Opinion ID: 22715
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: fsia

Text: Section 1609 of the FSIA prohibits the arrest or attachment of a vessel owned by a foreign government or one of its instrumentalities. 28 U.S.C. § 1609. However, while a vessel owned by a foreign government may not be arrested or attached under 28 U.S.C. § 1609, § 1605 provides for an in personam proceeding against the government itself. 28 U.S.C. § 1605; see also Maritrend, Inc. v. M/V SEBES, 1997 WL 660614 at  (E.D. La. Oct. 23, 1997). By entering a “Claim of Owner” for Estonian and invoking FSIA, Steamship Mutual successfully argued that the vessel had been wrongfully seized and that the in rem action, in which Steamship Mutual had supplied the Letter of Undertaking, was without merit. This left Coastal Cargo with the option of pursuing its claims against Estonian in personam, which it did. Estonian’s complaint begins with the undisputed premise that AIOC should have paid for the stevedoring services and when AIOC failed to pay them, it became the responsibility of Baff to pay them under the terms of the Time Charter Party between Baff and Estonian. Estonian takes the position that it did not realize that it had potential in personam liability for the charges until after the in rem action had been dismissed and both AIOC and Baff had 6 become insolvent, and it therefore failed to protect its interests.