Court Opinion

ID: 9671353
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:35:01.109625+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:09.498835
License: Public Domain

Opinion on Petitions to Rehear
Counsel for appellants have filed petitions to rehear which challenge the correctness of our original opinion on two grounds.
The first ground contending that this Court failed to take into consideration T.C.A. sec. 52-331(1) (n) merely reargues matters which were not overlooked but were thoroughly considered in reaching our original decision.
The second point contends that due process provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution are violated because the retailer has no way of determining whether a price set by a competitor (and less than invoice plus eight per cent) is lawful *377or not, and if lie meets such, price and it later turns out to Rave been unlawful be can be prosecuted under tbe terms of tbe Act.
Tbis contention is without merit. Tbe provisions of T.C.A. sec. 52-333 (Supp.1963), sets out tbe proper procedure to be followed by “[a]ny person claiming to be injured” by sucb a possible violation.
In general tbis section provides that a party so aggrieved may file an original suit for an injunction and for an award of damages, or be may file a complaint with tbe Commissioner who “shall forthwith cause an investigation to be made” to determine if tbe price is lawful. Tbe powers given tbe Commissioners are quite adequate to tbis end. If, as a result of such investigation and proceeding tbe “commissioner concludes that there is no basis for tbe charge” and dismisses it, then tbe retailer can, in good faith, conclude that tbe price is lawful and lower bis price to meet sucb competition.
Tbe Legislature gave tbe Commissioner broad and general power in order that be could bear tbe burden of enforcing tbe Act at tbe instance of injured parties or on bis own volition, in accordance with tbe duties and responsibilities imposed upon him by tbe Act.
For the reasons aforesaid, tbe petitions to rehear are denied.