838]*838inventory thereof. We are prepared to deliver said steamship to you at once at Baltimore, and' we await your advice as to the time that you will accept delivery, which must be before March 5, 1940.

“As heretofore agreed with you, in the event that you exhibit to us signed contracts satisfactory to us for freight or cargoes to be carried on this steamship, made between you and persons satisfactory to us, which will insure to us the deposit in the special account referred to in paragraph 32 of the Charter Party of at least $30,000. prior to the departure of the steamship upon a voyage, we will for the period of such voyage waive the payment of three months’ charter hire in advance, and the maintenance at all times in the special account of the sum of $15,000. as required by paragraphs 8 and 32 of the Charter Party, such waiver by us, of course, to be conditioned upon the performance by you of each and every other provision of the Charter Party.”

The evidence leaves no doubt but that Inland procured and exhibited to Polar’s officers contracts which would have insured the deposit of exceeding $30,000 in the special account as provided for in this letter. A letter was obtained from Shipping Enterprises agreeing to have cargo ready for shipment at Norfolk, to limit the cargo to 2,400 tons and to pay freight in advance to the amount of $23,000 to $24,000. A contract was obtained from Swiss Industries for the transportation to Italy of 400 tons of toluol and for the payment of $14,000 freight thereon in advance. There is some conflict in the testimony as to the notice given Polar with regard to this toluol contract, but we agree with the court below that ample notice was given. The evidence is clear that the contract was or should have been entirely satisfactory to Polar and that express approval was not given merely because Polar was attempting to rid itself of the obligations of its contract.

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136 F.2d 835, 1943 U.S. App. LEXIS 4155, 1943 A.M.C. 857, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/polar-steamship-corp-v-inland-overseas-steamship-corp-ca4-1943.