The City of Atlanta

17 F.2d 308, 1924 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1375
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedSeptember 16, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 17 F.2d 308 (The City of Atlanta) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The City of Atlanta, 17 F.2d 308, 1924 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1375 (S.D. Ga. 1924).

Opinion

BARRETT, District Judge.

The libel as amended alleges that libelant is a corporation under the laws of Cuba; that the steamship City of Atlanta is an American steamship, with her home port and port of registry at Savannah, Ga.; that in August and September, 1920, libelant, in the port of Havana, republic of Cuba, furnished such vessel on the credit of sueh vessel the necessary lighters, tarpaulins, and towage of sueh lighters, in order that she might discharge her cargo and proceed upon her voyage; that by reason of the congested condition of the wharves in Havana harbor no other method was at the time and place available for unloading such vessel, and delay in unloading would have been very hurtful to the vessel and its owner; that the prices charged for such services were reasonable and the market prices; that libelant is entitled to a lien against sueh vessel under the general maritime law for the amounts claimed; that it is entitled to a lien against such vessel under the law of Cuba quoted in the libel for the amounts claimed; that it is entitled to a lien against said vessel by virtue of the act of Congress of the United States of America (36 Stat. 604, being Comp. St. §§ 7783-7787) entitled “An act relating to liens on vessels for repairs, etc.,” for the amounts claimed; that sueh services “were furnished to the said vessel upon the request and order of B. L. Stafford, then and there acting, in behalf of said steamer, City of Atlanta, whom the libelant then and there believed represented the owner of said vessel ; the said B. L. Stafford was the person to whom the management and handling of said steamship were intrusted by the owner thereof at said times and place; the libelant had no notice that said City of Atlanta was on charter at the time herein referred to; libel-ant was not put on notice of any fact which would put a reasonably prudent person on inquiry as to the ownership of said vessel”; and that the “said lighters, tarpaulins and towage were then and there necessary to the said vessel for the discharge of the cargo.”

The Ocean Steamship Company of Savannah filed claim to said vessel after it was libeled, and filed certain exceptions to the libel. The exceptions to the inadequacy or indefiniteness of the libel have been met by an amendment, except that dealt with in the opinion. The challenge that remains is as to the right to the libel claimed by libelant.

1. Lighterage, tarpaulins, and towage of lighters are included in “necessaries,” and, if furnished to the vessel, as distinguished from credit extended to the owner, charterer, or other person, establishes a maritime lien. The Garonne (C. C. A. Ninth Circuit) 160 F. 847 (2); The Lassell (D. C.) 193 F. 539; The Owego (D. C.) 292 F. 403; The Kootenai (D. C.) 295 F. 422. In the Owego Case, supra, it is held that: “While there is presumption of necessity for supplies usually needed by ship and furnished on master’s order, there is no presumption of necessity for use of lighter, especially when hired by ship’s agent, and concrete facts should be shown from which necessity may be found.” The facts as set forth in this libel show sueh necessity.

2. The law of the republic of Cuba governs. “In the matter of foreign contracts the law of the place where the contract was made furnishes the rule of decision, unless the contracting parties clearly appear to have had some other law in view.” 1 Corpus Juris, p. 1262, § 50.

“In these and like cases, where the lien or privilege is created by the lex loci contractus, it will generally, although not universally, be respected and enforced in all places where the property is found, or where the right can be beneficially enforced by the lex fori. And on the other hand, where the lien or privilege does not exist in the place of the contract, it will not be allowed in another country, although the local law where the suit is brought would otherwise sustain it.” Story on Conflict of Laws, p. 527, § 322.

“As between vessels of the United States and foreign countries: Here, too, the law of the place where the supplies are furnished (that is, in the ease of foreign vessels, the general maritime law as adopted in the United States) governs, although the law of the vessel’s flag may be different.” 26 Cyc. p. 810.-

“The law of the place where a contract is made governs its nature, obligation and interpretation, unless it appears that the parties, when entering into the contract, intended to be bound by the law of some other country.” Liverpool & Great Western Steam Co. v. Phenix Insurance Co., 129 U. S. 397, 9 S. Ct. 469, 32 L. Ed. 788.

[310]*310The following authorities sustain such principle': In re Insurance Co. (D. C.) 22 F. 109; The Maud Carter (D. C.) 29 F. 156; The Scotia (D. C.) 35 F. 907; The Woudrichem (D. C.) 278 F. 568; The Coastwise (D. C.) 291 F. 166; Cuba R. Co. v. Crosby, 222 U. S. 473, 32 S. Ct. 132, 56 L. Ed. 274, 38 L. R. A. (N. S.) 40.

3. The law of the republic of Cuba pleaded is as follows:

“580. In all judicial sales of vessels for the payment of creditors, the following shall have preference in the order stated:

“1. The credits in favor of the public treasury which are accounted for by means of a judicial certificate of the competent authority.

“2. The judicial costs of the proceedings, according to an appraisement approved by the judge or court. 1

“3. The pilotage charges, tonnage, dues and the other sea or port charges, proven by means of proper certificates of the officers intrusted with the collection.

“4. The salaries of the caretakers and watchmen of the vessel, and any other expense connected with the preservation of said vessel, from the time of arrival until her sale, which appear to have been paid or are due by virtue of a true account approved by the judge or court.

“5. The rent of the warehouse when the rigging and stores of the vessel have been taken care of, according to contract.

“6. The salaries due the captain and crew during their last voyage, which shall be vouched for by virtue of the liquidation made from the shipping articles and account books of the vessel, approved by the chief of the bureau of merchant marine where there is one, and in his absence, by the consul, or judge, or court.

“7. The reimbursement for. the goods of the freight the captain may have sold in order to repair the vessel, provided the sale has been ordered by a judicial instrument executed with the formalities required in such cases, and recorded in the certificate of the registry of the vessel.

“8. The part of the price which has not been paid the last vendor, the credits pending for the payment of material and work in the construction of the vessel, when it has not navigated, and those arising from the repair of the vessel and its provisioning with victuals and fuel during its last voyage. In order that said credits may enjoy the preferences contained in this number, they must appear by contracts recorded in the commercial registry, or if they were contracted for the vessel While on a voyage, and said vessel has not returned to the port where she is registered they must be proven with the authority required in such cases and entered in the certificate of the record of said vessel.

“9.

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Bluebook (online)
17 F.2d 308, 1924 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1375, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-city-of-atlanta-gasd-1924.