Court Opinion

ID: 9447393
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 22:33:54.162188+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:31:01.273967
License: Public Domain

WOODBURY, Chief Judge
(dissenting).
The District Court’s finding Number 8 reads:
“This court takes judicial notice that subsequent to May 1, 1952 and to the present date various vessels (in addition to the SS Kathryn) owned and operated by this respondent, came and continue to come frequently and regularly within the jurisdiction of this court.”
It is such a well known fact that the respondent’s vessels now and for many years past have regularly and frequently served Puerto Rico that I fail to see why this finding does not provide an adequate basis for the District Court’s conclusion of laches.
I do not believe that in order to support its conclusion that the libellant was guilty of laches it was incumbent on the court below to make a specific finding as to the exact number of days that attachable property of the respondent was within the jurisdiction. Moreover, although the district judge adopted the analogy of the local statute of limitations in deciding the question of laches, it does not follow that this was the only consideration upon which he rested his finding. In discussing this ease in its opinion in the later case of Flores v. A. H. Bull Steamship Co., D.C.D.P.R.1958, 167 F.Supp. 841, 842, the court pointed out that its conclusion herein “was reached after consideration of many factors, and represents reflection and the exercise of discretion, not merely ‘by a reference to and a mechanical application of the statute of limitations’ (Gardner v. Panama R. Co., 342 U.S. 29, 31, 72 S.Ct. 12, 13, 96 L.Ed. 31).”
And, “the question of laches is addressed to the sound discretion of the trial judge, and his decision will not be disturbed on appeal unless it is so clearly wrong as to amount to an abuse of discretion.” The Kermit, 9 Cir., 1935, 76 F.2d 363, 367, certiorari denied sub nom. Lamborn v. American Ship & Commerce Navigation Corp., 1935, 296 U.S. 581, 56 S.Ct. 93, 80 L.Ed. 411. I would affirm.