Consolidated Rail Corp. v. M/T HOEGH FORUM
Decision Date | 11 December 1985 |
Docket Number | Civ. A. No. 85-0226. |
Parties | CONSOLIDATED RAIL CORPORATION, Plaintiff, v. M/T HOEGH FORUM (In Rem) and Leif Heogh [sic] & Co., S/A and Petrolsea Inc. of Monrovia, Defendants. |
Court | U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Pennsylvania |
Francis X. Scanlan, Deasey, Scanlan & Bender, Ltd., Philadelphia, Pa., for plaintiff.
Thomas E. Seus, Philadelphia, Pa., for Petrolsea.
A. Robert Degen, Philadelphia, Pa., for other defendants.
Plaintiff Consolidated Rail Corporation ("Conrail") claims that it has suffered approximately $24,503.70 in economic losses because the defendant ship M/T Hoegh Forum (the "vessel") was berthed without its consent from September 24-26, 1984 at Pier 124, South Wharves, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ("Pier 124 or the "pier"), a pier owned by Conrail. Defendants Leif Hoegh & Co., S/A ("Leif Hoegh") (the owner and operator of the M/T Hoegh Forum) and Petrolsea Inc. of Monrovia ("Petrolsea") have each moved for summary judgment and/or judgment on the pleadings.1 The court grants summary judgment in favor of the defendants and against the plaintiff.
Conrail invokes this court's admiralty and maritime jurisdiction within the meaning of Fed.R.Civ.P. 9(h) and 28 U.S.C. § 1333. Conrail is the owner of Pier 124, South Wharves, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The pier is operated by Northern Contracting Company ("Northern"). The vessel, operated as a carrier of coal in ocean transportation by its owners, Leif Hoegh, was berthed at Pier 124 with the consent of Conrail or Northern on September 23, 1984. At approximately 7:00 a.m. that day it commenced loading coal; loading was scheduled for completion at approximately 6:30 p.m. on September 24, 1984.
Conrail's "Rules and Regulations Governing the Registration, Order of Assignment to Berth and Removal of Vessels at Pier 124, South Philadelphia, PA, effective September 7, 1982" (the "Rules and Regulations") provide in part:
In no case shall a Vessel remain in its berth more than 30 minutes after loading is completed or terminated by the Master and all safe conditions for leaving berth have been met, unless special arrangements are made with the Pier Manager.
According to these Rules and Regulations, if the coal were loaded according to schedule, the vessel would leave Pier 124 by 7:00 p.m. on September 24, 1984, if all safe conditions for leaving berth had been met, unless "special arrangements" had been made.
On September 24, 1984, Petrolsea invoked this court's admiralty and maritime jurisdiction against Leif Hoegh for breach of a charter party involving a ship other than the M/T Hoegh Forum. Petrolsea Inc. of Monrovia v. Leif Hoegh & Co., S/A, Civil Action No. 84-4558. Petrosea's complaint provided in part:
That same day this court issued an "Order Appointing Substitute Custodian" (C.A. No. 84-4558). The Order provided in part:
At 9:00 a.m. on September 25, 1984, by letter, counsel for Conrail requested the court to modify the "Order Appointing Substitute Custodian" entered the day before. The letter stated in part:
The court held a conference call with counsel for Conrail, Petrolsea, and Leif Hoegh. Because the court was conducting a trial, counsel were directed to attempt to resolve their dispute and to come to Chambers at 5:00 p.m. to report their progress. During the day, counsel for Conrail, Petrolsea and Leif Hoegh communicated regarding the disposition of the vessel. Counsel met in Chambers at approximately 5:00 p.m.; pursuant to stipulation of the parties approved by the court, an Order was entered allowing the vessel to be moved from Pier 124 to Bigstone Beach Anchorage in Delaware but providing that the court would retain its quasi-in-rem jurisdiction over the vessel in Civil Action No. 84-4558. The M/T Hoegh Forum moved on the next tide at approximately 1:15 a.m. on September 26, 1984. Petrolsea Inc. of Monrovia v. Leif Hoegh & Co., S.A., Civil Action No. 84-4558, was dismissed pursuant to Fed.R. Civ.P. 41(a) on December 5, 1984.
Conrail submitted a claim to Leif Hoegh for damages in the amount of $24,503.70 representing costs of standby dock crews, train and engine crews, communications and signal maintenance, and car hire allegedly incurred because the M/T Hoegh Forum remained at Pier 124 from September 24 until September 26, 1984. Conrail commenced this action against the M/T Hoegh Forum, Leif Hoegh, and Petrolsea on January 16, 1985.
Defendant Leif Hoegh advances two grounds for summary judgment in its favor:
(1) the damages sought by Conrail are not recoverable; and (2) the M/T Hoegh Forum berthing was pursuant to court order and privileged.
Plaintiff's complaint states only that "as a result of the aforesaid unauthorized berthing of the M/T Hoegh Forum during the period September 24-26, 1984, plaintiff has sustained expenditures for labor, loss of use and loss of income as nearly as can be ascertained in the amount of approximately $24,503.70...." (Para. 15). Plaintiff's response to defendants' motions for summary judgment suggest that its theory of liability is that defendants tortiously interfered with plaintiff's contractual relations. But there is no cause of action for negligent interference with contractual relations in the absence of physical damage. Getty Refining and Marketing Company v. M/T FADI B and FADI B Shipping Corp., 766 F.2d 829 (3d Cir.1985). Accord, Restatement (Second) of Torts § 766C (1977). In Getty Refining, the Court of Appeals relied heavily on Robins Drydock & Repair Co. v. Flint, 275 U.S. 303, 48 S.Ct. 134, 72 L.Ed. 290 (1927). In Robins Drydock, a time charterer sued for profits lost because defendant dry dock's negligent damage to the vehicle's propeller extended by two weeks the time the vessel was in dry dock. The Supreme Court, in an Opinion by Justice Holmes, held plaintiff could not recover:
No authority need be cited to show that as a general rule, at least, a tort to the person or property of one man does not make the tortfeasor liable to another merely because the injured person was under a contract with that other, unknown to the doer of the wrong.... The law does not spread its protection so far.
To continue reading
Request your trial-
Furness Withy (Chartering), Inc., Panama v. World Energy Systems Associates, Inc., 87-7282
...the party who obtained the attachment, provided he prove that such party acted in bad faith. See, e.g., Consolidated Rail Corp. v. M/T Hoegh Forum, 630 F.Supp. 83, 88 (E.D.Pa.1985) (in personam attachment); Ships & Freights, Inc. v. Farr, Whitlock & Co., 188 F.Supp. 438, 439 (E.D.N.Y.1960) ......
-
Reserve Mooring Inc. v. American Commercial Barge Line, s. 00-30611
...the plaintiff's contractual relations with other vessels scheduled to use the dock. Id. at 833; see also Consolidated Rail Corp. v. M/T HOEGH FORUM, 630 F. Supp. 83, 86 (E.D. Pa. 1985) (rejecting a claim for economic losses incurred when the defendant's ship was ordered by a court to remain......