Court Opinion

ID: 9444874
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 21:14:59.780003+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:02.956393
License: Public Domain

MILLER, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I am of the opinion that the goods in question were not stolen from railroad cars which were parts of interstate shipments of freight, in that at the time of the thefts the cars had arrived at their destination and had been delivered to and accepted by the consignee. O’Kelley v. United States, 8 Cir., 116 F.2d 966.
In this case the physical transportation as called for by the bills of lading had been completely performed. The consignee had notice of arrival and had the cars placed on its storage tracks. The delay in unloading the cars was for the convenience of the consignee. It is a well settled common law rule with respect to the liability of a carrier, that when goods have arrived at their destination and at the request of and for the convenience of the consignee remain la *953the custody of the carrier, the status of the carrier is changed from that of a carrier to that of a warehouseman. General American Transp. Corp. v. Indiana Harbor Belt R. Co., 7 Cir., 191 F.2d 865, 873; Gus Datillo Fruit Co. v. Louisville & N. R. Co., 251 Ky. 566, 569, 65 S.W.2d 683; North Yakima Brewing & Malting Co. v. Northern Pacific R. W. Co., 49 Wash. 375, 95 P. 486, 16 L.R.A.,N.S., 935; Brown Shoe Co. v. Hardin, 77 W.Va. 611, 87 S.E. 1014, L.R.A..N.S., 1916D, 1199; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. P. R. W. Co. v. Kelm, 121 Minn. 343, 141 N.W. 295, 44 L.R.A.,N.S., 995; Brunson v. Atlantic Coast Line R. R. Co., 76 S.C. 9, 56 S.E. 538, 9 L.R.A.,N.S., 577. Delivery by the carrier is completed when the car is placed on consignee’s storage tracks, although it may be necessary later to move it to a platform for unloading purposes. New York C. & H. R. R. Co. v. General Electric Co., 219 N.Y. 227, 114 N.E. 115, 1 A.L.R. 1417, with Annotation. In the present case, even if it be conceded that the cars were still in the custody of the carrier, they were in its custody as a warehouseman, not as a carrier. Theft of goods from a warehouseman is a state offense not covered by the statute. Hall v. United States, 8 Cir., 182 F.2d 833, 835.