Standard-Vacuum Oil Co. v. United States

163 F. Supp. 383, 143 Ct. Cl. 428, 1958 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 177
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJuly 16, 1958
DocketNo. 48319
StatusPublished

This text of 163 F. Supp. 383 (Standard-Vacuum Oil Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Standard-Vacuum Oil Co. v. United States, 163 F. Supp. 383, 143 Ct. Cl. 428, 1958 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 177 (cc 1958).

Opinion

LaRamoRe, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff sues to recover just compensation for its petroleum products stored at Cebu, Philippine Islands, which it alleges the defendant seized on December 8,1941, immediately following the attack on the Philippine Islands by Japan.

This case first came before the court on the proofs in 120 C. Cls. 518,553, wherein we held that “* * * the Depot Commander [Cebu], with full authority to do so, took Standard’s petroleum products for the United States on December 8, 1941, not for destruction, but for use, and Standard is clearly entitled to just compensation for its products so taken.”

Standard-Vacuum was one of . three plaintiffs which had claims for just compensation for terminal facilities alleged to have been taken in the Pandacan District of Manila, Philippine Islands, and for petroleum products on the Island of Cebu. The court allowed compensation for the terminal facilities destroyed in Pandacan and also for Standard-Vacuum’s petroleum products taken on Cebu. The Pan-dacan claims were appealed by the defendant to the Supreme Court which resulted in a reversal of this court’s decision, 344 U. S. 149. This left plaintiff’s judgment on its Cebu claim standing. Thereafter, and while plaintiff’s claim was pending before a commissioner of this court for a determination of the amount due, the court decided in the case of Caltex (Philippines), Inc. v. United States, 129 C. Cls. 605, cert. denied, 348 U. S. 926, 927, under an identical fact situation that there had been no Fifth Amendment taking of Caltex’s petroleum products on Cebu. The court further held that it was in error on the Cebu claim of Standard-Vacuum and to that extent overruled its previous opinion.

Defendant then moved for a new trial under rule 54 (b) (5) and (6)., In an opinion, 130 C. Cls. 431,433, we granted defendant’s motion for a new trial and set aside the former judgment and held “that Standard-Vacuum Oil-Company is 'not entitled to recover for the" destruction of its petroleum [430]*430products remaining on Cebu when the Japanese were about to land on April 10, 1942. For all such products which had been appropriated by the defendant to its own use and which have not been paid for, it is entitled to recover.” The case was referred to a commissioner to take proof and report the amount due.

Plaintiff then filed a motion under rule 54 (b) (1) for relief from the above order. The court amended in 130 C. Cls. 434 its reference to the commissioner, using the following language to allow “the taking of any evidence the parties may desire to offer relative to the alleged taking of plaintiff’s oil products on Cebu; otherwise the order of January 11, 1955, [130 C. Cls. 431] will stand.” This motion was granted, by the court for the reason that plaintiff was not a party to the Cebu claim of. Caltex (129 C. Cls. 605) and should, not be bound by the facts developed. in that case. We did this notwithstanding that the facts relative to the oil products of Caltex, Inc. and of Standard-Vacuum Oil Company appeared in all respects to be the same.

A trial was held pursuant to our amended order at which time plaintiff presented no additional evidence but rested on specific portions of the record previously made in the trial of the consolidated case (120 C. Cls. 518). Defendant introduced two witnesses pertaining to. the authority of Colonel. Cook, the Depot Commander at Cebu, who it was alleged had authority to take plaintiff’s property for the use of the Government.

The record now before us on plaintiff’s Cebu claim reveals an identical fact situation as was presented in the Caltex case, which claim wé rejected holding that there had been no taking of Caltex’s petroleum products on Cebu. We so held because “[t]he exercise of control over, and the placing of restriction on the disposition of plaintiff’s products for the pürpose of conserving them did not amount to a taking. Bowles v. Willingham, 321 U. S. 503; Neumaticos Goodyear S. A. v. United States, 109 C. Cls. 535; Foreign Trade Management Company, Inc. v. United States, 109 C. Cls. 587; Snyder v. United States, 113 C. Cls. 61; St. Regis Paper Company v. United States 110 C. Cls. 271, cert. denied 335 U. S. 815.” See also Anderson, Clayton & Company, Inc. v. [431]*431United States, 129 C. Cls. 347. Plaintiff’s failure to show that its claim is in any material respect distinguishable from Galtex necessarily requires that we dismiss its petition on the ground that there has been no compensable taking of plaintiff’s property by the defendant.

Also, the record reveals that all products which actually were appropriated by defendant for its own use or dispersal have been paid for.

Inasmuch as we find no Fifth Amendment taking, it is unnecessary to discuss the question of Colonel Cook’s authority.

Plaintiff’s petition is dismissed.

It is so ordered.

Pled, Justice (Bet.), sitting by designation; Fahy, Giremt Judge, sitting by designation; Madden, Judge; and Jones, Ohief Judge, concur.

FINDINGS OP PACT

The court, having considered the evidence, the report of Commissioner W. Ney Evans, and the briefs and argument of counsel, makes findings of fact as follows:

1. Before World War II, plaintiff and three other commercial oil companies maintained terminals in Manila on the Philippine Island of Luzon. The four terminals were adjacent to another in an area known as the Pandacan District. Plaintiff and two of the other companies also owned and operated terminals on the Island of Cebu.

2. (a) Several year prior to 1941, the United States Army, Philippine Department, began developing strategical plans for the defense of the Islands in the event of attack. These plans were incorporated in a formal, written compendium known as the Philippine Department Plan— Orange, which was subject to continual refinement.

(b) The tactics of the Orange Plan, as related to the Island of Luzon, called for defensive action at the- beaches in the event of enemy landings, to be followed by a slow withdrawal-of Army forces to Bataan Peninsula, the defense to continue over a period of 180 days, using personnel and supplies available locally.

[432]*432(c) In planning for the day of emergency (M-Day in tlie Orange Plan), the Department Quartermaster never acquired or intended to acquire, before M-Day arrived, extensive supplies of petroleum products or extensive facilities for the storage, handling, and distribution of such products. The Quartermaster planning was therefore predicated upon the storage, handling, and distribution facilities and the petroleum stocks of the commercial oil companies operating in Manila.

3. (a) In June 1940, the Commanding General, Philippine Department, held a conference with officers under his command relating to the defense of the Philippines. After this conference, work was begun in earnest upon the 1940 revision of the Orange Plan.

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Related

Bowles v. Willingham
321 U.S. 503 (Supreme Court, 1944)
United States v. Caltex (Philippines), Inc.
344 U.S. 149 (Supreme Court, 1953)
Caltex (Philippines), Inc. v. United States
100 F. Supp. 970 (Court of Claims, 1951)
Neumaticos Goodyear S. A. v. United States
73 F. Supp. 969 (Court of Claims, 1947)
Snyder v. United States
82 F. Supp. 335 (Court of Claims, 1949)
Caltex (Philippines), Inc. v. United States
122 F. Supp. 830 (Court of Claims, 1954)
Standard-Vacuum Oil Co. v. United States
127 F. Supp. 195 (Court of Claims, 1955)

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Bluebook (online)
163 F. Supp. 383, 143 Ct. Cl. 428, 1958 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/standard-vacuum-oil-co-v-united-states-cc-1958.