Opinion ID: 541946
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: release of security

Text: 54 The final issue which this court must address is whether the district court abused its discretion by granting M/V ROZITA's motion to release the $450,000 security bond posted by it. Farr Man/Woodhouse contends that M/V ROZITA has primary liability for the damage caused to Farr Man/Woodhouse, and that retention of the surety is therefore proper. 55 The decision of the district court to release defendant/appellee M/V ROZITA's security is one to which this court will accord great deference, and which we will review only for abuse of discretion. Titan Navigation, Inc. v. Timsco, Inc., 808 F.2d 400 (5th Cir.1987). After reviewing the record, we find no such abuse. 56 The district court committed no reversible error when it held that Farr Man/Woodhouse was not entitled to recovery from M/V ROZITA. Farr Man/Woodhouse contractually assumed the risk for any cargo damage caused by the stevedores, because the charter party provides that the charterer, not the shipowner, is responsible for hiring the stevedore. It is the charterer, not the shipowner, who had control over the performance of loading and discharging activities. Since the district court, in an uncontested ruling, held that the cargo damage was caused solely by the negligence of the stevedore, Amstar, Farr Man/Woodhouse is not entitled to recover from M/V ROZITA for cargo damage caused by Amstar. Therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion in releasing the security posted by M/V ROZITA, given its findings that M/V ROZITA was not liable for the damages.