Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Oneida Navigation Corp. v. W. & S. Job & Co.

Oneida Navigation Corp. v. W. & S. Job & Co., 252 U.S. 521 (1920)

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1920-04-19
Topic
general

Mr. Justice Brandéis delivered the opinion of the court. James W. Smith and another libelled the Schooner Percy R. Pyne 2d in the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York claiming damages for injury to cargo resulting from unseaworthi-" ness due to the cutting away of timbers and frame for the installation of . an auxiliary engine.

Citator

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Cited by
47 opinions

Headnotes

  1. Admiralty & Maritime Law — Appellate Jurisdiction — Finality An order dismissing a claimant's petition to bring in a third party as indemnitor is not appealable in advance of any determination of the main issue of the claimant's own liability; the petition is merely an incident in the progress of the case, and the indemnity sought could not arise unless the vessel were first held liable. 252 U.S. at 524–25
  2. Federal Courts & Jurisdiction — Appellate Jurisdiction — Final Judgments A case may not be brought to the appellate court in fragments; appellate jurisdiction lies only from judgments that are both final and complete, and an order that was final only as to a third party, while no decree disposed of the case below, is not reviewable. 252 U.S. at 525
ONEIDA NAV. CORP.v. JOB CO.,252 U.S. 521(1920)
40 S.Ct. 357
ONEIDA NAVIGATION CORPORATION, CLAIMANT OF THE SAILING VESSEL "PERCY R.
PYNE, 2D." c.v. W. S. JOB COMPANY, INC.
APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
No. 259.
Argued March 19, 1920.
Decided April 19, 1920.
In a libel of a vessel for damage to cargo due to unseaworthiness, the owner and claimant, having answered denying liability, by leave filed a petition to bring in another party as indemnitor.Held, that a decree dismissing such petition was not appealable by the claimant to this court in advance of any determination of the main issue of claimant's liability. A case cannot be brought up piecemeal.Collinsv.Miller, ante, 364. Appeal dismissed.
THE case is stated in the opinion.
Mr. Geo. Whitefield Betts, Jr., with whomMr. George C.Spraguewas on the brief, for appellant.Mr. Peter S. Carter, for appellee, submitted.
MR. JUSTICE BRANDEIS delivered the opinion of the court.
James W. Smith and another libelled the Schooner Percy R. Pyne 2d in the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York claiming damages for injury to cargo resulting from unseaworthiness due to the cutting away of timbers and frame for the installation of an auxiliary engine. The Oneida Navigation Company claimed the vessel as owner and answered denying liability. Then it filed, by leave of court, aPage 522petition to bring in, under Admiralty Rule 15 of that court in analogy to Admiralty Rule 59 of this court, W. S. Job Co., Inc., as defendants, alleging them to be the party through whose fault, if any, the damages complained of had occurred, and that if liability should be established it would be entitled to be indemnified by them. W. S. Job Co., Inc., excepted to the petition and denied jurisdiction on the ground that the petition did not set forth a cause of action in admiralty. Their exception was sustained and the petition was dismissed on that ground. The case comes here by direct appeal, the District Judge having certified the question of jurisdiction.

The petition to make W. S. Job Co., Inc., party defendants was merely an incident in the progress of the case in the District Court. The liability of indemnitors thereby sought to be enforced would in no event arise unless the vessel should be held liable. The petitioner had as claimant denied liability in its answer to the libel and the issue thus raised had not been tried. While the decree dismissing the petition as to W. S. Job Co., Inc., was final as to them, there was no decree disposing of the case below. A case may not be brought here in fragments. This court has jurisdiction under § 238 of the Judicial Code, as under other sections, only from judgments which are both final and complete.Collinsv.Miller, decided by this court March 29, 1920,ante, 364;Hohorstv.Hamburg-American Packet Co.,148 U.S. 262. The case was not ripe for appeal. Although the objection was not raised by the appellee, the appeal isDismissed for want of jurisdiction.Page 523