Tom Lange Co. v. A. Gagliano Co.

859 F. Supp. 356, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10772, 1994 WL 398199
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJuly 28, 1994
DocketNo. 91-C-852
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 859 F. Supp. 356 (Tom Lange Co. v. A. Gagliano Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tom Lange Co. v. A. Gagliano Co., 859 F. Supp. 356, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10772, 1994 WL 398199 (E.D. Wis. 1994).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

RANDA, District Judge.

The above-captioned ease is controlled by the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930 as amended (hereinafter “PACA”), codified at 7 U.S.C. § 499a et seq. In addition, the applicable regulations are found in 7 C.F.R. § 46 et seq.

Pursuant to the PACA, a de novo trial1 to the Court occurred on January 24,1994 on A. Gagliano Company’s (hereinafter “Gagliano”) petition for review of a decision rendered by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (hereinafter “Secretary”) which ordered Gagliano to pay reparation for a shipment of lettuce in the amount of Three Thousand Four Hundred Sixty-Eight Dollars and Twenty-Six Cents ($3,468.26) to the respondent, Tom Lange Company, Inc. (hereinafter “Lange”).

[358]*358The Secretary held a hearing pursuant to 7 U.S.C. § 499f and 499g, applied 7 C.F.R. §§ 46.22 and 46.232 to the facts at bar, and found that a “price after sale” contract for the lettuce in question existed and that Gagli-ano failed to meet the dumping requirements for that lettuce found in § 46.23. Further, on a motion for reconsideration, the Secretary found that if the sections in 7 C.F.R., such as § 46.23, did not apply, to this “price after sale” contract the standards of those sections would be found in the ease law governing dealings under the PACA. (Citing to Anonymous, 5 Agric.Dec. 25, 26 (1943)). The Secretary found that Gagliano failed to produce adequate evidence to show that the lettuce was of no commercial value. The Secretary concluded that Gagliano failed to adequately comply with recordation requirements of the PACA and other and similar PACA standards.

Gagliano argued at trial and in his Post Trial Memoranda that §§ 46.22 and 46.23 do not apply to a “price after sale” transaction, that it acted in a “reasonable fashion under the totality of the circumstances,” (i.e., in “good faith”) (Gagliano’s Post Trial Memorandum, p. 3), and finally, if the requirements of §§ 46.22 and 46.23 are applicable, Gagli-ano’s compliance with them was waived because Lange agreed with the actions Gagli-ano took.

As subsequently discussed, the facts are basically not in dispute. Essential to this decision are the standards of law to be applied.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

First the facts. Although this was a de novo trial to the Court, the Secretary’s Findings of Fact are not to be disturbed unless those findings are rebutted by specific evidence. See Consolidated Citrus Company v. Goldstein, 214 F.Supp. 823 (E.D.Pa.1963). While the trial de novo is a:

[T]rial anew of the entire controversy, including the hearing of evidence as though no previous action had been taken ... [the] findings and orders (of the Secretary) shall be prima facie of the facts therein stated. That means that they shall stand as the established facts until sufficient evidence is produced on the trial to overcome them.

Spano v. Western Fruit Growers, Inc., 83 F.2d 150, 151 (10th Cir.1936).

This interpretation is consistent with 7 U.S.C. § 499g(c) which provides in part:

[359]*359Such suit in the district court shall be a trial de novo and shall proceed in all respects like other civil suits for damages except that the findings of fact and order or orders of the Secretary shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated.

In Consolidated Citrus the court, citing Spa-no, supra, stated:

[T]he Act creates a rebuttable presumption that these [the Secretary’s findings] are established facts until sufficient evidence is introduced at trial to rebut them.

Id. at 826, n. 6.

And, further, in Spano:

It establishes a rule of evidence that does not prevent any defense. It does not interpose an obstacle to the presentation of any contest on the issue, nor does it take away the right of either party to introduce any pertinent or relevant evidence.

Id. at 152.

Applying those standards to the case at bar, the Court adopts the relevant factual findings of the Secretary in toto contained in the order dated May 17, 1991, in addition to the following. Although the evidence offered at the trial, which consisted solely of the testimony of Gagliano’s owner, Anthony Gag-liano, did not rebut the facts contained in the Secretary’s decision, it did serve to offer an explanation of those facts creating an expanded factual setting which will be addressed below.

Because the Court adopts the relevant factual findings3 of the Secretary, it incorporates them by reference.

Thus, one hundred forty-four (144) cartons of artichokes and six hundred and sixty-five (665) cartons of lettuce were shipped in interstate commerce on or about September 10, 1988 and delivered with the concurrence of all parties to Gagliano in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on a price after sale basis. The shipment arrived at Gagliano’s place of business on September 13, 1988, where it was accepted. There is no dispute as to the quality of or the accounting for the artichokes. Gagli-ano claims that the lettuce did not meet good delivery standards. Lange issued an invoice to Gagliano relating to the produce in question which, in pertinent part, stated that price was to be determined after sale and that “good delivery standards apply, excluding bruising and/or discoloration following bruising.”

No federal inspection was made of the lettuce, nor was there a certification from a state or local health officer or food inspector or from an established commercial inspection service. Gagliano did submit three letters from merchants in the industry stating that they inspected lettuce on September 28,1988 and found that it had no commercial value and was unfit for human consumption.4

Based essentially on these facts, the Secretary ordered Gagliano to pay Lange the Three Thousand Four Hundred Sixty-Eight Dollars and Twenty Cents ($3,468.20) in reparation amounts. In making this order, however, the Secretary was not apprised of the following “explanatory” facts offered at trial by Anthony Gagliano.

Thus, while Gagliano did not issue a written account of sale to Lange until October 14, 1988, Anthony Gagliano’s un-rebutted testimony at trial was that this was done with the oral concurrence of Lange through its agent, David Osborn (hereinafter “Osborn”).5

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859 F. Supp. 356, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10772, 1994 WL 398199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tom-lange-co-v-a-gagliano-co-wied-1994.