Federal Commerce & Nav. Co., Ltd. v. M/V Marathonian
| Decision Date | 19 May 1976 |
| Docket Number | D,No. 198,198 |
| Parties | FEDERAL COMMERCE & NAVIGATION COMPANY, LTD., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. The M/V MARATHONIAN, her engines, etc. and Europa Shipping Corporation, Defendants-Appellees. ocket 75--7274. |
| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit |
Nicholas J. Healy, New York City (Healy & Baillie, Edward J. Miller, New York City, of counsel), for plaintiff-appellant.
Kenneth H. Volk, New York City (Burlingham, Underwood & Lord, Michael C. Bynane, New York City, of counsel), for defendants-appellees.
Before KAUFMAN, Chief Judge, and SMITH and FEINBERG, Circuit Judges.
Federal Commerce & Navigation Company, Ltd., time charterer of the M/V ROLWI, sued in the district court for the Southern District of New York for damages of some $700,000 sustained while the ROLWI was laid up as a result of damage sustained in a collision with the M/V MARATHONIAN, owned and operated by defendant Europa Shipping Corporation.
The district court, John M. Cannella, Judge, in a considered and thorough opinion reluctantly dismissed the action as not sustainable in the light of Robins Dry Dock & Repair Co. v. Flint, 275 U.S. 303, 48 S.Ct. 134, 72 L.Ed. 290 (1927), which denied relief for damages sustained by a time charterer. 392 F.Supp. 908 (S.D.N.Y.1975). We find no error and affirm the judgment.
Appellant contends that Robins is unsound, has been eroded and should not be followed, and in the alternative that intentional wrongdoing on the part of defendant takes the case out of the rule of Robins based on negligent interference with contract.
The short answer to the second claim is that excessive speed in foggy conditions falls short of intentional damage.
The first claim is somewhat more substantial, for the basis for denial of relief to the time charterer in Robins has come under strong scholarly criticism. See F. James, Limitations on Liability for Economic Loss Caused by Negligence: A Pragmatic Appraisal, 25 Vand.L.Rev. 43, 55--57 (1972); 1 1 F. Harper & F. James, The Law of Torts § 6.10 at 501--05 (1956); see also W. L. Prosser, Law of Torts § 129, at 939, 940 (4th ed. 1971).
We are unable, however, to discern any indication that the Supreme Court has moved away from the Robins rule. The only case since Robins cited to us, Aktieselskabet Cuzco v. The Sucarseco, 294 U.S. 394, 55 S.Ct. 467, 79 L.Ed. 942 (1935), explicitly distinguished Robins, and the admiralty texts recognize the continued force of the rule. See, e.g., Poor, Charter Parties and Ocean Bills of Lading 25 (5th ed. 1968); Scrutton, Charterparties and Bills of Lading 49 (18th ed. 1974).
The Robins rule appears to be based on a contract theory, denying relief to one injured by negligent interference with contract, although an effort is also made by appellee to justify the rule on the basis of remoteness of injury. If free to do so, we might question whether at least the damage to the principal time charterer is not so reasonably to be expected as to justify recovery. See Petition of Kinsman Transit Co., 388 F.2d 821, 823--24 (2d Cir. 1968). But there are arguments to the contrary, such as the difficulty in drawing the line in a field where...
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Falls Riverway Realty, Inc. v. City of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
...on the pleadings. See Federal Commerce & Navigation Co. v. The M/V Marathonian, 392 F.Supp. 908, 909 n. 1 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd, 528 F.2d 907 (2d Cir.1975), cert. denied, 425 U.S. 975, 96 S.Ct. 2176, 48 L.Ed.2d 799 (1976). As such, it encompassed both the motions to dismiss the first two causes......
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State of La. ex rel. Guste v. M/V Testbank
...for profits lost when his leased vessel was negligently damaged. An identical result was reached in Federal Commerce & Navigation Co. v. M/V MARATHONIAN, 528 F.2d 907 (2d Cir.1975), cert. denied, 425 U.S. 975, 96 S.Ct. 2176, 48 L.Ed.2d 799 (1976). In Henderson v. Arundel Corp., 262 F.Supp. ......
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Am. Petroleum & Transp., Inc. v. City of N.Y.
...explicitly applied Robins Dry Dock to reject a time charterer's claim for economic losses. See Federal Commerce & Navigation Co. v. M/V Marathonian, 528 F.2d 907, 908 (2d Cir.1975). The per curiam opinion noted an effort “to justify the [narrow] rule [of Robins Dry Dock] on the basis of rem......
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New York State United Teachers v. Thompson
...he has answered. See Federal Commerce & Navigation Co. v. M/V Marathonian, 392 F.Supp. 908, 909 n.1 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd per curiam, 528 F.2d 907 (2d Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 425 U.S. 975, 96 S.Ct. 2176, 48 L.Ed.2d 799 (1976); 5 Wright & Miller, Fed. Prac. & Pro. § 1367 (1969). Accordingly, t......