Opinion ID: 6688
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did uasc waive immunity from attachment?

Text: 27 UASC concedes that it engaged in commercial activity in the United States. Appellants rely on the Secs. 1605 3 and 1606 4 for the proposition that once UASC engaged in commercial activity, they lose all benefit of FSIA immunity, and are subject to all the processes and remedies available against any defendant. 28 Section 1605 talks specifically about waiver of jurisdictional immunity, and Sec. 1606 provides that a foreign state shall be liable in the same manner and to the same extent as a private individual, except for a limitation on punitive damages, neither of which inform the question of attachment. 29 Rather, the issue of attachment is governed by Sec. 1609, which provides, the property in the United States of a foreign state shall be immune from attachment arrest and execution, except as provided in sections 1610 and 1611 of this chapter. The plain words of the statute clearly preclude reading the language of Secs. 1605 and 1606 to control the issue in this case. Under Sec. 1610(d), property of a foreign state used for commercial activity in the United States shall not be immune from attachment prior to the entry of judgment if the purpose of attachment is to secure satisfaction of a judgment that may ultimately be entered against the foreign state and not to obtain jurisdiction. So the real question is whether the purpose of the attachment was to secure satisfaction of a possible judgment or to gain jurisdiction. The Motion for Issuance of Warrant of Arrest filed by Appellants specifically sought to attach the vessel in order to subject UASC, a nonresident defendant, to personal jurisdiction. The procedure employed by Appellants, Rule B of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims, provides a basis for attachment only in the situation where an in personam claim is made against a defendant not found within the district. Appellants later filed Plaintiff's Request for Security for Release for the Arrest M/V IBN AL ATHEER. In that pleading Appellants asserted that the vessel had been seized in accordance with a court order authorized by Rule B of the Supplemental Rules of Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims, and asked the district court to set an amount for the release bond in accordance with Rule E of the Supplemental Rules, mentioning the Appellants desired adequate security for their claims. 30 The district court did not err in releasing the vessel ordered seized by the magistrate judge for the purpose of attaining jurisdiction. However, if the Appellants plead and establish an entitlement to seizure of UASC's property for security of their claims under Sec. 1610(d), nothing in this opinion should be construed to preclude that remedy.