Security Services, Inc. v. Dubois Chemical, Inc.

817 F. Supp. 677, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4010, 1993 WL 100089
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedMarch 19, 1993
DocketNo. C-1-91-743
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 817 F. Supp. 677 (Security Services, Inc. v. Dubois Chemical, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Security Services, Inc. v. Dubois Chemical, Inc., 817 F. Supp. 677, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4010, 1993 WL 100089 (S.D. Ohio 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

CARL B. RUBIN, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court upon cross-motions for summary judgment filed by plaintiff Security Services, Inc. i/k/a Riss International Corporation (Security Services) (Doc. no. 6) and defendant Dubois Chemical, Inc. (Dubois) (Doc. no. 7) and plaintiffs motion for a stay (Doc. no. 14, 15). For the reasons stated below, the motion for stay is denied. Summary judgment is granted in favor of defendant.

Factual Background

This lawsuit arises out of transportation services plaintiff performed for Dubois. The services provided were subject to the provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. § 10101, et seq. and regulations promulgated by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), 49 C.F.R. § 100.1, et seq. Plaintiff was operating as a common carrier trucking company at all relevant times.

Plaintiff agreed to provide transportation services to defendant at rates negotiated by the parties. Plaintiff submitted freight bills to Dubois calculated at the negotiated rates for shipments that occurred between November 7, 1986 through June 19, 1989. Dubois paid the amounts specified in the bills. Subsequently, plaintiff submitted corrected freight bills to defendant. The rates charged in the corrected bills were based on tariff ICC RISS 501-B. This tariff refers to a separate tariff, the Household Goods Carriers’ Bureau Mileage Guide (ICC HGB 100-B and ICC HGB 100-C). It is undisputed that there was no effective power of attorney to permit plaintiffs participation in the HGB Mileage Guide and plaintiff was not listed as a participant in the tariff.

Plaintiff seeks to recover alleged undercharges from defendant in the amount of $11,316.49, the difference between the agreed [678]*678rates and the filed rates, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 11705(b) and § 10103. Defendant claims that the tariff upon which plaintiff seeks to rely is void as a matter of law and cannot form the basis for plaintiffs undercharge claim.

Motion for Stay

Plaintiff has moved for a stay of this matter pending disposition of cases involving identical issues which are on appeal. The issues underlying resolution of this case have been litigated repeatedly in many district and circuit courts. The courts have consistently held that a tariff which refers to a separate tariff in which the carrier is not a participant is void as a matter of law. The fact that some of these cases have been appealed does not warrant delaying resolution of this matter. Furthermore, the United States Supreme Court has denied certio-rari in one such case, Freightcor Services, Inc. v. Vitro Packaging, Inc., — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 979, 122 L.Ed.2d 133 (1993). Accordingly, a stay will not be granted.

Summary Judgment Standard

The summary judgment procedure under Fed.R.Civ.Pro. 56 is designed to secure a just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of any action. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 327, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2555, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). However, Rule 56(c) permits the Court to grant summary judgment as a matter of law only after the moving party has identified as the basis of its motion “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any” which demonstrate the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Id. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2553. The party opposing a properly supported motion for summary judgment “may not rest upon mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but ... must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (quoting First National Bank of Arizona v. Cities Service Co., 391 U.S. 253, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968)). The function of the court is not to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 2511. If the evidence is merely colorable, Dombrowski v. Eastland, 387 U.S. 82, 87 S.Ct. 1425, 18 L.Ed.2d 577 (1967) or is not significantly probative, Cities Service, 391 U.S. at 290, 88 S.Ct. at 1593, judgment may not be granted. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 2511.

Applicable Law

The Interstate Commerce Act requires that common carriers publish and file with the ICC tariffs containing rates and rules and practices related to those rates. 49 U.S.C. § 10762(a)(1). This requirement is known as the “filed rate” doctrine. Section 10761(a) prohibits a common carrier from charging or receiving for transportation services a rate other than that specified in the tariff. The carrier must abide by a duly filed tariff unless the ICC finds the tariff rate to be unreasonable. Maislin Industries, U.S., Inc. v. Primary Steel, Inc., 497 U.S. 116, 127, 110 S.Ct. 2759, 2766, 111 L.Ed.2d 94 (1990).

A mileage rate tariff has two parts: (1) the rate per mile, and (2) the distance between the origin and destination to be multiplied by the rate per mile. 49 C.F.R. § 1312.30. Section 1312.30(c) sets forth three alternative methods by which to establish distances, including referral to a separately-filed distance guide tariff. A carrier who participates in a tariff which refers to and is governed by a separate tariff is required to also participate in the separate governing tariff. 49 C.F.R. § 1312.27(e). A carrier may not participate in a tariff issued in the name of another carrier or an agent unless a power of attorney or concurrences have been executed. 49 C.F.R. § 1312.4(d), § 1312.10(b). Absent effective concurrences or powers of attorney, a tariff which refers to a separate tariff is void as a matter of law. Section 1312.4(d).

Claims of the Parties

Plaintiff claims that pursuant to the filed rate doctrine, it is entitled to collect the rates listed in ICC RISS 501-B for shipments made for defendant. Defendant claims that the RISS tariff is void as a matter of law and [679]*679cannot form the basis for the undercharge claim because plaintiff failed to participate in the HGB tariff to which the RISS tariff refers.

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817 F. Supp. 677, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4010, 1993 WL 100089, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/security-services-inc-v-dubois-chemical-inc-ohsd-1993.