Rentner v. United States

15 Ct. Cust. 147, 1927 WL 29550, 1927 CCPA LEXIS 87
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMay 19, 1927
DocketNo. 2832
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 15 Ct. Cust. 147 (Rentner v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rentner v. United States, 15 Ct. Cust. 147, 1927 WL 29550, 1927 CCPA LEXIS 87 (ccpa 1927).

Opinion

Barber, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Appellant here, in February and March, 1925, made three importations of models of ladies’ outer wearing apparel, ostensibly under the provisions of section 308 of the Tariff Act of 1922. Such models aggregated 82 in number. When each entry thereof was made, a. bond for the exportation of the models covered by the entry, within six months from date of importation, was given pursuant to said section and the customs regulations in force. Within six months from date of the first importation and entry, 45 of such models were sold in this country and not exported. The below tabulation shows the number of models covered by each importation, the date of each entry, the date of release from customs custody, the date of sale, and the number of models included in each sale:

The applicable parts of section 308 are as follows:

That the following articles, when not imported for sale or for sale on approval, may be admitted into the United States under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, without the payment of duty under bond for their exportation within six months from the daté of importation.
* * # * * * *
(2) Models of women’s wearing apparel imported by manufacturers for use solely as models in their own establishments, and not for sale.

With each entry Maurice Rentner filed an affidavit in which he stated under oath that he was a member of the firm of Maurice Rentner; that the firm were manufacturers of women’s wearing apparel; that the merchandise covered by the entry—

are models of women’s wearing apparel, imported by them solely as models for use in their establishment and will so be used; that they are not imported for sale or for sale on approval; and that the same will not be removed from their establishment for reproducing, copying, painting, or sketching by others, nor used in their establishment for such purposes except by them or their employees.

The bond for exportation as to each entry having been given, as already appears, thereupon each model covered by the respective entries was marked by means of a cord and seal as provided in the customs regulations for the purposes of identification,’ and the [149]*149models released to importer without payment of duty at the times stated in tbe foregoing tabulation. A special customs agent noticed shortly thereafter that one Russek was advertising a sale of original gowns on Fifth Avenue, New York City. Calling there, the agent ascertained that some or all of such gowns had been purchased from ftentner and, having with him the necessary identifying facts as to the importations, satisfied himself that they were part thereof Thereupon he called at importer’s place of business and was there informed (of what he already knew), that some of the imported models had been sold to Russek. These facts were embodied in the special agent’s report to the collector under date of March 21, 1925. It is conceded by importer’s counsel here that the 45 models were sold to Russek on the dates shown in the tabulation; and that Russek’s was a large retail store in New York City making a specialty of women’s wearing apparel. It appears that the 27 models which were not so sold remained in importer’s establishment and, presumably, were used for the purpose stated in the affidavits filed on entry. Importer asked the collector’s permission to export them without the payment of duty within six months after importation but that officer, being of opinion that the entries were not made in good faith, and that the conditions under which the models had been released without the payment of duty had been violated, refused to permit the 27 models to be exported as requested, and assessed the statutory rates on the entire 82 models.

Importer actually exported the 27 models within six months from the date of importation. He protested the collector’s assessment as to such models on the ground that they were not imported for sale or for sale on approval and were used as provided in the statute. He does not claim that the assessment of the 45 models was illegal but does claim that the 27 models were not dutiable and were entitled to be exported without payment of duty.

The United States Customs Court, in effect, held that in order to be entitled to the benefit of section 308, an importer must observe and comply with its provisions as to each article of an importation, and, in substance, found that importer in this case did not comply therewith, and, at the time these entries were made, did not intend so to do.

As we regard it this case presents two questions. The first is, Does the evidence support the finding of the court below that the importer did not at the time of importation and entry thereof intend to use the imported models as provided in section 308?

The purpose of the respective affidavits was to obtain a release of the importations without the payment of duty. To do that it was necessary to present to the collector such facts as would, prima facie, entitle importer to the release of the importations to him without [150]*150the payment of duty, and on their face the affidavits were sufficient therefor. The collector, however, could not know what would subsequently be done with the importations or whether the object of the statute would be accomplished and the declared purpose of the importer carried out. That could be determined only from subsequent events.

Maurice Rentner did not testify before the Customs Court and the only competent evidence as to his purpose and intent in importing these models is to be found in the respective affidavits, considered in connection with his subsequent actions concerning the models. We think the facts shown by the foregoing tabulation are eloquent and conclusive in support of the finding below. The three affidavits made in close succession show, apparently, that the entries were in compliance with section 308, but the tabulation tells a different-story., Therefrom it appears that within six days he made the first two entries covering 75 models; that he sold 10 thereof within three days after they were entered and also sold 22 more within nine days from entry; that on March 4, notwithstanding this plain violation of the conditions under which the previously entered models had been delivered to him, he entered seven more models and made another like declaration of his intent, and that within four days thereafter he not only sold one of these but also sold 12 more of those covered by the two preceding entries. The entire tabulation also shows that out of the 82 models entered, which he had sworn were not for sale, or for sale on approval, 45 were sold under such circumstances that they could not have been used by him as models to any considerable extent, if at all, leaving only 27 models which could be used or were used as provided by the statute and stated in his affidavits. Unexplained, if explanation were possible, these facts raise an irresistible conviction in our minds, as they evidently did, not only in the mind of the collector but of the court below, that these entries were not made in good faith under the provisions of the section.

We do not overlook the fact that a male employee of importer testified that he bought these models abroad, for the purposes mentioned in section 308, and that they were imported pursuant thereto.

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Bluebook (online)
15 Ct. Cust. 147, 1927 WL 29550, 1927 CCPA LEXIS 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rentner-v-united-states-ccpa-1927.