Stephenson v. The Francis

21 F. 715, 1884 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 16, 1884
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 21 F. 715 (Stephenson v. The Francis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stephenson v. The Francis, 21 F. 715, 1884 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152 (S.D.N.Y. 1884).

Opinion

Brown, J.

The libelants claim a maritime lien npon the steamer for coal furnished in Washington. By the law of this country no maritime lien is allowed for repairs and supplies furnished to a vessel in her home port, i. e., within the state of her owners’ residence. The supplies in that case are Conclusively presumed to have been furnished on the owners’ perso?ial credit, and not on the credit of the ship. Where the vessel is known to be under the control of charterers that are in the situation of owners pro hue vice, i. e., are running the vessel upon their own account, their residence alone is looked to in determining the question of lion, since they are the only parties who are personally bound for supplies, and the only persons standing in the situation of owners, to whom credit can be presumed to be given. Supplies furnished in the state of the residence of such special or quasi owners are therefore presumed to be furnished upon their personal credit only, and the ship will not he bound. The Golden Gate, 1 Newb. 308; The Norman, 6 Fed. Rep. 406.

Where there are several part owners, general or special, residing in different states, I doubt whether any single rule can be adopted justly applicable to all cases. As the reason for denying a lion is the personal credit presumed to be given to the owners at their place of residence, the reason of the rule would seem to demand its application in all the states in which any of the owners reside that are known, or ought to bo known, to those who furnish supplies. Such is the view expressed by Hammond, J., in the case of The Rapid Transit, 11 Fed. Rep. 322, 328-330.

In the case of The Indiana, Crabbe, 479, repairs were furnished in Philadelphia to a vessel wholly owned and registered in Hew Jersey. One-sixth of the vessel was sold to a resident of Philadelphia, who was then made managing owner, and a new registry of the vessel was taken out in Philadelphia; and the repairs were afterwards continued under the direction of the resident managing part owner. It was held, and it seems to mo justly, that a maritime lien accrued for the repairs prior to the sale of the one-sixth, hut not for the repairs that were subsequent thereto. On the other hand, if the owners of a domestic vessel hold her out as a foreign ship, supplies furnished upon the faith of the foreign ownership will bo a lien, the owners being precluded from taking advantage of their own misrepresentations. St. Jago de Cuba, 9 Wheat. 416, 417; The Nestor, 1 Sumn. 75; The Mary Chilton, 4 Fed. Rep. 847. On the same principle, it seems to me, the mere residence within the state of a part owner that is unknown to the material-man, ought not to debar the latter of his lien when the vessel is registered in a different state, and the managing owner is known to reside there, and the vessel, by the name painted on her stern, apparently belongs there. Such circumstances, taken together, in the absence of notice tj the material-[718]*718man of any part owner within the state, might be reasonably held, in favor of those furnishing supplies, to be practically a representation of the foreign character of the vessel, and of the foreign residence of her owners, so far as it affects a lien for supplies furnished on the faith of that fact. The Jennie B. Gilkey, 19 Fed. Rep. 127. But when two equal part owners, general or special, reside in different states, and the residence of both is known to those who furnish supplies in either state, the presumption of personal credit must apply within one state as much as within the other.- Hence no lien could logically arise in either state, unless the place of the registration of the vessel were to control; and it is well settled that the place of registry is immaterial, where the actual residence of the owner is known. The E. A. Barnard, 2 Fed. Rep. 712, 716; The Mary Chilton, 4 Fed. Rep. 847; The Golden Gate, Newb. 308-310.

In the present case, it appears that Mr. Savage was well known to the libelants in Washington. If it were also clear that his residence was there, that fact would, consequently, require the dismissal of the libel. But both the pleadings and the evidence leave this fact undetermined. The answer alleges a charter of the vessel to Collier and Savage, “of the city of Now York.” The charter party introduced in evidence describes Savage as “of Washington, D. C.” The libelant claims the right to rely upon the inference from the answer that both charterers resided in the state of New York. The oral testimony shows nothing concerning the actual residence of Savage, although the language of the charter-party, his presence in Washington during all these transactions, his being known to the libelants there for 25 years, and his personal order of all this coal, would afford a natural inference that hie residence was there. But where the. actual residence of a party is an essential condition of recovery, the description of him as “of a certain state,” etc., has been repeatedly held insufficient. Wood v. Wagnon, 2 Cranch, 9; Brown v. Keene, 8 Pet. 112; Abercrombie v. Dupuis, 1 Cranch, 343; Robertson v. Cease, 97 U. S. 646; Grace v. The American, etc., 3 Sup. Ct. Rep. 207.

Under the allegation of the answer, and the indefiniteness of the evidence as to Savage’s residence, I do not feel warranted in determining the case on the ground of the supposed residence of Savage in Washington.

The other defenses are that the supplies were furnished upon the personal credit of the charterers; and that the latter had no power to bind the ship. There is a direct contradiction between the libel-ants and the captain as to his alleged notice to them on July 15th, that, under the charter, neither the vessel nor her owners were to be responsible for coal; but the libelant’s subsequent conduct in refusing to supply coal until some further arrangements were made for payment, and until some money was paid them, the delay of the vessel’s departure in consequence, and the subsequent refusal altogether to furnish coal on Savage’s order, fall in so naturally with the captain s [719]*719testimony as to confirm his narrative. The credits on the bill are sufficient to pay for the coal furnished before July 15th, when the captain testifies that his notice was given.

The most important facts bearing on this branch of the case are the following: (1) The charterers wore owners pro hue vice, and had expressly agreed to pay

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Bluebook (online)
21 F. 715, 1884 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stephenson-v-the-francis-nysd-1884.